Elektrospray-Ionisation (ESI) mass spectrometry system for protein analyses

汉诺威莱布尼茨大学自然科学学院植物蛋白质组学系的研究主要集中在蛋白质和蛋白质组水平上的植物分子过程。蛋白质质谱仪是我们项目的核心。此外，我们系还致力于分析汉诺威莱布尼茨大学Herrenhausen校区其他多个研究所的蛋白质组分。目前，我们部门正在运行两个蛋白质分析的质谱学系统，这两个系统已经达到了产能。质谱学系统在过去的十年中有了很大的发展。所要求的新的质谱学系统将显著增强我们部门的研究能力，并使我们能够深入研究植物的分子功能。植物蛋白质组学部门对探索植物的能量生物学特别感兴趣，特别是在光合作用和共生固氮的背景下细胞呼吸的功能。其中一些功能依赖于蛋白质和蛋白质之间的相互作用。我们使用“复杂组谱”来系统地描述蛋白质之间的相互作用。这种实验方法是基于蛋白质组学鸟枪实验对大量蛋白质组分进行分析的基础上进行的，这就需要一个快速的质谱学系统。此外，我们计划研究植物器官中特定细胞类型的细胞器的功能。为此，线粒体以细胞类型特定的方式标记标记蛋白质，这允许他们有针对性地分离。由此产生的蛋白质组分的数量非常少，其蛋白质组学分析需要高灵敏度的质谱学系统。最后，应该研究调节植物分子功能的信号转导途径，特别是那些基于配体与特定蛋白质靶标结合的步骤。实验基于“串联质量标签”(TMT)，需要高分辨率的质谱学系统。所要求的质谱学系统完全适合计划中的研究项目。本文所述的研究将对提高植物产量和提高植物抗逆性的分子功能提供新的见解。

Research of the Plant Proteomics department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Leibniz Universität Hannover is focused on molecular processes of plants on the level of proteins and proteomes. Protein mass spectrometry is at the very center of our projects. In addition, our department is engaged in analyzing protein fractions from various other Institutes of the Herrenhausen campus of Leibniz Universität Hannover. Currently, our department is running two mass spectrometry systems for protein analyses which are used to capacity. Mass spectrometry systems much evolved during the last decade. The requested new mass spectrometry system would significantly enhance the research capabilities of our department and allows investigating molecular functions of plants in a depth currently not possible for us.The plant proteomics department is especially interested in exploring the energy biology of plants, particularly the functions of cellular respiration in the context of photosynthesis and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Several of these functions depend on proteins and protein-protein interactions. We employ “complexome profiling” for systematically characterizing protein-protein interactions. This experimental approach is based on analyzing large numbers of protein fractions by proteomic shotgun-experiments, which requires a fast mass spectrometry system. Furthermore, we plan to investigate the functions of organelles of specific cell types of plant organs. For this, mitochondria are marked with tagged proteins in a cell-type specific manner, which allows their targeted isolation. Resulting protein fractions are of very low quantity and their proteomic analysis requires a highly sensitive mass spectrometry system. Finally, signal transduction pathways regulating molecular functions of plants shall be investigated, particularly those steps which are based on the binding of ligands to specific protein targets. Experiments are based on using „Tandem mass tags“ (TMTs) and require a high-resolution mass spectrometry system. The requested mass spectrometry system is perfectly suitable for the planned research projects. The research described here will give new insights into molecular functions of plants relevant for increasing plant yield and for improving plant stress tolerance.