Proteome mapping of adult zebrafish marrow neutrophils reveals partial cross species conservation to human peripheral neutrophils.

Neutrophil granulocytes are pivotal cells within the first line of host defense of the innate immune system. In this study, we have used a gel-based LC-MS/MS approach to explore the proteome of primary marrow neutrophils from adult zebrafish. The identified proteins originated from all major cellular compartments. Gene ontology analysis revealed significant association of proteins with different immune-related network and pathway maps. 75% of proteins identified in neutrophils were identified in neutrophils only when compared to neutrophil-free brain tissue. Moreover, cross-species comparison with human peripheral blood neutrophils showed partial conservation of immune-related proteins between human and zebrafish. This study provides the first zebrafish neutrophil proteome and may serve as a valuable resource for an understanding of neutrophil biology and innate immunity