Deciphering the Complexity of the Proteome

Proteins are essential functional molecules in biological bodies, playing key roles in regulation, catalysis, and structural support. Understanding the composition and expression changes of the proteome under different conditions is crucial for a deeper understanding of the functions of biological systems and disease mechanisms. Proteomics, as a discipline studying the proteome, utilizes sequencing technologies to decipher the complexity of the proteome, and has become a hot research direction in the field of biomedicine.

 

Proteomics is a discipline that studies the composition, structure, function, and regulation of the proteome in a biological body at a specific time point and under certain conditions. It aims to comprehensively understand the expression of proteins, their interactions, and their association with the onset and development of diseases. The development of proteomics has promoted a deeper understanding of biological systems and provided new insights for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases.

 

Complexity of the Proteome

The complexity of the proteome stems from several aspects. Firstly, there are a wide variety of proteins, with thousands to millions of protein-coding genes present in each biological body. These proteins show great diversity in terms of structure, function, and localization. Secondly, the expression level and existence form of proteins are regulated by various physiological and pathological factors, such as cell types, organs, stages of growth and development, and disease states. In addition, proteins undergo various post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation, which can affect the function and interaction of proteins.

 

Proteomics Sequencing Technology

Proteomics sequencing technology is one of the key tools to decipher the complexity of the proteome. It mainly includes two aspects: protein quantification and protein identification. Protein quantification techniques are used to compare changes in protein abundance under different conditions, and commonly used methods include quantitative proteomics and metabolic labeling. Protein identification techniques are used to identify and verify the components in protein samples, and commonly used methods include mass spectrometry and antibody-based methods.

 

But there are still some difficulties. Firstly, the dynamic range of the proteome is very wide, with several orders of magnitude difference in protein abundance, which requires high sensitivity and dynamic range of sequencing technology. Secondly, the complexity of protein samples and the presence of impurities may affect the detection and quantification accuracy of proteins. In response to these problems, researchers are constantly developing new technologies and methods, such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, single-cell proteomics, and multi-omics fusion analysis, to improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of proteomic sequencing.