PROTEOMICS

Mass spectrometry based proteomics requires a species-specific sequence database for peptide and protein identification. With the sequencing of the rhesus genome, the sequence information needed to perform in-depth proteomic analyses on macaque cells and tissues is now available. To develop and apply macaque proteomic resources, we have teamed with the Proteomics Research Resource for Integrative Biology group at Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Together, we are using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry to build accurate mass and time (AMT) tag databases for use in identifying proteins present in various macaque tissues and for characterizing the changes in cellular protein abundance that occur in response to virus infection. Quantitative proteomic analyses are performed using stable isotope labeling and a label-free comparative absolute quantification method in combination with the AMT tag approach.

We have recently published an initial series of proteomic analyses performed on lung tissue obtained from macaques experimentally infected with influenza virus. These analyses revealed an increase in the abundance of many proteins involved in the innate immune response and represent the groundwork for more comprehensive ongoing studies. Proteomics data from this publication (Baas et al., J. Virol. 80:10813-10828, 2006) are available at NCRR Proteomics.