Top-down proteomics study of aging and sexual dimorphism of zebrafish brains

Here, we present the first example of studying the aging and sexual dimorphism of brains using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model organism by mass spectrometry (MS)-based quantitative top-down proteomics (TDP). We measured the proteoforms in male and female zebrafish brains across three ages (6, 16, and 24 months) using capillary zone electrophoresis-tandem MS (CZE-MS/MS). Our research indicates that male and female zebrafish exhibit significant differences in the abundance of important proteoforms. Significant age-related changes were observed in proteoforms associated with critical neurological processes, including neurofilament assembly, dopaminergic neuron differentiation, and synaptic vesicle priming.