Discovery of characteristic proteins linked to textural changes in fermented golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) based on a label-free proteomics strategy

Fermentation causes changes in fish texture, nevertheless, the mechanism of protein involvement in this process of textural changes are unknown. We investigated changes in the tissue microstructure and texture, combined with a multidimensional fusion strategy to characterized the oxidative degradation properties of myofibrillar proteins, and analyzed the protein expression using label-free quantitative proteomics. Muscle protein hydrolysis, increased oxidation levels, and changes in spatial conformation were observed in the fish texture and microstructure during fermentation. We identified 664 proteins and screened 330 differentially proteins. The weighted protein co-expression network model screening yielded a total of 38 key potential proteins associated with textural changes. Characteristic proteins at important nodes, which were mainly structural proteins and metabolic enzymes, were identified using protein-protein interaction network analysis. These results reveal a relationship between proteins and textural characteristics and provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality control of fermented marine fish.