Alkaline proteins of Bacillus subtilis: first steps towards a two-dimensional alkaline master gel

A streamlined approach to high-throughput proteomics

Proteomics has rapidly become an important tool for life science research, allowing the integrated analysis of global protein expression from a single experiment. To accommodate the complexity and dynamic nature of any proteome, researchers must use a combination of disparate protein biochemistry techniques, often a highly involved and time-consuming process. Whilst highly sophisticated, individual technologies for each step in studying a proteome are available, true high-throughput proteomics that provides a high degree of reproducibility and sensitivity has been difficult to achieve. The development of high-throughput proteomic platforms, encompassing all aspects of proteome analysis and integrated with genomics and bioinformatics technology, therefore represents a crucial step for the advancement of proteomics research. ProteomIQ (Proteome Systems) is the first fully integrated, start-to-finish proteomics platform to enter the market. Sample preparation and tracking, centralized data acquisition and instrument control, and direct interfacing with genomics and bioinformatics databases are combined into a single suite of integrated hardware and software tools, facilitating high reproducibility and rapid turnaround times. This review will highlight some features of ProteomIQ, with particular emphasis on the analysis of proteins separated by 2D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Two-dimensional gel-based alkaline proteome of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (NCFM) is a well-documented probiotic bacterium isolated from human gut. Detailed 2D gel-based NCFM proteomics addressed the so-called alkaline range, i.e., pH 6-11. Proteins were identified in 150 of the 202 spots picked from the Coomassie Brilliant Blue stained 2D gel using MALDI-TOF-MS. The 102 unique gene products among the 150 protein identifications were assigned to different functional categories, and evaluated by considering a calculated distribution of abundance as well as grand average of hydrophobicity values. None of the very few available lactic acid bacteria proteome reference maps included the range of pI >7.0. The present report of such data on the proteome of NCFM fundamentally complements current knowledge on protein profiles limited to the acid and neutral pH range.

The analysis of Neisseria meningitidis proteomes: Reference maps and their applications

Neisseria meningitidis is an encapsulated Gram-negative bacterium responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The availability of meningococcal genome sequences in combination with the rapid growth of proteomic techniques and other high-throughput methods, provided new approaches to the analysis of bacterial system biology. This review considers the meningococcal reference maps so far published as a starting point aimed to elucidate bacterial physiology and pathogenicity, paying particular attention to proteins with potential vaccine and diagnostic applications.

An improved strategy for selective and efficient enrichment of integral plasma membrane proteins of mycobacteria

Mycobacterial plasma membrane proteins play essential roles in many cellular processes, yet their comprehensive proteomic profiling remains challenging. This is mainly due to obstacles related to their extraction and solubilization. To tackle this problem, we have developed a novel procedure to selectively enrich mycobacterial plasma membrane proteins based on alkaline sodium carbonate washing of crude membranes followed by Triton X-114 phase partitioning. The present study assesses the efficiency of this method by proteome analysis of plasma membrane proteins from Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Extracted proteins were separated in parallel by 1-D SDS-PAGE and 2-DE and then analyzed by LC-MS/MS and MALDI-MS/MS. Our study revealed 125 proteins, of which 54 contained 1-14 predicted transmembrane domains (TMD) including nine novel proteins. The 1-D SDS-PAGE-based proteome analysis identified 81 proteins, of which 49 (60.5%) harbored TMD. This approach also revealed many hydrophobic membrane-associated/periplasmic proteins lacking TMD, but only few soluble proteins. The identified proteins were characterized with regard to biological functions and physicochemical properties providing further evidence for the high efficiency of the prefractionation method described herein.

A widespread picture of theStreptococcus thermophilus proteome by cell lysate fractionation and gel-based/gel-free approaches

Among the group of lactic acid bacteria, Streptococcus thermophilus has found a wide application in industrial processes used for the manufacture of dairy products. Taking advantage of different proteome extraction and subfractionation protocols, bacterial cytosolic and membrane proteins were isolated and resolved by independent gel-free and gel-based separation procedures. Whole cytosolic fraction and its acid, basic and low molecular mass protein components were separated by different resolutive 2-DE and tricine 1-DE gels and identified by MALDI-TOF PMF and/or microLC-ESI-IT-MS/MS. Membrane proteins were resolved by 2-DE and SDS-PAGE gels and similarly identified by PMF and TMS analysis. In parallel, whole extract was trypsinized and resulting peptides were identified by shotgun 2-D LC-ESI-IT-MS/MS analysis. Using this combined approach, expression products corresponding to 458 different genes were identified, which cover almost a third of the predicted vegetative proteome. Relative protein concentration and hydrophobicity affected protein detection. Broad recognition was obtained for enzymes involved in carbohydrate, fatty acid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, replication, transcription, translation, cell wall synthesis, as well as for proteins affecting bacterial functions important for industrial applications, i.e. milk sugar import and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis. By providing detailed reference electrophoretic/chromatographic maps to be used in future comparative proteomic investigations on bacteria grown under various experimental conditions or on different bacterial strains, our results will favour dedicated studies on S. thermophilus metabolism and its regulation or on detection of biomarkers for selection of optimal strains for industrial applications.

Towards the entire proteome of the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis by gel-based and gel-free approaches

With the emergence of mass spectrometry in protein science and the availability of complete genome sequences, proteomics has gone through a rapid development. The soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis, as one of the first DNA sequenced species, represents a model for Gram-positive bacteria and its proteome was extensively studied throughout the years. Having the final goal to elucidate how life really functions, one basic requirement is to know the entirety of cellular proteins. This review presents how far we have got in unraveling the proteome of B. subtilis. The application of gel-based and gel-free technologies, the analyses of different subcellular proteome fractions, and the pursuance of various physiological strategies resulted in a coverage of more than one-third of B. subtilis theoretical proteome.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis in proteome expression analysis

Cell proteomes are complex, given they consist of several thousand proteins. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) is unique not only for its ability to simultaneously separate thousands of proteins but also for detecting post- and co-translational modifications, which cannot be predicted from genome sequences. This review will describe the protocols applied to prepare 2D gels properly, and analyse and summarise the major challenges for successful proteome analysis using 2DE, i.e. the ability to analyse very alkaline, hydrophobic and/or low or high M(r) proteins with high resolution and the ability to detect minor components. Challenges involving sample preparation and solubilisation prior to the first dimension IEF/IPG step will be studied in depth. Sample preparation is crucial in 2DE studies and greatly influences other stages of the technique. It is the aim of this review not only to describe the challenges and limitations of 2DE but also to suggest the avenues, the evolution, the potential and the future of 2DE in proteomics.

Identification of alkaline proteins that are differentially expressed in an overgrowth-mediated growth arrest and cell death ofEscherichia coliby proteomic methodologies

The available Escherichia coli genome sequences offer an opportunity to further expand our understanding of this bacterium. In the current study, we present a rapid method for the isolation of bacterial alkaline proteins using acid incubation, purification and protein array by 2-DE, followed by protein identification using MS. Fifty-seven proteins were randomly chosen, in which 55 were identified by a database searching of MS data. The searching results showed that most of these alkaline proteins were involved in special functions within the cell, suggesting that alkaline proteome is an ideal fraction for an understanding of their special functions. Furthermore, alkaline proteomes were compared between the period of majority live bacteria (18-h culture), the period of similar amount of live and dead bacteria (30-h culture) and the period of majority dead bacteria (48-h culture). Six proteins were identified as differentially expressed targets, in which putative transcriptional regulator and superoxide dismutase genes were cloned and expressed for antiserum preparations. The antisera were applied for the confirmation of results obtained from 2-DE. The presented data clearly reveal that alkaline proteome analysis by 2-DE with MS plays an important role in the understanding of protein functions within the cell, and six alkaline proteins are determined as key ones in an overgrowth-mediated growth cycle of E. coli.

Towards the proteome of the marine bacteriumRhodopirellula baltica: Mapping the soluble proteins

The marine bacterium Rhodopirellula baltica, a member of the phylum Planctomycetes, has distinct morphological properties and contributes to remineralization of biomass in the natural environment. On the basis of its recently determined complete genome we investigated its proteome by 2-DE and established a reference 2-DE gel for the soluble protein fraction. Approximately 1000 protein spots were excised from a colloidal Coomassie-stained gel (pH 4-7), analyzed by MALDI-MS and identified by PMF. The non-redundant data set contained 626 distinct protein spots, corresponding to 558 different genes. The identified proteins were classified into role categories according to their predicted functions. The experimentally determined and the theoretically predicted proteomes were compared. Proteins, which were most abundant in 2-DE gels and the coding genes of which were also predicted to be highly expressed, could be linked mainly to housekeeping functions in glycolysis, tricarboxic acid cycle, amino acid biosynthesis, protein quality control and translation. Absence of predictable signal peptides indicated a localization of these proteins in the intracellular compartment, the pirellulosome. Among the identified proteins, 146 contained a predicted signal peptide suggesting their translocation. Some proteins were detected in more than one spot on the gel, indicating post-translational modification. In addition to identifying proteins present in the published sequence database for R. baltica, an alternative approach was used, in which the mass spectrometric data was searched against a maximal ORF set, allowing the identification of four previously unpredicted ORFs. The 2-DE reference map presented here will serve as framework for further experiments to study differential gene expression of R. baltica in response to external stimuli or cellular development and compartmentalization.

Bacterial proteomics and its role in antibacterial drug discovery

Gene-expression profiling technologies in general, and proteomic technologies in particular have proven extremely useful to study the physiological response of bacterial cells to various environmental stress conditions. Complex protein toolkits coordinated by sophisticated regulatory networks have evolved to accommodate bacterial survival under ever-present stress conditions such as varying temperatures, nutrient availability, or antibiotics produced by other microorganisms that compete for habitat. In the last decades, application of man-made antibacterial agents resulted in additional bacterial exposure to antibiotic stress. Whereas the targeted use of antibiotics has remarkably reduced human suffering from infectious diseases, the ever-increasing emergence of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics has led to an urgent need for novel antibiotic strategies. The intent of this review is to present an overview of the major achievements of proteomic approaches to study adaptation networks that are crucial for bacterial survival with a special emphasis on the stress induced by antibiotic treatment. A further focus will be the review of the, so far few, published efforts to exploit the knowledge derived from bacterial proteomic studies directly for the antibacterial drug-discovery process.

Development of a sample preparation method for fungal proteomics

Since filamentous fungi including basidiomycetous fungi possess an exceptionally robust cell wall as in microorganisms, effective extraction of intracellular proteins is a key step for fungal proteomic studies. To overcome the experimental obstacle caused by cell walls, we utilized fungal protoplasts, prepared from the brown-rot basidiomycete, Tyromyces palustris. The amount and quality of proteins extracted from the protoplast cells were much higher than that from the mycelial cells. Quantitative comparisons of proteome maps prepared from mycelial and protoplast cells indicated protein spots with a wider range of molecular weights and pIs in the protoplast sample. Furthermore, no streaking or tailing was observed in the protoplasts, suggesting that effective extraction of intracellular proteins from protoplasts might help suppress degradation of proteins during this process. In addition to the efficiency of protein extraction, simple and efficient subcellular fractionation was also achieved using protoplast cells.

Effectiveness and limitation of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in bacterial membrane protein proteomics and perspectives

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) using isoelectric focusing and SDS-PAGE in the first and second dimensions, respectively, is an established means of simultaneously separating over 1000 proteins and two new types have recently been developed. These procedures have significant shortcomings such as low load ability and poor separation of hydrophobic, acidic and alkaline proteins. We therefore modified the protocols to analyze the Bacillus subtilis membrane proteome. The 2D-PAGE techniques effectively separated membrane proteins having one and two transmembrane segments but not those with more than four. Compared with new LC/MS/MS procedures that are independent of electrophoretic separation, 2D-PAGE can globally analyze and quantify proteins at various stages of the cell cycle when labeled with isotopes such as 35S-methionine or the stable isotope, 15N.

About thiol derivatization and resolution of basic proteins in two-dimensional electrophoresis

The influence of thiol blocking on the resolution of basic proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis was investigated. Cysteine blocking greatly increased resolution and decreased streaking, especially in the basic region of the gels. Two strategies for cysteine blocking were found to be efficient: classical alkylation with maleimide derivatives and mixed disulfide exchange with an excess of a low molecular weight disulfide. The effect on resolution was significant enough to allow correct resolution of basic proteins with in-gel rehydration on wide gradients (e.g. 3-10 and 4-12), but anodic cup-loading was still required for basic gradients (e.g. 6-12 or 8-12). These results demonstrate that thiol-related problems are not solely responsible for streaking of basic proteins on two-dimensional gels.

Proteomics of bacterial pathogens

The rapid growth of proteomics that has been built upon the available bacterial genome sequences has opened provided new approaches to the analysis of bacterial functional genomics. In the study of pathogenic bacteria the combined technologies of genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics has provided valuable tools for the study of complex phenomena determined by the action of multiple gene sets. The review considers some of the recent developments in the establishment of proteomic databases as well as attempts to define pathogenic determinants at the level of the proteome for some of the major human pathogens. Proteomics can also provide practical applications through the identification of immunogenic proteins that may be potential vaccine targets as well as in extending our understanding of antibiotic action. There is little doubt that proteomics has provided us with new and valuable information on bacterial pathogens and will continue to be an important source of information in the coming years.

A proteomic view of cell physiology of Bacillus subtilis--bringing the genome sequence to life

The genome sequence is the "blue-print of life", and the proteomic approach brings this genome sequence to life. Simple model systems are urgently required to "train" this transformation of the genome sequence into life: why not Bacillus subtilis, the model organism for gram-positive bacteria and of functional genomics? By combination of the highly sensitive 2D protein gel electrophoresis with the identification of the protein spots by microsequencing or mass spectrometry we established a 2D protein index of Bacillus subtilis. In order to depict the entire proteome of a B. subtilis cell, alkaline, cell-wall associated, or extracellular proteins were also included. The proteins of this database (see http://microbio2.biologie.uni-greifswald.de:8880/sub2d.htm) were allocated to proteins with house-keeping functions typical of growing cells and to proteins synthesized particularly in non-growing cells. A computer-aided evaluation of the 2D gels loaded with radioactively-labeled proteins from growing or stressed/starved cells proved to be a powerful tool for the analysis of global regulation of the expression of the entire genome. This is shown for the analysis of glycolysis/TCA cycle (house keeping proteins) and for the analysis of the heat stress stimulon. For the heat stress stimulon it is demonstrated how the proteomic approach can be used: (i) to define the structure of a stimulon, (ii) to dissect stimulons into regulons, (iii) to analyze the regulation, structure, and function of unknown regulons, (iv) to define overlapping reguIons or modulons, and finally (v) to explore complex adaptational networks. Furthermore, it will be demonstrated how the "dual channel pattern comparison" or "proteomics signature" (R. VanBogelen) can be used for a comprehensive understanding or prediction of the physiological state of growing or starving cell populations. This is shown for glucose-starved cells. In order to describe the structure and function of gene regulation groups it is generally recommended to complement the proteomics approach with DNA array technologies. Further studies will focus on the analysis of the global regulation of gene expression by the proteomic approach that cannot be addressed by the application of DNA array techniques: the phosphoproteome and its implications in signal transduction; the global control of protein stability; protein targeting and protein secretion.

Recent liquid chromatographic-(tandem) mass spectrometric applications in proteomics

Conventional proteomics makes use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometric analysis of typtic fragments derived from in-gel digestion of proteins. Although being a very strong technique capable of separating and visualizing hundreds of proteins, 2D-gel electrophoresis has some well-documented disadvantages as well. More recently, liquid chromatographic-(tandem) mass spectrometric techniques have been developed to overcome some of the shortcomings of 2D-gel electrophoresis. In this review we have described several recent applications of liquid chromatography-(tandem) mass spectrometry in the field of proteomics and especially in the field of membrane proteomics, quantitative proteomics and in the analysis of post-translational modifications.

Proteomic analysis of the spore coats of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis

The outermost proteinaceous layer of bacterial spores, called the coat, is critical for spore survival, germination, and, for pathogenic spores, disease. To identify novel spore coat proteins, we have carried out a preliminary proteomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis spores, using a combination of standard sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis separation and improved two-dimensional electrophoretic separations, followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight and/or dual mass spectrometry. We identified 38 B. subtilis spore proteins, 12 of which are known coat proteins. We propose that, of the novel proteins, YtaA, YvdP, and YnzH are bona fide coat proteins, and we have renamed them CotI, CotQ, and CotU, respectively. In addition, we initiated a study of coat proteins in B. anthracis and identified 11 spore proteins, 6 of which are candidate coat or exosporium proteins. We also queried the unfinished B. anthracis genome for potential coat proteins. Our analysis suggests that the B. subtilis and B. anthracis coats have roughly similar numbers of proteins and that a core group of coat protein species is shared between these organisms, including the major morphogenetic proteins. Nonetheless, a significant number of coat proteins are probably unique to each species. These results should accelerate efforts to develop B. anthracis detection methods and understand the ecological role of the coat.

Proteome analysis in the study of the bacterial heat-shock response

In recent years, it has become clear that, in addition to the regulation of the expression of specific genes, there are global regulatory systems that control the simultaneous expression of a large number of genes in response to a variety of environmental stresses. The first of these global control systems, and of substantial importance, is the heat-shock response. The heat-shock response is characterized by the induction of a large set of proteins (heat-shock proteins-HSPs) upon shifts to higher temperature and upon exposure to conditions in which proteins are denatured (i.e., alcohols, heavy metals). The heat-shock response is universal and many of the heat-shock proteins are highly conserved among species. In bacteria, the heat-shock response has been studied extensively in several Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) and in the Gram-negative bacteria (i.e., Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium tumefaciens). The first recognition of the molecular abundance of the bacterial heat-shock proteins took place with the introduction of high-resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels (2D gels) to analyze complex mixtures of cellular proteins. Two-dimensional gels, followed by mass spectrometry, were used to define the heat-shock stimulons in several bacteria, and to study the regulatory elements that control the heat-shock response. Here, we review the heat-shock response and its regulation in bacteria. The review will emphasize the use of proteome analysis in the study of this response, and will point out those open questions that can be investigated with proteomics, including mass spectrometry techniques.

Bioinformatics, functional genomics, and proteomics study of Bacillus sp

The ability of bioinformatics to characterize genomic and proteomic sequences from bacteria Bacillus sp. for prediction of genes and proteins has been evaluated. Genomics coupling with proteomics, which is relied on integration of the significant advances recently achieved in two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoretic separation of proteins and mass spectrometry (MS), are now important and high throughput techniques for qualifying and analyzing gene and protein expression, discovering new gene or protein products, and understanding of gene and protein functions including post-genomic study. In addition, the bioinformatics of Bacillus sp. is embraced into many databases that will facilitate to rapidly search the information of Bacillus sp. in both genomics and proteomics. It is also possible to highlight sites for post-translational modifications based on the specific protein sequence motifs that play important roles in the structure, activity and compartmentalization of proteins. Moreover, the secreted proteins from Bacillus sp. are interesting and widely used in many applications especially biomedical applications that are the highly advantages for their potential therapeutic values.

Bacillus subtilis functional genomics: global characterization of the stringent response by proteome and transcriptome analysis

The stringent response in Bacillus subtilis was characterized by using proteome and transcriptome approaches. Comparison of protein synthesis patterns of wild-type and relA mutant cells cultivated under conditions which provoke the stringent response revealed significant differences. According to their altered synthesis patterns in response to DL-norvaline, proteins were assigned to four distinct classes: (i) negative stringent control, i.e., strongly decreased protein synthesis in the wild type but not in the relA mutant (e.g., r-proteins); (ii) positive stringent control, i.e., induction of protein synthesis in the wild type only (e.g., YvyD and LeuD); (iii) proteins that were induced independently of RelA (e.g., YjcI); and (iv) proteins downregulated independently of RelA (e.g., glycolytic enzymes). Transcriptome studies based on DNA macroarray techniques were used to complement the proteome data, resulting in comparable induction and repression patterns of almost all corresponding genes. However, a comparison of both approaches revealed that only a subset of RelA-dependent genes or proteins was detectable by proteomics, demonstrating that the transcriptome approach allows a more comprehensive global gene expression profile analysis. The present study presents the first comprehensive description of the stringent response of a bacterial species and an almost complete map of protein-encoding genes affected by (p)ppGpp. The negative stringent control concerns reactions typical of growth and reproduction (ribosome synthesis, DNA synthesis, cell wall synthesis, etc.). Negatively controlled unknown y-genes may also code for proteins with a specific function during growth and reproduction (e.g., YlaG). On the other hand, many genes are induced in a RelA-dependent manner, including genes coding for already-known and as-yet-unknown proteins. A passive model is preferred to explain this positive control relying on the redistribution of the RNA polymerase under the influence of (p)ppGpp.

Preparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis at alkaline pH using narrow range immobilized pH gradients

A reproducible high-resolution protein separation method is the basis for a successful differential proteome analysis. Of the techniques currently available, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis is most widely used, because of its robustness under various experimental conditions. With the introduction of narrow range immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strips (also referred to as ultra-zoom gels) in the first dimension, the depth of analysis, i.e. the number of proteins that can be resolved, has increased substantially. However, for poorly understood reasons isoelectric focusing on ultra-zoom gels in the alkaline region above pH 7 has suffered from problems with resolution and reproducibility. To tackle these difficulties we have optimized the separation of semipreparative amounts of proteins on alkaline IPG strips by focusing on two important phenomena: counteracting water transport during isoelectric focusing and migration of dithiothreitol (DTT) in alkaline pH gradients. The first problem was alleviated by the addition of glycerol and isopropanol to the focusing medium, leading to a significant improvement in the resolution above pH 7. Even better results were obtained by the introduction of excess of the reducing agent DTT at the cathode. With these adaptations together with an optimized composition of the IPG strip, separation efficiency in the pH 6.2-8.2 range is now comparable to the widely used acidic ultra-zoom gels. We further demonstrated the usefulness of these modifications up to pH 9.5, although further improvements are still needed in that range. Thus, by extending the range covered by conventional ultra-zoom gels, the depth of analysis of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis can be significantly increased, underlining the importance of this method in differential proteomics.

A functional proteomic analysis of secreted fibrinolytic enzymes from Bacillus subtilis 168 using a combined method of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and zymography

Here we describe a proteomic approach to detect fibrinolytic enzymes from the culture supernatant of Bacillus subtilis 168. Following isoelectric focusing without dithiothreitol, two gels, one for sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and the other for zymography, were run in parallel. After silver staining of SDS-PAGE and activity staining of zymography gel, the two gels were superimposed to detect protein spots that coincided with clear zones on the zymography gel. We identified four protein spots and characterized them with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Database search revealed that four spots contained at least one of the extracellular serine proteases such as WprA and Vpr. This combined method of two-dimensional gel and zymography can be used as a powerful tool to detect proteases from various organisms.

A comprehensive two-dimensional map of cytosolic proteins of Bacillus subtilis

Proteomics relying on two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis of proteins followed by spot identification with mass spectrometry is an excellent experimental tool for physiological studies opening a new perspective for understanding overall cell physiology. This is the intriguing outcome of a method introduced by Klose and O'Farrell independently 25 years ago. Physiological proteomics requires a 2-D reference map on which most of the main proteins were identified. In this paper, we present such a reference map with more than 300 entries for Bacillus subtilis proteins with an isoelectric point (pI) between 4 and 7. The most abundant proteins of exponentially growing cells were compiled and shown to perform mainly housekeeping functions in glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCC), amino acid biosynthesis and translation as well as protein quality control. Furthermore, putative post-translational modifications were shown at a large scale, with 47 proteins in total forming more than one spot. In a few selected cases evidence for phosphorylation of these proteins is presented. The proteome analysis in the standard pI range was complemented by either stretching the most crowded regions in a narrow pH gradient 4.5-5.5, or by adding other fractions of the total B. subtilis proteome such as alkaline proteins as well as extracellular proteins. A big challenge for future studies is to provide an experimental protocol covering the fraction of intrinsic membrane proteins that almost totally escaped detection by the experimental procedure used in this study.