title: Proteomic analysis of early lactation milk of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii).
abstract: We report the successful use of 2D electrophoresis, MALDI MS/MS and chemical derivatisation protocols of guanidination and sulfonation to identify over 100 protein spots present in early marsupial milk (tammar wallaby) at 40 days lactation, where a limited translated genomic database is publicly available for cross species matching and protein identification. Of the proteins identified, 25 matched to 6 existing marsupial milk protein sequences in the NCBI database; another 6 were identified with high confidence to other mammals and have not previously been identified in marsupial milk. By using chemical derivatisation, the reliable identification of a further 81 proteins was achieved. The identified proteins could be grouped into three main functional categories - transport, nutrition and immune protection. All these proteins play a potential role in determining growth and immunological protection of the highly altricial marsupial young at 40 days after birth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Division of Environmental and Life Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joss
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molloy
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hinds
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deane