PROTEOME AND METAGENOME ANALYSIS OF PACAP KO AND WILD TYPE MICE
01/29/2020
Ádám Rivnyák1, János Schmidt2, György Schneider3, László Márk2, Péter Kiss1, Dorottya Balogh1, Dóra Reglődi1
1 MTA-PTE PACAP Research Team, Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
2 Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
3 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs
PACAP (Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide) is an endogenous neuropeptide with widespread biological effects, presents in several tissues with known physiological and cytoprotective effects. It acts mainly by activating the PKA-CREB pathway through its receptors. In animal experiments PACAP affected the secretion of exocrine serous glands such as the lacrimal glands, salivary glands and the pancreas. PACAP and its PAC1 receptor are there in the salivary glands. We hypothesized that PACAP may also affect the protein composition of saliva and potentially the composition of the oral microbiome too. We analysed the saliva of PACAP KO and wild mice with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The proteins, which had more than 2 fold change ratio were further analysed with STRING v11.0. The oral microbiome was examined by 16S rRNS sequencing from oral palatine mucosa and tongue of PACAP KO and wild type mice. We found significant differences in the level of 56 proteins and in biological processes connected to the mucosal immune system and antimicrobial response. There were also differences in the oral microbiome, where the Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio was bigger in the KO samples. Based on our findings, we can assume that PACAP has an effect on the salivary composition and plays a role in the immune system of the oral cavity. The Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio may support these changes in phenotypic level, but these alterations need further experiments. Funding: 2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00002; GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00050 “PEPSYS”, MTA-TKI 14016,NKFIH K119759, 115874; EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00008: The role of neuro-inflammation in neurodegeneration: from molecules to clinics. Center of Neuroscience, Pécs, Hungary.