The Host Defense Proteome of Human and Bovine Milk
Open Access
- 27 April 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 6 (4), e19433
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019433
Abstract
Milk is the single source of nutrients for the newborn mammal. The composition of milk of different mammals has been adapted during evolution of the species to fulfill the needs of the offspring. Milk not only provides nutrients, but it also serves as a medium for transfer of host defense components to the offspring. The host defense proteins in the milk of different mammalian species are expected to reveal signatures of evolution. The aim of this study is therefore to study the difference in the host defense proteome of human and bovine milk. We analyzed human and bovine milk using a shot-gun proteomics approach focusing on host defense-related proteins. In total, 268 proteins in human milk and 269 proteins in bovine milk were identified. Of these, 44 from human milk and 51 from bovine milk are related to the host defense system. Of these proteins, 33 were found in both species but with significantly different quantities. High concentrations of proteins involved in the mucosal immune system, immunoglobulin A, CD14, lactoferrin, and lysozyme, were present in human milk. The human newborn is known to be deficient for at least two of these proteins (immunoglobulin A and CD14). On the other hand, antimicrobial proteins (5 cathelicidins and lactoperoxidase) were abundant in bovine milk. The high concentration of lactoperoxidase is probably linked to the high amount of thiocyanate in the plant-based diet of cows. This first detailed analysis of host defense proteins in human and bovine milk is an important step in understanding the function of milk in the development of the immune system of these two mammals.Keywords
This publication has 39 references indexed in Scilit:
- Breast Milk as the Gold Standard for Protective NutrientsThe Journal of Pediatrics, 2010
- Universal sample preparation method for proteome analysisNature Methods, 2009
- The bovine lactation genome: insights into the evolution of mammalian milkGenome Biology, 2009
- MaxQuant enables high peptide identification rates, individualized p.p.b.-range mass accuracies and proteome-wide protein quantificationNature Biotechnology, 2008
- Milk fat globule–EGF factor 8/lactadherin plays a crucial role in maintenance and repair of murine intestinal epitheliumJCI Insight, 2007
- Characterisation of Host Defence Proteins in Milk Using a Proteomic ApproachJournal of Proteome Research, 2006
- Bovine and human cathelicidin cationic host defense peptides similarly suppress transcriptional responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharideJournal of Leukocyte Biology, 2006
- Weaning-induced expression of a milk-fat globule protein, MFG-E8, in mouse mammary glands, as demonstrated by the analyses of its mRNA, protein and phosphatidylserine-binding activityBiochemical Journal, 2006
- Identification of a factor that links apoptotic cells to phagocytesNature, 2002
- Cathelicidins: a novel protein family with a common proregion and a variable C‐terminal antimicrobial domainFEBS Letters, 1995