Protein Electrophoresis in the Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus): Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Reference Intervals, Method Comparison With Capillary Zone Electrophoresis, and Initial Assessment of the Effects of Spawning Season on Protein Fractions

BACKGROUND: The Atlantic sturgeon has faced severe population declines due to overfishing and environmental changes, resulting in its critical conservation status. There is concern today for the survival of this species, leading to the initiation of studies focused on its conservation. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to establish reference intervals (RIs) for plasma protein fractions in Atlantic sturgeon using agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE), to evaluate whether changes occur during the spawning season, and to compare results with those obtained using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). METHODS: Between late May and June 2022, blood samples were collected from 81 spawning Atlantic sturgeon. Plasma from all individuals was analyzed using AGE, with a subset of 16 paired samples further evaluated using CZE for comparative analysis. RESULTS: AGE revealed six distinct protein fractions, while CZE identified seven fractions. Significant differences in the proportions of fraction 3 (traditionally referred to as alpha-1 globulins) were observed between early and late spawning seasons. CONCLUSION: Comparison of AGE and CZE results showed that while both methods provided useful data, CZE offered greater resolution and detection sensitivity. Our results provide important data for sturgeon health assessment; however, discrepancies between the two methods underscore the need for method-specific RI.