Author Identifier (ORCID)
Manujaya W. Jayamanna Mohottige: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8818-4054
Angéla Juhász: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4317-2027
Mitchell G. Nye-Wood: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9560-9916
Michelle L. Colgrave: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8463-805X
Abstract
Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii), like all marsupials, give birth to altricial young. Here we employ proteomic analysis to identify components of devil pouch secretions that may contribute to offspring survival and development. Proteins were extracted from five samples and analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Peptide-level evidence revealed proteins involved in a diverse set of immune pathways, including those mediating iron-ion transport, defence responses to bacteria, innate immune responses, and antigen processing. A core set of 200 proteins was identified across at least three samples, 63 of which were associated with antimicrobial or immunoregulatory functions. These included immunoglobulins, components of complement and the coagulation cascade, and antimicrobial proteins and peptides. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the Tasmanian devil's pouch secretions could be involved in microbiome restructuring during lactation through their immune protein content. Moreover, the data indicate that these proteins may act synergistically in pathways triggered by immune challenges or physiological stress.
Keywords
Sarcophilus harrisii, marsupial pouch, proteomics, secretions
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
3-15-2026
Volume
171
Issue
3
PubMed ID
41854509
Publication Title
Reproduction
Publisher
Oxford Academic
School
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science
Funders
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science / Australian Research Council
Grant Number
ARC Numbers : CE200100012, LP180100244
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Mohottige, M. W. J., Peel, E., Juhász, A., Nye-Wood, M. G., Belov, K., Colgrave, M. L., & Hogg, C. J. (2026). Characterisation of pouch secretions from breeding Tasmanian devils. Reproduction, 171(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/reprod/xaag024