Sampling methods and data analysis in glycomics and proteomics

蛋白质组学是生物医学科学的一般领域，研究特定条件下（例如疾病状态）特定种类细胞中的蛋白质和蛋白质相互作用。糖组学，简称糖蛋白组学，是蛋白质组学的一个分支，研究细胞中的糖蛋白和糖蛋白相互作用。糖蛋白是由氨基酸组成的长链，糖基沿着主干附着在某些氨基酸上。由于细胞中大约40%的蛋白质是糖基化的，因此了解糖基的作用、功能和结构是很重要的。在过去的十年中，我们的团队一直致力于糖蛋白及其糖（称为聚糖）分析的方法开发。我们的主要检测方法是质谱法，使用基质辅助激光解吸/电离（MALDI）。对于样品制备，使用多种分离方法。本研究计划重点研究MALDI蛋白-糖蛋白纯化工艺。我们的项目将涉及基于液相色谱和电泳的新型样品清理和沉积设备的开发。通过与医学研究人员的合作，将这些技术应用于生物系统中蛋白质和糖蛋白的阐明。该计划还将涉及生物信息学组件，其中寻求与糖蛋白有关的数据的自动化。总的来说，我们的目标是利用基于分离技术、质谱和生物信息学的方法，使糖组学成为蛋白质组学研究中不可或缺的和更容易获得的一部分。

Proteomics is the general area of biomedical sciences that studies proteins and protein interactions in a specific kinds of cells under specific conditions, e.g. a diseased state. Glycomics, short for glycoproteomics, is the subsection of proteomics that studies glycoproteins and glycoprotein interaction in cells. Glycoproteins are long chains of amino acids with sugar groups attached to certain amino acids along the backbone. As about 40% of proteins in cells are glycosylated, it is important to understand the roles, functions and thus structures of the attached sugar groups. Over the past ten years, our group has been involved in method development for the analysis of glycoproteins and their sugars, termed glycans. Our main method of detection is mass spectrometry, using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). For sample preparation, a variety of separation methods are used. This research proposal focuses on protein-glycoprotein purification procedures for MALDI. Our program will involve the development of novel sample cleanup and deposition devices, based on both liquid chromatography and electrophoresis. Application of these techniques to the elucidation of proteins and glycoproteins in biological systems will be pursued through collaborations with medical researchers. The program will also involve a bioinformatics component, where the automation of data pertaining to glycoproteins is sought. Overall we aim to make glycomics an integral and more accessible part of proteomic studies, using methods based on separation techniques, mass spectrometry and bioinformatics.