Tissue proteomics of splenic marginal zone lymphoma

Acute Sarcomeric M-Line Disease Associated With ATP Synthase Subunit α Autoantibodies in Ankylosing Spondylitis

M-line is the narrow transverse band located in the center of the sarcomeric A-band that is mainly responsible for the stabilization of myosin thick filaments. A 27-year-old male patient with a positive medical history for ankylosing spondylitis presented with one month of proximal upper limb muscle weakness associated with pain on both acromioclavicular joints. A biopsy of deltoid muscle documented the disappearance of M-line, the misalignment of myofilaments, and the loss of the distinction between the A and I bands. Complete resolution of muscle weakness occurred after one year of treatment with antiTNFα agent Etanercept. Because of the acute onset of symptoms and the recovery after immunosuppressive treatment we hypothesized that an immune-mediated mechanism was responsible for the muscle disorder. The serum IgG-mediated autoreactivity to skeletal muscle antigens resolved by bidimensional electrophoresis was assessed in the described patient and compared with that of control subjects. The comparative analysis of the immunoreactive spots revealed that ATP synthase subunit α is specifically recognized by patient's serum, suggesting that the protein might represent a putative antigenic target in the disease. This study reports an acute reversible myopathy pathologically characterized by M-line involvement and associated with serological antibodies to the subunit α of ATP synthase.

An integrated approach identifies new oncotargets in melanoma

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer; an early detection of the primary tumor may improve its prognosis. Despite many genes have been shown to be involved in melanoma, the full framework of melanoma transformation has not been completely explored. The characterization of pathways involved in tumor restraint in in vitro models may help to identify oncotarget genes. We therefore aimed to probe novel oncotargets through an integrated approach involving proteomic, gene expression and bioinformatic analysis We investigated molecular modulations in melanoma cells treated with ascorbic acid, which is known to inhibit cancer growth at high concentrations. For this purpose a proteomic approach was applied. A deeper insight into ascorbic acid anticancer activity was achieved; the discovery of deregulated processes suggested further biomarkers. In addition, we evaluated the expression of identified genes as well as the migration ability in several melanoma cell lines. Data obtained by a multidisciplinary approach demonstrated the involvement of Enolase 1 (ENO1), Parkinsonism-associated deglycase (PARK7), Prostaglansin E synthase 3 (PTGES3), Nucleophosmin (NPM1), Stathmin 1 (STMN1) genes in cell transformation and identified Single stranded DNA binding protein 1 (SSBP1) as a possible onco-suppressor in melanoma cancer.

IEF peptide fractionation method combined to shotgun proteomics enhances the exploration of rice milk proteome

We conducted a proteomics study in order to detect the proteomic method which provides the most complete characterization of the proteins of rice milk. In particular, we compared the results obtained from LC-MS/MS after protein precipitation with acetone or TCA, as well as the results obtained from LC-MS/MS after protein prefractionation based on SDS-PAGE (GeLC-MS/MS) or ProteoMiner™ technology (ProteoMiner-LC-MS/MS), and after peptide prefractionation based on IEF (pIEF-LC-MS/MS). A total of 158 protein species have been detect in rice milk. The physical-chemical analysis and classification of the identified proteins were also reported. In particular, we showed that pIEF-LC-MS/MS method led to a significant increase in the proteome coverage, allowing the identification of a total of 96 proteins of milk rice. This study demonstrates the utility of a prefractionation step based on pIEF before the shotgun proteomic analysis and offers an in-depth insight into the rice milk proteome.

Deciphering lymphoma pathogenesis via state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics

Mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics specifically applied to comprehend the pathogenesis of lymphoma has incremental value in deciphering the heterogeneity in complex deregulated molecular mechanisms/pathways of the lymphoma entities, implementing the current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Essential global, targeted and functional differential proteomics analyses although still evolving, have been successfully implemented to shed light on lymphoma pathogenesis to discover and explore the role of potential lymphoma biomarkers and drug targets. This review aims to outline and appraise the present status of MS-based quantitative proteomic approaches in lymphoma research, introducing the current state-of-the-art MS-based proteomic technologies, the opportunities they offer in biological discovery in human lymphomas and the related limitation issues arising from sample preparation to data evaluation. It is a synopsis containing information obtained from recent research articles, reviews and public proteomics repositories (PRIDE). We hope that this review article will aid, assimilate and assess all the information aiming to accelerate the development and validation of diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic targets for an improved and empowered clinical proteomics application in lymphomas in the nearby future.