Application of fluorogenic derivatization-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric proteome method to skeletal muscle proteins in fast Thoroughbred horses.

To extend the applicability of the fluorogenic derivatization-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) method, which consists of fluorogenic derivatization (FD), separation by liquid chromatography (LC), and identification by LC-tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) proteomic analysis, we applied it to Thoroughbred horse muscle. With the optimization of the protein extraction and separation procedure, reproducible chromatograms were obtained and the changes in protein expressions during exercise were able to be analyzed. To quantify the changed protein expressions, the training-to-detraining (+/-) ratios for proteins were calculated, and the correlation of the ratio with the percentage of maximum oxygen consumptions (VO2max; the indicator of the running speed) was investigated. Sixteen proteins involved in energy supply, especially in anaerobic energy production, increased with an increase in VO2max, suggesting that this method was able to suggest the biochemical events in the faster-running horse and would be useful for evaluating the training effect in Thoroughbred horses.