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，例如疾病状态下特定种类细胞中的蛋白质和蛋白质相互作用。Glycomics是糖蛋白组学的缩写，是蛋白质组学中研究糖蛋白和糖蛋白在细胞中相互作用的分支。糖蛋白是一种长链氨基酸，其骨架上的某些氨基酸带有糖基。由于细胞中约40%的蛋白质是糖基化的，因此了解结合糖基的作用、功能和结构是很重要的。在过去的十年里，我们的团队一直致力于糖蛋白及其糖的分析方法的开发，称为葡聚糖。我们的主要检测方法是质谱仪，使用基质辅助激光解吸/电离(MALDI)。对于样品的制备，使用了各种分离方法。本研究建议重点研究MALDI的蛋白质-糖蛋白纯化方法。我们的计划将包括开发基于液相色谱和电泳法的新型样品清理和沉积设备。将通过与医学研究人员的合作，将这些技术应用于阐明生物系统中的蛋白质和糖蛋白。该计划还将涉及生物信息学部分，寻求与糖蛋白有关的数据的自动化。总体而言，我们的目标是利用基于分离技术、质谱学和生物信息学的方法，使糖组成为蛋白质组研究中不可或缺的和更容易获得的部分。

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.