Genetic Modulation of Protein Expression in Rat Brain

Genetic variations in protein expression are implicated in a broad spectrum of common diseases and complex traits. However, the fundamental genetic architecture and variation of protein expression have received comparatively less attention than either mRNA or classical phenotypes. In this study, we systematically quantified proteins in the brains of a large family of rats using tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative mass-spectrometry (MS) technology. We identified and quantified a comprehensive proteome of 8,119 proteins from Spontaneously Hypertensive (SHR/Olalpcv), Brown Norway with polydactyly-luxate (BN-Lx/Cub), and 29 of their fully inbred HXB/BXH progeny. Differential expression (DE) analysis identified 597 proteins with significant differences in expression between the parental strains (fold change > 2 and FDR < 0.01). We characterized 95 variant peptides by proteogenomics approach and discovered 464 proteins linked to strong cis-acting quantitative trait loci (pQTLs, FDR < 0.05). We also explored the linkage of pQTLs with behavioral phenotypes in rats and examined the sex-specific pQTLs to reveal both distinct and shared cis-pQTLs between sexes. Furthermore, by creating a novel view of the rat pangenome, we improved the ability to pinpoint candidate genes underlying pQTL. Finally, we explored the connection between the pQTLs in rat and human disorders, underscoring the translational potential of our findings. Collectively, this work demonstrates the value of large and systematic proteo-genetic datasets in understanding protein modulation in the brain and its functional linkage to complex central nervous system (CNS) traits.