Biomarkers in Canis lupus familiaris

Introduction – Pets such as the dog are important for families and for society in general acting as therapeutic agents and rescue aids. Pets quality of life and the correspondent effect on public health may benefit from early diagnostics and targeted therapeutic actions. The evolution of the Omics sciences, including proteomics resulted in the accumulation of a large volume of data reflecting the protein profile of different pathological situations. However, the information generated is dispersed throughout several scientific articles and data bases. Collecting all information in a single database allows data integration and management used in studies to find molecular biomarkers for early diagnosis. Goal - To create a database with all information on the partial proteomes of Canis lupus familiaris, the CanisTecOme. The methodology to be used in for data management and information gathering using the CanisTecOme database is demonstrated through different in silico analysis. A second objective of this work was the outlining of the basic methodology for dog saliva collection, storage and characterization. This allows the use of saliva as a minimally invasive diagnostic fluid. Materials and methods – Manual curation and annotation of all the information related to the saliva donor, biological sample, techniques used for protein identification and all the information related to the protein identifies was performed. The CanisTecOme has also indicated whether a protein has already been proposed as a biomarker. The methodology for the establishment of the sampling, storage and sample characterization of dogs saliva was based on what is already established for human saliva. Conclusion – The structure proposed for the database enables the answer to the following questions: -Which proteins have been identified in the dog as being present in a pathology? - Which molecular mechanisms are compromised in a pathological situation? - Are there protein in saliva which allow the identification of systemic pathologies in the dog? Furthermore, the methods used for sampling, transport and storage of saliva were adequate for the establishment of a saliva biobank for animal saliva.