OBJECTIVETo identify the differentially expressed proteins in the liver of Oncomelania snails induced by Eomecon chinanthe sanguinarine.

METHODSSanguinarine was extracted and purified from the dry powder of Eomecon chinanthe. Oncomelania snails were immersed in 5 mg/L sanguinarine (50 Oncomelania snails per 500 ml) or pure water for 36 h (25°C) and the livers were isolated from live snails. Total liver proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Electrophoretogram was analyzed by Image Master 2D 5.0 software. The differentially expressed proteins between sanguinarine group and pure water group were selected and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing of tryptic peptides.

RESULTSIn terms of protein spots, 433 ± 14 and 385 ± 12 were observed in sanguinarine group and in water group respectively. The eleven identified differentially expressed proteins included tropomyosin, hypothetical protein XP_533132, actin 87E, keratin 6A, beta-tubulin, mitochondrial inner membrane protein isoform 4, keratin 2, allatostatin precursor, ENSANGP00000020184, actin-3 and ENSANGP00000013943. Among them, hypothetical protein XP_533132 and ENSANGP00000013943 were down-regulated and the other nine proteins were up-regulated in sanguinarine group.

CONCLUSIONSanguinarine could alter the expression of proteins in livers of Oncomelania snails.