Journal Description
Proteomes
Proteomes
is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on all aspects of proteomics published quarterly online by MDPI.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, ESCI (Web of Science), PubMed, PMC, CAPlus / SciFinder, and other databases.
- Journal Rank: JCR - Q2 (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) / CiteScore - Q2 (Clinical Biochemistry)
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 34.2 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 3.8 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the first half of 2024).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Impact Factor:
4.0 (2023);
5-Year Impact Factor:
3.6 (2023)
Latest Articles
Affinity-Enriched Plasma Proteomics for Biomarker Discovery in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040037 - 9 Dec 2024
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Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the weakening and dilation of the abdominal aorta. Few diagnostic biomarkers have been proposed for this condition. We performed mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis of affinity-enriched plasma from 45 patients with AAA and 45
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Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the weakening and dilation of the abdominal aorta. Few diagnostic biomarkers have been proposed for this condition. We performed mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis of affinity-enriched plasma from 45 patients with AAA and 45 matched controls to identify changes to the plasma proteome and potential diagnostic biomarkers. Gene ontology analysis revealed a significant upregulation of the proteins involved in inflammation, coagulation, and extracellular matrix in AAA patients, while proteins related to angiogenesis were among those downregulated. Using recursive feature elimination, we identified a subset of 10 significantly regulated proteins that were highly predictive of AAA. A random forest classifier trained on these proteins achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93 [95% CI: 0.91–0.95] using cross-validation. Further validation in a larger cohort is necessary to confirm these results.
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Open AccessArticle
Peptidomic Analysis Reveals Temperature-Dependent Proteolysis in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Meat During Sous-Vide Cooking
by
Miyu Sakuyama, Yuri Kominami and Hideki Ushio
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040036 - 27 Nov 2024
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Sous vide, a cooking method that involves vacuum-sealed fish at low temperatures, yields a uniquely tender, easily flaked texture. Previous research on sous-vide tenderization has focused on thermal protein denaturation. On the other hand, the contribution of proteases, activated at low temperatures in
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Sous vide, a cooking method that involves vacuum-sealed fish at low temperatures, yields a uniquely tender, easily flaked texture. Previous research on sous-vide tenderization has focused on thermal protein denaturation. On the other hand, the contribution of proteases, activated at low temperatures in fish meat, has been suggested. However, the details of protein degradation remain unclear. This study employed SDS-PAGE/immunoblot and peptidomic analysis of rainbow trout to assess proteolysis during sous-vide cooking. The results from SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analysis indicated reduced thermal aggregation of sarcoplasmic proteins and increased depolymerization of actin under low-temperature cooking conditions. A comparison of the peptidome showed that the proteolysis of myofibrillar proteins was accelerated during sous-vide cooking, with distinct proteases potentially activated at different cooking temperatures. Terminome analysis revealed the contribution of specific proteases at higher temperatures in rainbow trout. The results of this study demonstrate the thermal denaturation of sarcoplasmic proteins and proteolysis of myofibrillar proteins in rainbow trout meat during sous-vide cooking and its temperature dependence. The methodology in the present study could provide insights into the optimization of cooking conditions for different fish species, potentially leading to improved texture and quality of sous-vide products.
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Open AccessTechnical Note
Deep Proteome Coverage of Microglia Using a Streamlined Data-Independent Acquisition-Based Proteomic Workflow: Method Consideration for a Phenotypically Diverse Cell Type
by
Jessica Wohlfahrt, Jennifer Guergues and Stanley M. Stevens, Jr.
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040035 - 27 Nov 2024
Abstract
As the primary innate immune cells of the brain, microglia play a key role in various homeostatic and disease-related processes. To carry out their numerous functions, microglia adopt a wide range of phenotypic states. The proteomic landscape represents a more accurate molecular representation
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As the primary innate immune cells of the brain, microglia play a key role in various homeostatic and disease-related processes. To carry out their numerous functions, microglia adopt a wide range of phenotypic states. The proteomic landscape represents a more accurate molecular representation of these phenotypes; however, microglia present unique challenges for proteomic analysis. This study implemented a streamlined liquid- and gas-phase fractionation method with data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and parallel accumulation–serial fragmentation (PASEF) analysis on a TIMS-TOF instrument to compile a comprehensive protein library obtained from adult-derived, immortalized mouse microglia with low starting material (10 µg). The empirical library consisted of 9140 microglial proteins and was utilized to identify an average of 7264 proteins/run from single-shot, data-independent acquisition (DIA)-based analysis microglial cell lysate digest (200 ng). Additionally, a predicted library facilitated the identification of 7519 average proteins/run from the same DIA data, revealing complementary coverage compared with the empirical library and collectively increasing coverage to approximately 8000 proteins. Importantly, several microglia-relevant pathways were uniquely identified with the empirical library approach. Overall, we report a simplified, reproducible approach to address the proteome complexity of microglia using low sample input and show the importance of library optimization for this phenotypically diverse cell type.
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(This article belongs to the Section Proteomics Technology and Methodology Development)
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The Non-Linear Profile of Aging: U-Shaped Expression of Myostatin, Follistatin and Intermediate Signals in a Longitudinal In Vitro Murine Cell Sarcopenia Model
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Janire Alonso-Puyo, Oihane Izagirre-Fernandez, Olatz Crende, Jesús Seco-Calvo, Ainhoa Fernandez-Atutxa, Diego Fernandez-Lazaro, Patricia Garcia-Gallastegi and Begoña Sanz
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040034 - 22 Nov 2024
Abstract
Sarcopenia is linked to the decline in muscle mass, strength and function during aging. It affects the quality and life expectancy and can lead to dependence. The biological process underlying sarcopenia is unclear, but the proteins myostatin and follistatin are involved in the
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Sarcopenia is linked to the decline in muscle mass, strength and function during aging. It affects the quality and life expectancy and can lead to dependence. The biological process underlying sarcopenia is unclear, but the proteins myostatin and follistatin are involved in the balance between muscle breakdown and synthesis. While myostatin promotes muscle breakdown, follistatin promotes muscle growth, but several works have shown an inconsistent association of these proteins with aging-related parameters in serum of older people. We aimed to know the evolution of these putative sarcopenia biomarkers along muscle aging in an in vitro model. We created and phenotyped a longitudinal murine model (C2C12 cells). Then, we analyzed the protein and genetic expression of myostatin and follistatin as well as the signaling pathway regulators mTOR and RPS6KB1. Myostatin and RPS6KB1 showed a similar tendency in both protein and genetic expression with aging (basal–up–down). Follistatin, on the other hand, shows the opposite tendency (basal–down–up). Regarding mTOR, the tendencies differ when analyzing proteins (basal–up–down) or genes (basal–down–down). Our work demonstrates a U-shape tendency for myostatin and follistatin and for the signaling pathway regulators. These results could be of the utmost importance when designing further research on seeking molecular biomarkers and/or targets for sarcopenia.
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(This article belongs to the Section Identification of Potential Biomarkers and Potential Therapeutic Targets)
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Open AccessArticle
Assessment of Data-Independent Acquisition Mass Spectrometry (DIA-MS) for the Identification of Single Amino Acid Variants
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Ivo Fierro-Monti, Klemens Fröhlich, Christian Schori and Alexander Schmidt
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040033 - 6 Nov 2024
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Proteogenomics integrates genomic and proteomic data to elucidate cellular processes by identifying variant peptides, including single amino acid variants (SAAVs). In this study, we assessed the capability of data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) to identify SAAV peptides in HeLa cells using various search
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Proteogenomics integrates genomic and proteomic data to elucidate cellular processes by identifying variant peptides, including single amino acid variants (SAAVs). In this study, we assessed the capability of data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) to identify SAAV peptides in HeLa cells using various search engine pipelines. We developed a customised sequence database (DB) incorporating SAAV sequences from the HeLa genome and conducted searches using DIA-NN, Spectronaut, and Fragpipe-MSFragger. Our evaluation focused on identifying true positive SAAV peptides and false positives through entrapment DBs. This study revealed that DIA-MS provides reproducible and comprehensive coverage of the proteome, identifying a substantial proportion of SAAV peptides. Notably, the DIA-MS searches maintained consistent identification of SAAV peptides despite varying sizes of the entrapment DB. A comparative analysis showed that Fragpipe-MSFragger (FP-DIA) demonstrated the most conservative and effective performance, exhibiting the lowest false discovery match ratio (FDMR). Additionally, integrating DIA and data-dependent acquisition (DDA) MS data search outputs enhanced SAAV peptide identification, with a lower false discovery rate (FDR) observed in DDA searches. The validation using stable isotope dilution and parallel reaction monitoring (SID-PRM) confirmed the SAAV peptides identified by DIA-MS and DDA-MS searches, highlighting the reliability of our approach. Our findings underscore the effectiveness of DIA-MS in proteogenomic workflows for identifying SAAV peptides, offering insights into optimising search engine pipelines and DB construction for accurate proteomics analysis. These methodologies advance the understanding of proteome variability, contributing to cancer research and the identification of novel proteoform therapeutic targets.
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Open AccessArticle
Transcriptomics Revealed Differentially Expressed Transcription Factors and MicroRNAs in Human Diabetic Foot Ulcers
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Vikrant Rai
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040032 - 5 Nov 2024
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Non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) not only significantly increase morbidity and mortality but also cost a lot and drain healthcare resources. Persistent inflammation, decreased angiogenesis, and altered extracellular matrix remodeling contribute to delayed healing or non-healing. Recent studies suggest an increasing trend of
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Non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) not only significantly increase morbidity and mortality but also cost a lot and drain healthcare resources. Persistent inflammation, decreased angiogenesis, and altered extracellular matrix remodeling contribute to delayed healing or non-healing. Recent studies suggest an increasing trend of DFUs in diabetes patients, and non-healing DFYs increase the incidence of amputation. Despite the current treatment with offloading, dressing, antibiotics use, and oxygen therapy, the risk of amputation persists. Thus, there is a need to understand the molecular and cellular factors regulating healing in DFUs. The ongoing research based on proteomics and transcriptomics has predicted multiple potential targets, but there is no definitive therapy to enhance healing in chronic DFUs. Increased or decreased expression of various proteins encoded by genes, whose expression transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally is regulated by transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRs), regulates DFU healing. For this study, RNA sequencing was conducted on 20 DFU samples of ulcer tissue and non-ulcerated nearby healthy tissues. The IPA analysis revealed various activated and inhibited transcription factors and microRNAs. Further network analysis revealed interactions between the TFs and miRs and the molecular targets of these TFs and miRs. The analysis revealed 30 differentially expressed transcription factors (21 activated and 9 inhibited), two translational regulators (RPSA and EIF4G2), and seven miRs, including mir-486, mir-324, mir-23, mir-186, mir-210, mir-199, and mir-338 in upstream regulators (p < 0.05), while causal network analysis (p < 0.05) revealed 28 differentially expressed TFs (19 activated and 9 inhibited), two translational regulators (RPSA and EIF4G2), and five miRs including mir-155, mir-486, mir-324, mir-210, and mir-1225. The protein–protein interaction analysis revealed the interaction of various novel proteins with the proteins involved in regulating DFU pathogenesis and healing. The results of this study highlight many activated and inhibited novel TFs and miRs not reported in the literature so far, as well as the targeted molecules. Since proteins are the functional units during biological processes, alteration of gene expression may result in different proteoforms and protein species, making the wound microenvironment a complex protein interaction (proteome complexity). Thus, investigating the effects of these TFs and miRs on protein expression using proteomics and combining these results with transcriptomics will help advance research on DFU healing and delineate potential therapeutic strategies.
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Open AccessArticle
Comparative Proteome-Wide Abundance Profiling of Yeast Strains Deleted for Cdc48 Adaptors
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Valentina Rossio and Joao A. Paulo
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040031 - 30 Oct 2024
Abstract
The yeast ATPase Cdc48 (known as p97/VCP in human cells) plays an important role in the Ubiquitin Proteasome System. VCP is essential for cancer cell proliferation, and its dysregulation has been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases. Cdc48 functions by extracting ubiquitylated proteins from
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The yeast ATPase Cdc48 (known as p97/VCP in human cells) plays an important role in the Ubiquitin Proteasome System. VCP is essential for cancer cell proliferation, and its dysregulation has been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases. Cdc48 functions by extracting ubiquitylated proteins from membranes, protein complexes and chromatin by often facilitating their proteasomal degradation. Specific adaptors or cofactors, primarily belonging to the UBX domain-containing protein family (which has seven members in Saccharomyces cerevisiae) recruit Cdc48 to ubiquitylated proteins. Here, we employed sample multiplexing-based quantitative mass spectrometry to profile global protein abundance in p97 adaptor deletion strains, specifically comparing seven single deletion strains of UBX domain-containing proteins and the Cuz1 deletion strain, which belongs to the zinc finger AN1-type domain protein family. We observed that each strain showed unique sets of differentially abundant proteins compared to the wild type. Our analysis also revealed a role for Ubx3 in maintaining wild type levels of mitochondrial proteins. Overall, we identified ~1400 differentially abundant proteins in the absence of a specific Cdc48 adaptor. This unique dataset offers a valuable resource for studying the functions of these adaptors, aiming to achieve a better understanding of the cellular processes regulated by Cdc48 itself and to deepen our understanding of the Ubiquitin Proteasome System.
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(This article belongs to the Section Microbial Proteomics)
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Open AccessArticle
Multiple Reaction Monitoring–Mass Spectrometric Immunoassay Analysis of Parathyroid Hormone Fragments with Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
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Hicham Benabdelkamel, Refat M. Nimer, Afshan Masood, Maha Al Mogren, Anas M. Abdel Rahman and Assim A. Alfadda
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040030 - 14 Oct 2024
Abstract
Current immunoassay techniques for analyzing clinically relevant parathyroid hormone (PTH) circulating fragments cannot distinguish microheterogeneity among structurally similar molecular species. This hinders the identification of molecular species and the capture of target analyte information. Since structural modifications are important in disease pathways, mass
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Current immunoassay techniques for analyzing clinically relevant parathyroid hormone (PTH) circulating fragments cannot distinguish microheterogeneity among structurally similar molecular species. This hinders the identification of molecular species and the capture of target analyte information. Since structural modifications are important in disease pathways, mass spectrometry can detect, identify, and quantify heterogeneous ligands captured by antibodies. We aimed to create a sensitive and selective multiple reaction monitoring–mass spectrometric immunoassay analysis (MRM-MSIA)-based method for detecting and quantifying PTH fragments or proteoforms for clinical research. Our study established MRM transitions using triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry for the signature peptides of five PTH fragments. This method was validated according to FDA guidelines, employing the mass spectrometric immunoassay (MSIA) protocol to bolster detection selectivity and sensitivity. This validated approach was applied by analyzing samples from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with and without vitamin D deficiency. We found serum PTH fragments associated with vitamin D deficiency in patients with and without T2DM. We developed and validated the MRM-MSIA technique specifically designed for the detection and quantification (amino acid (aa38–44), (aa45–51), and (aa65–75)) of these fragments associated with vitamin D deficiency and T2DM. This study is the first to accurately quantify plasma PTH fragments using MRM-MSIA, demonstrating its potential for clinical diagnostics.
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(This article belongs to the Section Proteomics Technology and Methodology Development)
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Open AccessArticle
Circulating Factors as Potential Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Damage Progression Associated with Type 2 Diabetes
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Giovanni Sartore, Francesco Piarulli, Eugenio Ragazzi, Alice Mallia, Stefania Ghilardi, Massimo Carollo, Annunziata Lapolla and Cristina Banfi
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040029 - 11 Oct 2024
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Background: Diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes (T2D), is linked with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study aimed to evaluate potential circulating biomarkers of CHD by adopting a targeted proteomic approach based on proximity extension assays (PEA).
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Background: Diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes (T2D), is linked with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study aimed to evaluate potential circulating biomarkers of CHD by adopting a targeted proteomic approach based on proximity extension assays (PEA). Methods: The study was based on 30 patients with both T2D and CHD (group DC), 30 patients with T2D without CHD (group DN) and 29 patients without diabetes but with a diagnosis of CHD (group NC). Plasma samples were analyzed using PEA, with an Olink Target 96 cardiometabolic panel expressed as normalized protein expression (NPX) units. Results: Lysosomal Pro-X carboxypeptidase (PRCP), Liver carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), Complement C2 (C2), and Intercellular adhesion molecule 3 (ICAM3) were lower in the DC and NC groups compared with the DN groups. Lithostathine-1-alpha (REG1A) and Immunoglobulin lambda constant 2 (IGLC2) were found higher in the DC group compared to DN and NC groups. ROC analysis suggested a significant ability of the six proteins to distinguish among the three groups (whole model test p < 0.0001, AUC 0.83–0.88), with a satisfactory discriminating performance in terms of sensitivity (77–90%) and specificity (70–90%). A possible role of IGLC2, PRCP, and REG1A in indicating kidney impairment was found, with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 83%. Conclusions: The identified panel of six plasma proteins, using a targeted proteomic approach, provided evidence that these parameters could be considered in the chronic evolution of T2D and its complications.
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(This article belongs to the Topic Proteomics and Metabolomics in Biomedicine, 2nd Volume)
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Open AccessArticle
Towards Characterization of Hass Avocado Peel and Pulp Proteome during Postharvest Shelf Life
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Carolina Camacho-Vázquez, José Miguel Elizalde-Contreras, Francisco Antonio Reyes-Soria, Juan Luis Monribot-Villanueva, José Antonio Guerrero-Analco, Janet Juarez-Escobar, Olinda Velázquez-López, Thuluz Meza-Menchaca, Esaú Bojórquez-Velázquez, Jesús Alejandro Zamora-Briseño, Monica Ramirez-Vazquez, Guadalupe Alheli González Barrenechea, Enrique Ibarra-Laclette and Eliel Ruiz-May
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040028 - 28 Sep 2024
Abstract
In recent years, avocados have gained worldwide popularity as a nutritive food. This trend is causing a rise in the production of this fruit, which is accompanied by several problems associated with monocultural practices. Despite massive economic gains, limited molecular and structural information
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In recent years, avocados have gained worldwide popularity as a nutritive food. This trend is causing a rise in the production of this fruit, which is accompanied by several problems associated with monocultural practices. Despite massive economic gains, limited molecular and structural information has been generated about avocado ripening. In fact, limited studies have attempted to unravel the proteome complexity dynamics of avocado fruit. We therefore conducted a comparative proteomics study on avocado peel and pulp during the postharvest shelf life using tandem mass tag synchronous precursor selection triple-stage mass spectrometry. We identified 3161 and 1128 proteins in the peel and pulp, respectively. Peels exhibited major over-accumulation of proteins associated with water deprivation and oxidative stress, along with abscisic acid biosynthesis. Ethylene, jasmonic acid, phenylpropanoid, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were activated. Structurally, we observed the accumulation of lignin and a reduction in cuticular thickness, which coincides with the reduction in the levels of long-chain acyl-coenzyme A synthetase and a marginal increase in 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid. Our study sheds light on the association of proteome modulation with the structural features of Hass avocado. Its detailed characterization will provide an alternative for better preservation during the postharvest period.
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(This article belongs to the Section Plant Proteomics)
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Open AccessArticle
Protein Extraction Methods Suitable for Muscle Tissue Proteomic Analysis
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Lorenza Vantaggiato, Claudia Landi, Enxhi Shaba, Daniela Rossi, Vincenzo Sorrentino and Luca Bini
Proteomes 2024, 12(4), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12040027 - 25 Sep 2024
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Muscle tissue is one of the most dynamic and plastic tissues of the mammalian body and covers different roles, such as force generation and metabolic control. Muscular proteomics provides an important opportunity to reveal the molecular mechanisms behind muscle pathophysiology. To ensure successful
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Muscle tissue is one of the most dynamic and plastic tissues of the mammalian body and covers different roles, such as force generation and metabolic control. Muscular proteomics provides an important opportunity to reveal the molecular mechanisms behind muscle pathophysiology. To ensure successful proteomic analysis, it is necessary to have an efficient and reproducible protein extraction method. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two different extraction protocols of muscle samples for two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In particular, mouse muscle proteins were extracted by an SDS-based buffer (Method A) and by a UREA/CHAPS/DTE/TRIS solution (Method B). The efficacies of the methods were assessed by performing an image analysis of the 2DE gels and by statistical and multivariate analyses. The 2DE gels in both preparations showed good resolution and good spot overlapping. Methods A and B produced 2DE gels with different means of total spots, higher for B. Image analysis showed different patterns of protein abundance between the protocols. The results showed that the two methods extract and solubilize proteins with different chemical–physical characteristics and different cellular localizations. These results attest the efficacy and reproducibility of both protein extraction methods, which can be parallelly applied for comprehensive proteomic profiling of muscle tissue.
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Open AccessReview
Multi-Omic Approaches in Cancer-Related Micropeptide Identification
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Katarina Vrbnjak and Raj Nayan Sewduth
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030026 - 13 Sep 2024
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Despite the advances in modern cancer therapy, malignant diseases are still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Conventional treatment methods frequently lead to side effects and drug resistance in patients, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Recent findings have identified
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Despite the advances in modern cancer therapy, malignant diseases are still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Conventional treatment methods frequently lead to side effects and drug resistance in patients, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Recent findings have identified the existence of non-canonical micropeptides, an additional layer of the proteome complexity, also called the microproteome. These small peptides are a promising class of therapeutic agents with the potential to address the limitations of current cancer treatments. The microproteome is encoded by regions of the genome historically annotated as non-coding, and its existence has been revealed thanks to recent advances in proteomic and bioinformatic technology, which dramatically improved the understanding of proteome complexity. Micropeptides have been shown to be biologically active in several cancer types, indicating their therapeutic role. Furthermore, they are characterized by low toxicity and high target specificity, demonstrating their potential for the development of better tolerated drugs. In this review, we survey the current landscape of known micropeptides with a role in cancer progression or treatment, discuss their potential as anticancer agents, and describe the methodological challenges facing the proteome field of research.
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Open AccessReview
Transforming Clinical Research: The Power of High-Throughput Omics Integration
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Rui Vitorino
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030025 - 6 Sep 2024
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High-throughput omics technologies have dramatically changed biological research, providing unprecedented insights into the complexity of living systems. This review presents a comprehensive examination of the current landscape of high-throughput omics pipelines, covering key technologies, data integration techniques and their diverse applications. It looks
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High-throughput omics technologies have dramatically changed biological research, providing unprecedented insights into the complexity of living systems. This review presents a comprehensive examination of the current landscape of high-throughput omics pipelines, covering key technologies, data integration techniques and their diverse applications. It looks at advances in next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry and microarray platforms and highlights their contribution to data volume and precision. In addition, this review looks at the critical role of bioinformatics tools and statistical methods in managing the large datasets generated by these technologies. By integrating multi-omics data, researchers can gain a holistic understanding of biological systems, leading to the identification of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, particularly in complex diseases such as cancer. The review also looks at the integration of omics data into electronic health records (EHRs) and the potential for cloud computing and big data analytics to improve data storage, analysis and sharing. Despite significant advances, there are still challenges such as data complexity, technical limitations and ethical issues. Future directions include the development of more sophisticated computational tools and the application of advanced machine learning techniques, which are critical for addressing the complexity and heterogeneity of omics datasets. This review aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, highlighting the transformative potential of high-throughput omics technologies in advancing personalized medicine and improving clinical outcomes.
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Open AccessArticle
Investigating the Prognostic Potential of Plasma ST2 in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: Identification and Evaluation
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Ben Li, Farah Shaikh, Abdelrahman Zamzam, Rawand Abdin and Mohammad Qadura
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030024 - 29 Aug 2024
Abstract
Soluble interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (ST2) is a circulating protein demonstrated to be associated with cardiovascular diseases; however, it has not been studied as a biomarker for peripheral artery disease (PAD). Using a prospectively recruited cohort of 476 patients (312 with PAD and
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Soluble interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (ST2) is a circulating protein demonstrated to be associated with cardiovascular diseases; however, it has not been studied as a biomarker for peripheral artery disease (PAD). Using a prospectively recruited cohort of 476 patients (312 with PAD and 164 without PAD), we conducted a prognostic study of PAD using clinical/biomarker data. Plasma concentrations of three circulating proteins [ST2, cytokine-responsive gene-2 (CRG-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)] were measured at baseline and the cohort was followed for 2 years. The outcome of interest was a 2-year major adverse limb event (MALE; composite of major amputation, vascular intervention, or acute limb ischemia). Using 10-fold cross-validation, a random forest model was trained using clinical characteristics and plasma ST2 levels. The primary model evaluation metric was the F1 score. Out of the three circulating proteins analyzed, ST2 was the only one that was statistically significantly higher in individuals with PAD compared to patients without PAD (mean concentration in plasma of 9.57 [SD 5.86] vs. 11.39 [SD 6.43] pg/mL, p < 0.001). Over a 2-year period, 28 (9%) patients with PAD experienced MALE. Our predictive model, incorporating clinical features and plasma ST2 levels, achieved an F1 score of 0.713 for forecasting 2-year MALE outcomes. Patients identified as high-risk by this model showed a significantly increased likelihood of developing MALE (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.13, p = 0.003). By combining clinical characteristics and plasma ST2 levels, our proposed predictive model offers accurate risk assessment for 2-year MALE in PAD patients. This algorithm supports risk stratification in PAD, guiding clinical decisions regarding further vascular evaluation, specialist referrals, and appropriate medical or surgical interventions, thereby potentially enhancing patient outcomes.
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(This article belongs to the Section Identification of Potential Biomarkers and Potential Therapeutic Targets)
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Open AccessReview
The Current Molecular and Cellular Landscape of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Review of Therapies and Efforts towards Personalized Treatment
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Luke A. Farrell, Matthew B. O’Rourke, Matthew P. Padula, Fernando Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Gaetano Caramori, Peter A. B. Wark, Shymali C. Dharmage and Phillip M. Hansbro
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030023 - 16 Aug 2024
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ranks as the third leading cause of global illness and mortality. It is commonly triggered by exposure to respiratory irritants like cigarette smoke or biofuel pollutants. This multifaceted condition manifests through an array of symptoms and lung irregularities,
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ranks as the third leading cause of global illness and mortality. It is commonly triggered by exposure to respiratory irritants like cigarette smoke or biofuel pollutants. This multifaceted condition manifests through an array of symptoms and lung irregularities, characterized by chronic inflammation and reduced lung function. Present therapies primarily rely on maintenance medications to alleviate symptoms, but fall short in impeding disease advancement. COPD’s diverse nature, influenced by various phenotypes, complicates diagnosis, necessitating precise molecular characterization. Omics-driven methodologies, including biomarker identification and therapeutic target exploration, offer a promising avenue for addressing COPD’s complexity. This analysis underscores the critical necessity of improving molecular profiling to deepen our comprehension of COPD and identify potential therapeutic targets. Moreover, it advocates for tailoring treatment strategies to individual phenotypes. Through comprehensive exploration-based molecular characterization and the adoption of personalized methodologies, innovative treatments may emerge that are capable of altering the trajectory of COPD, instilling optimism for efficacious disease-modifying interventions.
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Open AccessArticle
The Low-Abundance Plasma Proteome Reveals Differentially Abundant Proteins Associated with Breast Implant Capsular Contracture: A Pilot Study
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Md. Arifur Rahman, Ardeshir Amirkhani, Maria Mempin, Seong Beom Ahn, Anand K. Deva, Mark S. Baker, Karen Vickery and Honghua Hu
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030022 - 6 Aug 2024
Abstract
Capsular contracture (CC) is one of the most common postoperative complications associated with breast implant-associated infections. The mechanisms that lead to CC remain poorly understood. Plasma is an ideal biospecimen for early proteomics biomarker discovery. However, as high-abundance proteins mask signals from low-abundance
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Capsular contracture (CC) is one of the most common postoperative complications associated with breast implant-associated infections. The mechanisms that lead to CC remain poorly understood. Plasma is an ideal biospecimen for early proteomics biomarker discovery. However, as high-abundance proteins mask signals from low-abundance proteins, identifying novel or specific proteins as biomarkers for a particular disease has been hampered. Here, we employed depletion of high-abundance plasma proteins followed by Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics to compare 10 healthy control patients against 10 breast implant CC patients. A total of 450 proteins were identified from these samples. Among them, 16 proteins were significantly differentially expressed in which 5 proteins were upregulated and 11 downregulated in breast implant CC patients compared to healthy controls. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that proteins related to cell, cellular processes and catalytic activity were highest in the cellular component, biological process, and molecular function categories, respectively. Further, pathway analysis revealed that inflammatory responses, focal adhesion, platelet activation, and complement and coagulation cascades were enriched pathways. The differentially abundant proteins from TMT-based quantitative proteomics have the potential to provide important information for future mechanistic studies and in the development of breast implant CC biomarkers.
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(This article belongs to the Section Identification of Potential Biomarkers and Potential Therapeutic Targets)
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Open AccessArticle
Quantitative Analysis of Complement Membrane Attack Complex Proteins Associated with Extracellular Vesicles
by
Illarion V. Turko
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030021 - 12 Jul 2024
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a universal mechanism of intercellular communication in normal and pathological conditions. There are reports showing the presence of complement proteins in EV preparations, specifically those that can form a membrane attack complex (MAC). In the present work, we have
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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a universal mechanism of intercellular communication in normal and pathological conditions. There are reports showing the presence of complement proteins in EV preparations, specifically those that can form a membrane attack complex (MAC). In the present work, we have used a quantitative mass spectrometry method that allows for the measurement of multiple targeted proteins in one experimental run. The quantification of MAC-forming proteins, namely C5b, C6, C7, C8, and C9, in highly purified EVs from normal human plasma revealed the presence of MAC proteins at approximately equal stoichiometry that does not fit the expected stoichiometry of preformed MAC. We concluded that while MAC proteins can be associated with EVs from normal plasma and presumably can be delivered to the recipient cells, there is no evidence that the EVs carry preformed MAC.
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(This article belongs to the Section Extracellular Vesicles)
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Seasonal Proteome Variations in Orbicella faveolata Reveal Molecular Thermal Stress Adaptations
by
Martha Ricaurte, Nikolaos V. Schizas, Ernesto F. Weil, Pawel Ciborowski and Nawal M. Boukli
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030020 - 10 Jul 2024
Abstract
Although seasonal water temperatures typically fluctuate by less than 4 °C across most tropical reefs, sustained heat stress with an increase of even 1 °C can alter and destabilize metabolic and physiological coral functions, leading to losses of coral reefs worldwide. The Caribbean
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Although seasonal water temperatures typically fluctuate by less than 4 °C across most tropical reefs, sustained heat stress with an increase of even 1 °C can alter and destabilize metabolic and physiological coral functions, leading to losses of coral reefs worldwide. The Caribbean region provides a natural experimental design to study how corals respond physiologically throughout the year. While characterized by warm temperatures and precipitation, there is a significant seasonal component with relative cooler and drier conditions during the months of January to February and warmer and wetter conditions during September and October. We conducted a comparative abundance of differentially expressed proteins with two contrasting temperatures during the cold and warm seasons of 2014 and 2015 in Orbicella faveolata, one of the most important and affected reef-building corals of the Caribbean. All presented proteoforms (42) were found to be significant in our proteomics differential expression analysis and classified based on their gene ontology. The results were accomplished by a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) to separate and visualize proteins and mass spectrometry (MS) for protein identification. To validate the differentially expressed proteins of Orbicella faveolata at the transcription level, qRT-PCR was performed. Our data indicated that a 3.1 °C increase in temperature in O. faveolata between the cold and warm seasons in San Cristobal and Enrique reefs of southwestern Puerto Rico was enough to affect the expression of a significant number of proteins associated with oxidative and heat stress responses, metabolism, immunity, and apoptosis. This research extends our knowledge into the mechanistic response of O. faveolata to mitigate thermal seasonal temperature variations in coral reefs.
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(This article belongs to the Section Proteoform Analysis (Top-Down and Bottom-Up))
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Open AccessCorrection
Correction: Jain et al. Proteomic Approach for Comparative Analysis of the Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant and Other Pango Lineages. Proteomes 2022, 10, 34
by
Mukul Jain, Nil Patil, Darshil Gor, Mohit Kumar Sharma, Neha Goel and Prashant Kaushik
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030019 - 9 Jul 2024
Abstract
In the publication [...]
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Investigating and Annotating the Human Peptidome Profile from Urine under Normal Physiological Conditions
by
Amr Elguoshy, Keiko Yamamoto, Yoshitoshi Hirao, Tomohiro Uchimoto, Kengo Yanagita and Tadashi Yamamoto
Proteomes 2024, 12(3), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/proteomes12030018 - 25 Jun 2024
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Examining the composition of the typical urinary peptidome and identifying the enzymes responsible for its formation holds significant importance, as it mirrors the normal physiological state of the human body. Any deviation from this normal profile could serve as an indicator of pathological
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Examining the composition of the typical urinary peptidome and identifying the enzymes responsible for its formation holds significant importance, as it mirrors the normal physiological state of the human body. Any deviation from this normal profile could serve as an indicator of pathological processes occurring in vivo. Consequently, this study focuses on characterizing the normal urinary peptidome and investigating the various catalytic enzymes that are involved in generating these native peptides in urine. Our findings reveal that 1503 endogenous peptides, corresponding to 436 precursor proteins, were consistently identified robustly in at least 10 samples out of a total of 19 samples. Notably, the liver and kidneys exhibited the highest number of tissue-enriched or enhanced genes in the analyzed urinary peptidome. Furthermore, among the catalytic types, CTSD (cathepsin D) and MMP2 (matrix metalloproteinase-2) emerged as the most prominent peptidases in the aspartic and metallopeptidases categories, respectively. A comparison of our dataset with two of the most comprehensive urine peptidome datasets to date indicates a consistent relative abundance of core endogenous peptides for different proteins across all three datasets. These findings can serve as a foundational reference for the discovery of biomarkers in various human diseases.
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