1H NMR metabolomic analysis of skin and blubber of bottlenose dolphins reveal a functional metabolic dichotomy

Publication date: Available online 10 February 2019Source: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and ProteomicsAuthor(s): Biswapriya Biswavas Misra, Ruiz-Hernández Ixchel Mariel, Hernández-Bolio Gloria Ivonne, Hernández-Núñez Emanuel, Díaz-Gamboa Raúl, Colli-Dula Reyna CristinaAbstractThe common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a carnivorous cetacean thriving in marine environment that is one of the apex predators of the marine food web. They are found in coastal and estuarine ecosystems which are known to be sensitive to environmental impacts. Dolphin is considered sentinel organisms for monitoring the health of coastal marine ecosystems in their role as predators that can bioaccumulate contaminants. Although recent studies have focused on capturing the circulating metabolomes of these mammals, as well as in the context of pollutants and exposures in the marine environment, the skin and blubber are important surface and protective organs that have not been probed for metabolism.Using 1HNMR based metabolomic approach we quantified 51 metabolites belonging to 74 different metabolic pathways in the skin and blubber of stranding bottlenose dolphin samples collected from the Southern Zone coast of Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.The results indicate that metabolism of skin and blubber metabolism are quantitatively very different. Further, using heat maps and random forest analysis, the results point to unique metabolites that are important classifi...

Source: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics - February 10, 2019 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research