Global proteomic analysis of protein acetylation affecting metabolic regulation in Daphnia pulex

Daphnia (Daphnia pulex) is a small planktonic crustacean and a key constituent of aquatic ecosystems. It is generally used as a model organism to study environmental toxic problems. In the past decade, genomic and proteomic datasets of Daphnia have been developed. The proteomic dataset allows for the investigation of toxicological effects in the context of “Daphnia proteomics,” resulting in greater insights for toxicological research. To exploit Daphnia for ecotoxicological research, information on the post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins is necessary, as this is a critical regulator of biological processes. Acetylation of lysine (Kac) is a reversible and highly regulated PTM that is associated with diverse biological functions. However, a comprehensive description of Kac in Daphnia is not yet available. To understand the cellular distribution of lysine acetylation in Daphnia, we identified 98 acetylation sites in 65 proteins by immunoprecipitation using an anti-acetyllysine antibody and a liquid chromatography system supported by mass spectroscopy. We identified 28 acetylated sites related to metabolic proteins and six acetylated enzymes associated with the TCA cycle in Daphnia. From GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, we showed that Kac in D. pulex is highly enriched in proteins associated with metabolic processes. Our data provide the first global analysis of Kac in D. pulex and is an important resource for the functional analysis of Kac in this organism.