Development of Methods for Rapid Proteomic Analysis Using Accurate Mass Measurement

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Professor Jonathan Amster of the University of Georgia is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to develop new methods for quantitatively analyzing changes in protein expression in biological systems. The goal is to be able to analyze all proteins in a mixture simultaneously, thus providing a substantial reduction in analysis time and effort. Mixtures of proteins will be enzymatically digested, separated by liquid chromatography and analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry. Proteins in the original mixture will be identified from their proteolytic fragments by using the accurate mass data. "Mass defect labeling" is being invented as a way to increase the specificity of the assignment. The mass defect tags shift the peptide mass to a "clear" region of the m/z plot where they can be easily distinguished from nearby untagged peaks. Several novel reagents are proposed and are being synthesized as part of the project. Additional experiments will explore the use of endogenous labeling with a stable isotope in concert with the use of mass defects. The work represents a high throughput approach to the analysis of the proteome, meaning the library of proteins expressed by an organism. In addition, the work will impact other arenas of mass spectrometry including environmental and biomedical research.