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Proteomics & Genomics

This review examines the fields of proteomics and metabolomics in the context of obstetrics and gynaecology, including a discussion of methodology, challenges, potential applications and current research.

Proteomic profiling and genomic analysis have been integrated for the first time in cervical cancer studies to identify potential biomarkers from cervical swabs. The combination was made possible by a new technique for extracting high quality protein from the swabs

Enterotoxins originating from the pathogen <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, which is one of the most common causes of food-borne diseases, have been detected and quantified by mass spectrometry using isotopically labelled enterotoxins as internal standards. The procedure broadens the range of enterotoxins that can be detected by commercial ELISA kits.

The impact of solvent-detergent treatment and lyophilization on the plasma proteome was evaluated by differential in-gel electrophoresis and proteins were characterized by mass spectrometry.

The molecular responses of two potato cultivars to growth under salty conditions, determined by a proteomic method, indicate that defence-associated proteins are increased to cope with higher salt levels.

Potential new markers for CJD have been identified in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients by researchers in Germany, who used an optimised 2D differential gel electrophoresis technique to compare the protein profiles with those of patients with other neurodegenerative diseases.

The requirements for technologies to adequately certify biomarker candidates for costly clinical validation have been reviewed and methods and systems to verify biomarker candidates have been proposed.

A set of placental proteins associated with assisted human reproduction has been identified by Chinese scientists trying to uncover the molecular changes that lead to abnormal offspring outcomes, such as low birth weight and birth defects.

Two potential biomarkers for the cognitive impairment that occurs with advanced HIV-1 infection have been found in serum by a proteomics study and the results have been compared with those from similar work by the same group on cerebrospinal fluid.

Vitreous samples collected from 60 patients in retinopathic surgeries were subjected to quantitative proteomics using 2D gel electrophoresis and the protein spots were subjected to a permutation test. The technique revealed unique variations in the expression of some of these proteins in vitreoretinal diseases.

A comprehensive proteomics study has identified the largest number of proteins to date in royal jelly while research by a second group has examined how the proteins stand up to storage at different temperatures over 12 months.

The proteins on the outer surface of a parasitic bovine blood fluke that infects domestic and wild ruminants have been studied by a proteomics technique to identify potential targets for drug treatments.

A new method is presented for the isolation of intact plastids from developing embryos of <em>Brassica napus</em> seeds for analysis by various techniques including transmission electron microscopy, immunoblotting and MudPIT MS/MS.

An artificial tissue chamber for implantation into mice has been designed to study the host response to the bacterium responsible for acne in humans. This microenvironment offers a unique system for testing novel anti-acne drugs in vivo.

A new test for ricin has been developed with sufficient sensitivity to detect this potential chemical weapon in environmental and food samples. It relies on immunocapture of the toxin followed by the analysis of a trio of peptides obtained by digestion with trypsin.

Proteins in the plasma from women carrying a Down syndrome foetus were compared with those from women with non-Down syndrome foetuses to identify candidate markers for the condition.

Exercise affects metabolic proteins in the brain, say European scientists. Rats undertaking voluntary and forced exercise over several months showed different protein changes to sedentary rats in the part of the brain associated with cognitive functions.

Human exposure to non-fatal doses of nuclear radiation will be marked by changes in the urinary proteome, say researchers in the US, following studies on rats. The data will be useful in helping to formulate a point of care screening assay in the event of a major nuclear incident.

This report summarizes the first approaches and state-of-the-art in the field of proteome analysis of marine bacteria, including proteomics on culturable, free-living marine bacteria and on uncultivable bacteria living in symbiosis with higher organisms.

A metabolite of atrazine reacts with proteins in the pituitary glands of live rats and in rat pituitary cells to form stable adducts, say scientists in the US. The data may help to resolve the controversy regarding the continued use and safety of this popular herbicide in North America.