Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “differential proteomics analysis”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,351 records · Page 75Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

High-sensitivity blood-based detection of breast cancer by multi photon detection diagnostic proteomics.

We have developed several new methods for blood-based cancer detection by diagnostic proteomics. Ultrasensitive methods of immunoassay using multiphoton-detection (IA/MPD) increase sensitivity by 200- to 1,000-fold (1 femtogram/mL). This has allowed the measurement of cancer biomarkers with very low concentrations in blood that could not be measured for full patient cohorts with conventional immunoassays. Sensitivity and specificity in cancer detection have been found to be potentiated by use of immunoassay panels which include tissue-specific cancer biomarkers as well as cytokines and angiogenic factors. The ultrasensitive immunoassays revealed that patient to patient variations in the concentrations of individual biomarkers in blood can extend over many orders of magnitude (up to six) and that the distributions of biomarker concentrations over patient cohorts are non-Gaussian. New methods of data analysis which correlate abundances of multiple, different biomarkers have been developed to deal with such data sets. Sensitivity and specificity of about 95% have been achieved for blood-based detection of breast cancer in pilot studies on 250 patients and 95 controls. Pilot studies indicate that this methodology may also allow differentiation of malignant breast cancer from benign lesions and can provide similar sensitivity and specificity for other epithelial cancers such as prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and melanoma. The methods developed for selection, application, and evaluation of very high sensitivity biomarker panels are expected to have general relevance for diagnostic proteomics.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Increased expression and altered location of annexin IV in renal clear cell carcinoma: a possible role in tumour dissemination.

The proteome of renal cell carcinoma and non-neoplastic kidney tissue was analysed from 12 patients by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to search for differentially expressed proteins in the tumour. Annexin IV was identified to be up-regulated in tumour cells. These patients and further 11 were characterized by RT-PCR. We found an increased amount of annexin IV mRNA. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed an altered localization of annexin IV in tumour cells. Additionally we demonstrate that over-expressed annexin IV promotes cell migration in a carcinoma model system. From these results above it seems possible that annexin IV plays an important role in the morphological diversification and dissemination of the clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell↗
PubMed2002

Toxoplasma gondii eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A associated with tachyzoite virulence is down-regulated in the bradyzoite stage.

Comparative proteome analysis of mouse-virulent and attenuated Toxoplasma gondii strain revealed that steady-state synthesis of an unknown 53 kDa protein is markedly reduced in attenuated parasites. The results from protein microsequencing allowed isolation of a single-copy gene encoding a T. gondii homologue of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF)4A. The deduced primary structure exhibits all sequence motifs typical of eIF4A. Differential expression of eIF4A between virulent and attenuated parasites was reconfirmed by immunoblot. Consistent with an involvement in the ribosomal preinitiation complex, the protein was localised in the tachyzoite extranuclear cytosol, being loosely associated with microsomal particles. Immunofluorescence detection of eIF4A in T. gondii stages of the intermediate host indicated that the protein is tachyzoite-specific. Stage-dependent expression is regulated at the transcriptional level as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot. The down-regulation of eIF4A in attenuated T. gondii parasites and in the bradyzoite stage implies a role in tuning of the homeostasis of protein biosynthesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Embryo-maternal communication in bovine - strategies for deciphering a complex cross-talk.

Early embryonic development, implantation and maintenance of a pregnancy are critically dependent on an intact embryo-maternal communication. So far, only few signals involved in this dialogue have been identified. In bovine and other ruminants, interferon tau is the predominant embryonic pregnancy recognition signal, exhibiting antiluteolytic activity. However, this is just one aspect of the complex process of embryo-maternal signalling, and a number of other systems are more likely to be involved. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of these important mechanisms, integrated projects involving specialists in embryology, reproductive biotechnology and functional genome research are necessary to perform a systematic analysis of interactions between pre-implantation stage embryos and oviduct or uterine epithelial cells, respectively. State-of-the-art transcriptomic and proteomic technologies will identify reciprocal signals between embryos and their maternal environment and the respective downstream reaction cascades. For in vivo studies, the use of monozygotic twins as recipient animals provides elegant model systems, thus eliminating genetic variability as a cause of differential gene expression. In addition, suitable systems for the co-culture of oviduct epithelial or endometrium cells with the respective embryonic stages need to be established for functional validation of candidate genes potentially involved in the dialogue between embryos and their maternal environment. The knowledge of these mechanisms should help to increase the pregnancy rate following embryo transfer and to avoid embryonic losses. Candidate genes involved in embryo-maternal communication will also be used to define new quality criteria for the selection of embryos for transfer to recipients. Another application is the supplementation of embryotrophic factors or components of embryo-maternal signalling in optimized formulations, such as bioartificial matrices. As a long-term goal, signalling mechanisms identified in bovine will also be functionally evaluated in other species, including the human.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Proteomic approach to blossom-end rot in tomato fruits (Lycopersicon esculentum M.): antioxidant enzymes and the pentose phosphate pathway.

Blossom-end rot (BER) is a physiopathy that affects tomato fruits causing disorganisation, cell breakage and darkening of the tissues. In this study we describe a tomato fruit protein extraction protocol that includes polyvinyl polypyrrolidone, ascorbic acid and protease inhibitors to promote depletion of phenolics and to avoid protein degradation. The temperature-induced phase separation of plant extracts with nonionic detergent Triton X-114 favours the solubilisation of partially-hydrophobic species in the low-detergent upper phase, making them suitable for further analysis using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The analysis of two-dimensional images revealed differences in number and expression levels of several proteins from the control and BER-affected tomato fruits. Although the appearance of BER in tomato is primarily attributed to a lack of calcium supply to fruits, very little is known about the molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved. The identification of differential proteins from affected fruits with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight and peptide mass fingerprinting analysis revealed the induction of proteins participating in antioxidant processes (ascorbate-glutathione cycle) and the pentose phosphate pathway. We suggest that these two biochemical pathways, acting as reactive oxygen species scavengers in BER-affected fruits, restrain the spread of the blackening to the whole fruit.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2004

Critical survey of quantitative proteomics in two-dimensional electrophoretic approaches.

The present review attempts to cover a number of methods that appeared in the last few years for performing quantitative proteome analysis. However, due to the large number of methods described for both electrophoretic and chromatographic approaches, we have limited this excursus only to conventional two-dimensional (2D) map analysis, coupling orthogonally a charge-based step (isoelectric focusing) to a size-based separation (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-electrophoresis). The first and oldest method applied in 2D mapping is based on statistical analysis performed on sets of gels via powerful software packages, such as the Melanie, PDQuest, Z3 and Z4000, Phoretix and Progenesis. This method calls for separately-running a number of replicas for control and treated samples, the merging and comparing between these two sets of data being accomplished via the softwares just mentioned. Recent developments permit analyses on a single gel containing mixed samples differentially labelled and resolved by either fluorescence or isotopic means. In one approach, a set of fluorophors, called Cy3 and Cy5, are selected for differentially tagging Lys residues, via a "minimal labelling" protocol. A variant of this, adopts a newer set of fluorophors, also of the Cy3 and Cy5 type, reacting on Cys residues, via a strategy of "saturation labelling". There are at present two methods for quantitative proteomics in a 2D gel format exploiting stable isotopes: one utilizes tagging Cys residues with [2H0]/[2H3]-acrylamide; the other one, also based on a Cys reactive compound, exploits [2H0]/[2H4] 2-vinylpyridine. The latter reagent achieves 100% efficiency coupled to 100% specificity. The advantages and limitations of the various protocols are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Proteomic analysis of uveal melanoma reveals novel potential markers involved in tumor progression.

PURPOSE: Patient survival in uveal melanoma may benefit from earlier recognition of potential metastases to the liver, but as yet, proper markers indicating metastases are not available. Identification of metastasis markers would therefore be of great value. The proteins that are expressed in two cell lines originating from two liver metastases were compared with the proteins expressed in a cell line obtained from the primary uveal melanoma of the same patient, to identify proteins that play a role in tumor progression as well as proteins that are expressed specifically in metastases. METHODS: Protein analysis was performed by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A subset of proteins was subsequently identified with mass spectrometry. RESULTS: A set of 24 proteins was differentially expressed in both of the two metastatic cell lines compared with the cell line derived from the primary tumor. These proteins were subdivided into groups according to cellular function, with important roles in tumor development. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor progression and development of metastases is a multicomplex system. Comparing protein expression in two cell lines derived from metastases with a cell line derived from a primary uveal melanoma from the same patient identified proteins involved in tumor progression, and proteins specifically expressed in the metastases, which have the potential of becoming clinically useful biomarkers.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed2006

Analytical characteristics of cleavable isotope-coded affinity tag-LC-tandem mass spectrometry for quantitative proteomic studies.

Quantitative proteomic studies using cleavable isotope-coded affinity tags (cICAT) in concert with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) permit unbiased comparisons between biologically distinct samples. We sought to determine the analytical characteristics of cICAT-based studies by examining the cumulative results of multiple, separate cICAT-based experiments involving human lymphoma-derived cells. We found that the number of identified proteins increased with larger numbers of fractions analyzed. The majority of proteins were identified by single peptides. Only 24 to 41% of the peptides contained cysteine residues, but 85% of the cysteine-containing peptides yielded quantification data. Approximately 28% of all identified proteins yielded quantification data, with 57% of these being differentially expressed by at least 1.5-fold. The quantification ratios of peptides for proteins with multiple quantified peptides were concordant in trend in 87% of instances. cICAT-labeled peptides identified proteins in all subcellular compartments without significant bias. Analysis of the flow-through fraction did not increase the number of peptides identified per protein. Our studies indicate that cICAT-LC-MS/MS yields quantifications primarily based on single peptides, and analysis of flow-through peptides does not contribute signifi-cantly to the results. Nevertheless, identifications based on single cICAT-labeled peptides with tryptic ends provide sufficiently reliable protein identifications and quantification information in cICAT-LC-MS/MS-based proteomic studies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

[Gene expression profiles and proteomics analysis of the cell transfected with the mutant type of COOH-terminal deleted of hepatitis B virus X].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of the different biological impacts of HBx3'-40, an engineered deletion mutant lacking the last 40 C-terminal amino acids. METHOD: Human hepatocellular cells of the line Huh7 were transfected with HBx3'-40 or wtHBx (wild type HBx) constructs. An oligo cDNA microarray containing 21074 human genes and Ests was utilized to examine the different gene expression between HBx3'-40 and paired control wtHBx cells. A series of methods, including immobilized pH gradient two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), silver staining, and PDQuest 2-D analysis software were used to analyze the differential protein-spots between HBx3'-40 and wtHBx cells. Selected differential protein-spots were identified with peptide mass fingerprinting based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-fight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and database searching. RESULTS: 165 (0.82%) candidate genes showing aberrant expression under HBx3'-40 induction were identified, of which 144 were up-regulated while 21 were down-regulated. Compared with wtHBx group, there were 135 +/- 13 differently protein spots in HBx3'-40 group by 2-DE. Of them, 7 significantly different protein spots were identified using mass spectrometry and computer matching with protein database. Most of the differently expressed genes and proteins were involved in transcription, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes or protein, cell adhesion, signal transduction pathways, metabolisms, etc. CONCLUSION: The mutant HBx affects cell genes and proteins involved in various processes, especially in regulation of liver metabolism.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed2026

Integrative Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiling Identifies S100P as a Potential Functional Biomarker for Sessile Serrated Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) account for 15% of colorectal cancers (CRCs) but detection remains difficult due to flat morphology, mucinous features, and subtle histology. AIMS: This study aimed to identify novel and functionally relevant biomarkers of SSLs using transcriptomic screening and multi-omics validation. METHODS: Paired SSL and normal mucosa specimens (n = 6) underwent RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered for membrane or secretory proteins and validated across TCGA and adenoma transcriptomes. Functional significance was assessed using CRISPR dependency profiling, proteotranscriptomic concordance, pharmacogenomic sensitivity, and connectivity map analysis. RESULTS: We identified 216 upregulated genes in SSLs, including 68 encoding secretory/membrane proteins that better discriminated SSLs from controls and were enriched for adhesion and neuronal signaling while suppressing TNFα-NFκB inflammatory pathways. Cross-cohort comparison revealed five overlapping candidates between SSLs and TCGA CMS1 tumors. Among them, S100P emerged as the primary biomarker candidate, showing consistent upregulation in SSLs and CMS1 tumors while remaining low in normal mucosa and conventional adenomas. TFF1 also showed RNA-level upregulation but appeared more context-dependent. S100P demonstrated strong RNA-protein concordance in CRC cell-line profiling, supporting its detectability as a biomarker candidate. Pharmacogenomic profiling of LS411N cells revealed marked sensitivity to SN-38 and fluoropyrimidines, consistent with serrated CRC vulnerabilities. Connectivity map analysis identified perturbations, including MAPK1 and histone acetyltransferase suppression, that may reverse parts of the SSL transcriptional program. CONCLUSION: These findings prioritize S100P as a promising biomarker candidate for SSLs that warrants further validation in larger cohorts and clinically applicable platforms.

Humans↗
PubMed2007

Comparative proteomic analysis of chronic myelogenous leukemia cells: inside the mechanism of imatinib resistance.

Imatinib is the first molecular targeted therapy that has shown clinical success, but imatinib acquired resistance, although a rare event, is critical during the therapy of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). With the aim of better understanding the molecular mechanisms accompanying acquisition of resistance to this drug, a comparative proteomic approach was undertaken on CML cell lines LAMA 84 S (imatinib sensitive) and LAMA 84 R (imatinib resistant). Forty-four differentially expressed proteins were identified and categorized into five main functional classes: (I) heat shock proteins and chaperones; (II) nucleic acid interacting proteins (binding/synthesis/stability); (III) structural proteins, (IV) cell signaling, and (V) metabolic enzymes. Several heat shock proteins known to complex Bcr-Abl were overexpressed in imatinib resistant cells, showing a possible involvement of these proteins in the mechanism of resistance. HnRNPs also resulted in being up-regulated in imatinib resistant cells. These proteins have been shown to be strongly and directly related to Bcr-Abl activity. To our knowledge, this is the first direct proteomic comparison of imatinib sensitive/resistant CML cell lines.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2006

Gene hunting in hypoxia and exercise.

New technologies in genomics and proteomics are revolutionizing the study of adaptation to environmental stress. These approaches provide a comprehensive overview of the responses of thousands of genes/proteins to stress and enormously expand our view of the molecular and metabolic changes that underlie physiological responses. Several new technologies can help physiological labs to become gene hunters. DNA array screening is particularly effective for two purposes: (1) identifying coordinated responses by functional groups of gene/proteins such as multiple members of a signal transduction cascade or enzymes of a metabolic pathway, and (2) highlighting cell functions that have never before been linked with the stress under consideration. We have shown that heterologous screening of DNA arrays can be a highly effective method of gene hunting for the comparative biochemist provided that it is followed up by species-specific analyses including PCR to quantify transcript levels and Western blotting to analyze protein responses. Recent work in my lab has used cDNA array screening to evaluate responses to low oxygen by multiple hypoxia/anoxia tolerant systems, revealing common gene responses across phylogeny. Analysis of vertebrate facultative anaerobiosis in freshwater turtles reveals an interesting mixture of gene responses, including up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes, protease inhibitors, and proteins of iron metabolism; a few of these are coordinated by the hypoxia inducible factor in other systems but most are not. Array screening is also providing new insights into how exercise stimulates the growth of differentiated muscle cells and studies in our lab are identifying the gene responses associated with "anti-exercise"--gene up-regulation that aids hibernating mammals to maintain their muscle mass despite months of inactivity.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Subproteomics analysis of phosphorylated proteins: application to the study of B-lymphoblasts from a patient with Scott syndrome.

Proteomics based approaches, which examine the expressed proteins of a tissue or cell type, complement the genome initiatives and are increasingly used to address biomedical questions. Proteins are the main functional output, and post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation are very important in determining protein function. To address this question, we developed a method for specific immunoprecipitation using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. This method is directly compatible with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). In this report data are presented on B-lymphoblasts from a patient suffering of Scott syndrome. Scott syndrome is an orphan inherited hemorrhagic disorder due to a lack of exposure of procoagulant phosphatidylserine at the exoplasmic leaflet of plasma membrane of blood cells. We hypothesized that a consequence of the mutation is to alter phosphorylation of proteins involved in signal transduction leading to breakdown in cellular signaling pathways mediating phosphatidylserine exposure. An immunoprecipitation method combined with 2-DE was applied to search for modifications in the expression of phosphorylated polypeptides related to Scott syndrome phenotype. We report here the construction of a B-lymphoblast subproteomic map comprising of polypeptides observed after immunoprecipitation using antibodies to phosphotyrosine. The polypeptides were identified either by mass fingerprinting, by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and/or by matching with various lymphoid cell 2-DE maps included in the Laboratoire de Biochimie des Protéines et Protéomique 2-DE database. A differential analysis was further performed to explore several hundred proteins in Scott B-lymphoblasts in comparison with control B-lymphoblasts. Then, image analysis allowed detection of variations between control and Scott syndrome phenotype lymphoblasts. Five spots were specifically found on 2-DE from Scott syndrome phenotype lymphoblasts, and four only appeared on 2-DE from control cells. Protein identification was achieved using a combination of mass fingerprinting and peptide identification using LC-MS/MS.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2025

Integrated transcriptomic, transcriptional factors, and protein interaction reveal the regulatory mechanisms of flowering time in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Appropriate flowering time is important for rice regional adaptation and optimum rice production, but little is known about the omics of heading date in rice. Here, we studied omics including transcriptome, proteome and transcriptional factors to identify regulatory genes related to flowering time. A total of 1402 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 721 up-regulated and 681 down-regulated) were detected in wild and mutant. These transcripts are classified according to biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. Among these differentially expressed genes, many transcription factor genes demonstrated multiple regulatory pathways involved in flowering time. Gene expression analysis showed that Os03g0122600 (OsMADS50), Os08g0105000 (Ehd3), Os06g0275000 (Hd1) were expressed higher and Os06g0199500 (OsHAL3), Os06g0498800 (OsMFT1), Os08g0105000 (Ehd3), Os06g0157700 (Hd3a), and Os02g0731700 (Ghd2), were expressed lower in wild compared to mutant, which are the key genes that regulate the flowering in rice. In addition, Ghd7 interacted with Os10g30860 and Os12g08260 using yeast two-hybrid assay. We identified 28 potential Ghd7 transcriptional regulators using the transcription factor-centered yeast one hybrid (TF-Centered Y1H) assay. Taken together, this study developed a new set of genomic resources to identify and characterize genes, proteins, and motifs associated with flowering time.

Oryza↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of apolipoprotein A1 in colonic adenocarcinoma.

In an effort to find proteins overexpressed in metastatic colonic adenocarcinomas, differential proteome analyses were undertaken using primary and metastatic tumors. Two-dimensional-gel profiles showed a number of spots that appeared in metastatic tumor in liver, but not in primary tumor. Amino acid or mass spectrometric analyses of some of these spots revealed tht they were apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1), a protein that is normally expressed in liver and small intestine. Further RT-PCR analysis verified the expression of Apo A1 transcript in metastatic tumors and, unexpectedly, expression was also detected in the primary tumors, although the expression was weaker than in metastatic tumors. Consistent with this finding, immunohistological studies detected the weak expression of Apo A1 protein in primary colonic adenocarcinoma, in addition to the strong expression in metastatic tumors in liver and lymph nodes. In the primary tumors, expression was stronger in the deep layer than in the superficial layer, while in normal mucosal epithelial cells expression was barely visible. Further immunohistochemical study revealed that Apo A1 is expressed in some colonic adenocarcinomas of patients with no metastasis, although incidence and expression levels were lower than in carcinomas with metastases. These findings are consistent with the notion that expression of Apo A1 is associated with colonic adenocarcinoma progression, and thus Apo A1 is a potential marker of the aggression.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2007

Cerebrospinal fluid proteomic biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To find a panel of proteins in antemortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that could be used to differentiate between samples from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and samples from healthy and neurological control subjects. METHODS: For a test cohort, antemortem CSF proteins from 34 AD and 34 non-AD patients were separated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The resulting protein patterns were analyzed using the random forest multivariate statistical method. Protein spots of interest were identified using tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A validation cohort consisting of CSF from 18 AD patients and 10 non-AD subjects was analyzed in a similar way. RESULTS: Using the test cohort, a panel of 23 spots was identified that could be used to differentiate AD and non-AD gels with a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 94%, and a predicted classification error rate of only 5.9%. These proteins are related to the transport of beta-amyloid, the inflammatory response, proteolytic inhibition, and neuronal membrane proteins. The 23 spots separately classified the validation cohort with 90% sensitivity (probable AD subjects), 83% specificity, and a predicted classification error rate of 14% in a blinded analysis. The total observed sensitivity is 93%, the total observed specificity is 90%, and the predicted classification error rate is 8.3%. INTERPRETATION: A panel of possible CSF biomarkers for AD has been identified using proteomic methods.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2026

Relaxin-2: Shaping the Proteomic Landscape of Skeletal Muscle Physiology, Glucose Trafficking, and Mitochondrial Function in Rat.

Relaxin-2 is a hormone with robust beneficial effects on the heart and blood vessels and potential as a therapy for cardiovascular (CV) disease. Considering the interorgan communication between skeletal muscle and heart, and the relation between muscle quality/composition and CV events, we hypothesize that relaxin-2 may regulate skeletal muscle physiology and metabolism. We aim to evaluate the impact of relaxin-2 on the proteome of skeletal muscle from healthy Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were treated with 0.4 mg/kg/day of serelaxin (recombinant form of human relaxin-2) or vehicle (PBS) for 2 weeks employing subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. Skeletal muscle protein identification and quantification were performed by LC-MS/MS using a Data-Independent Acquisition (DIA)-Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Fragment Ion Spectra (SWATH) method. SWATH/MS quantitative analysis identified that relaxin-2 significantly decreased 95 proteins and significantly increased 32 proteins in rat skeletal muscle when compared to control rats. From these, 34 proteins were associated with muscle function, myogenesis, muscle differentiation and/or regeneration, 20 are mitochondrial proteins (six from the complexes of the electron transport chain), and 10 proteins participate in glucose metabolism. Qualitative data-dependent workflow analysis identified 35 proteins exclusive to the skeletal muscle of the relaxin-2-treated group: eight proteins related to processes of skeletal muscle function (size, ion homeostasis or organization of caveolae structures and cytoskeleton) and myogenesis, and two proteins involved in muscle differentiation. Our work highlighted for the first time the role of relaxin-2 in crucial processes of muscle physiology and energetic metabolism, which could influence several processes involved in myopathy and CV.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Proteomic analysis of an orthotopic neuroblastoma xenograft animal model.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumour of childhood and comprises up to 50% of malignancies among infants. There is a great need of designing novel therapeutic strategies and proteome analysis is one approach for defining markers useful for tumour diagnosis, as well as molecular targets for novel experimental therapies. We started by comparing healthy adrenal glands (which are the election organs developing primary neuroblastoma, NB, tumours) and adrenal glands carrying primary NB tumours, taken from nude mice. Standard maps of healthy and tumour samples were generated by analysis with the PDQuest software. The comparison between such maps showed up- and down-regulation of 84 polypeptide chains, out of a total of 700 spots detected by a fluorescent stain, Sypro Ruby. Spots that were differentially expressed between the two groups, were analysed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 14 of these spots were identified so far. Among these proteins, of particular interest are the down-regulated proteins adrenodoxin (21-folds), carbonic anhydrase III (eight-folds) and aldose reductase related protein I (eight-folds), as well as the up-regulated protein peptidyl-propyl cis-trans isomerase A (five-folds). Moreover new proteins, which were absent in control samples, were expressed in tumour samples, such as nucleophosmin (NPM) and stathmin (oncoprotein 18).

Animals↗