MS-based proteomic analysis of cardiac response to hypoxia in the goldfish (Carassius auratus)

The exceptional hypoxia tolerance of the goldfish heart may be achieved through the activation of an alternative mechanism recruiting the first product of the anaerobic glycolysis (i.e. piruvate). This hypothesis led to design a classical mass spectrometry based proteomic study to identify in the goldfish cardiac proteins that may be associated with maintaining heart function under normoxia and hypoxia. A selective protein solubilization, SDS PAGE, trypsin digestion and MALDI MS/MS analysis allowed the identification of the 12 most stable hypoxia-regulated proteins. Among these proteins, five are enzymes catalyzing reversible steps of the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis network. Protein composition reveals the presence of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase B as a specific hypoxia-regulated protein. This work indicated that the key enzyme of reversible steps of the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis network is fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, aldolase B, suggesting a role of gluconeogenesis in the mechanisms involved in the goldfish heart response to hypoxia.