Comparative Proteomics Analysis Reveals Trans Fatty Acid Isomers Activates Different Pathways in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell.

Trans fatty acid (TFA), a group of unsaturated fats with at least one double bond in the trans configuration, plays a role in lipid metabolism, the structure of the cell membrane phospholipids, and apoptosis. Previous studies demonstrated that TFA was associated with coronary heart disease, obesity, and insulin resistance. Herein, a quantitative proteomics approach estimated the relative abundance of proteins in human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with TFA (two different TFA structural isomers: 9t-18:1 and 9t,12t-18:2). The results revealed that 174 identified proteins were significantly altered with respect to expression. Furthermore, based on the cutoff values, 35 proteins were differentially expressed in the 9t-18:1 group as compared to the control group, 69 proteins were differentially expressed in 9t,12t-18:2 group as compared to the control group, and 120 proteins were differentially expressed in the 9t,12t-18:2 group as compared to the 9t-18:1 group. Based on the bioinformatics analysis, we found that TFA could alter the structural constitution of the cytoskeleton through protein interactions, localization into the cell membrane, and incorporation into the phospholipid of the cell. In addition, 17 differential apoptosis-related proteins, including cell division cycle 42, superoxide dismutase 1, glyoxalase I, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor were also identified. Together, these results might emphasize the need for studying TFA-induced biological processes.