title: Proteins and their modifications in a medieval mummy.
abstract: Proteins and their modifications of the natural mummy of Cangrande della Scala (Prince of Verona, Northern Italy, 1291-1329) were studied. The nano-LC-Q-TOF analysis of samples of rib bone and muscle from the mummy showed the presence of different proteins including Types I, III, IV, V, and XI collagen, hemoglobin (subunits alpha and beta), ferritin, biglycan, vitronectin, prothrombin, and osteocalcin. The structure of Type I and Type III collagen was deeply studied to evaluate the occurrence of modifications in comparison with Type I and Type III collagen coming from tissues of recently died people. This analysis showed high percentage of asparaginyl and glutaminyl deamidation, carbamylation and carboxymethylation of lysine, as well as oxidation and dioxidation of methionine. The most common reaction during the natural mummification process was oxidation-the majority of lysine and proline of collagen Type I was hydroxylated whereas methionine was oxidated (oxidated or dioxidated). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which reports the protein profile of a natural mummified human tissue and the first one which describes the carbamylation and carboxymethylation of lysine in mummified tissues.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, 14220, Czech Republic. ivan.miksik@fgu.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mikšík
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, 14220, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sedláková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, 14220, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Statis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pataridis
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gottardo
mesh_terms: D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry*; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D009106:Mummies; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D003094:Collagen
keywords: carbamylation; carboxymethylation; collagen; deamidation; mummy; protein modification