title: Placental proteomics: a shortcut to biological insight.
abstract: Proteomics analysis of biological samples has the potential to identify novel protein expression patterns and/or changes in protein expression patterns in different developmental or disease states. An important component of successful proteomics research, at least in its present form, is to reduce the complexity of the sample if it is derived from cells or tissues. One method to simplify complex tissues is to focus on a specific, highly purified sub-proteome. Using this approach we have developed methods to prepare highly enriched fractions of the apical plasma membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast. Through proteomics analysis of this fraction we have identified over five hundred proteins several of which were previously not known to reside in the syncytiotrophoblast. Herein, we focus on two of these, dysferlin and myoferlin. These proteins, largely known from studies of skeletal muscle, may not have been found in the human placenta were it not for discovery-based proteomics analysis. This new knowledge, acquired through a discovery-driven approach, can now be applied for the generation of hypothesis-based experimentation. Thus discovery-based and hypothesis-based research are complimentary approaches that when coupled together can hasten scientific discoveries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. robinson.21@osu.edu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Vandré
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Ackerman
mesh_terms: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D000073939:Dysferlin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C114839:DYSF protein, human; D000073939:Dysferlin; C415584:MYOF protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins