Quantitative Proteomics Towards Understanding Life and Environment

New proteomic techniques have been pioneered extensively in recent years, enabling the high-throughput and systematic analyses of cellular proteins in combination with bioinformatic tools. Furthermore, the development of such novel proteomic techniques facilitates the elucidation of the functions of proteins under stress or disease conditions, resulting in the discovery of biomarkers for responses to environmental stimuli. The ultimate objective of proteomics is targeted toward the entire proteome of life, subcellular localization biochemical activities, and the regulation thereof. Comprehensive analysis strategies of proteomics can be classified into three categories: (i) protein separation via 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) or liquid chromatography (LC), (ii) protein identification via either Edman sequencing or mass spectrometry (MS), and (iii) proteome quantitation. Currently, MS-based proteomics techniques have shifted from qualitative proteome analysis via 2-DE or 2D-LC coupled with off-line matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and on-line electrospray ionization (ESI) MS, respectively, toward quantitative proteome analysis. In vitro quantitative proteomic techniques include differential gel electrophoresis with fluorescence dyes. protein-labeling tagging with isotope-coded affinity tags, and peptide-labeling tagging with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. In addition, stable isotope-labeled amino acids can be in vivo labeled into live culture cells via metabolic incorporation. MS-based proteomics techniques extend to the detection of the phosphopeptide mapping of biologically crucial proteins, which ale associated with post-translational modification. These complementary proteomic techniques contribute to our current understanding of the manner in which life responds to differing environment.