Identification of key proteins involved in stickleback environmental adaption with system-level analysis

Using abundance measurements of 1,490 proteins from four separate populations of three-spined sticklebacks, we implemented a system-level approach to correlate proteome dynamics with environmental salinity and temperature and the fishs population and morphotype. We identified sets of robust and accurate fingerprints that predict environmental salinity, temperature, morphotype and the population sample origin, observing that proteins with specific functions are enriched in these fingerprints. Highly apparent functions represented in all fingerprints include ion transport, proteostasis, growth, and immunity, suggesting that these functions are most diversified in populations inhabiting different environments. Applying a differential network approach, we analyzed the network of protein interactions that differs between populations. Looking at specific population combinations of differential interaction, we identify sets of connected proteins. We find that these sets and their corresponding enriched functions reflect key processes that have diverged between the four populations. Moreover, the extent of divergence, i.e. the number of enriched functions that differ between populations, is highest when all three environmental parameters are different between two populations. Key nodes in the differential interaction network signify functions that are also inherent in the fingerprints, most prominently proteostasis-related functions. However, the differential interaction network also reveals additional functions that have diverged between populations, notably cytoskeletal organization and morphogenesis. Having such a large proteomic dataset, the strength of these analyses is that the results are purely data-driven, not based on previous findings and hypotheses about adaptation. With such an unbiased approach applied on a large proteomic dataset, we find the strongest signals given by the data, making it possible to develop more discriminatory and complex biomarkers for specific contexts of interest.