Cover Picture: Proteomics 19'09

Abstract

Abstract“Don't starve to death — eat your own unemployed proteins,” says Staphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus aureus has discovered a reliable means to survive (at least for a while) in tough times. When evicted from its upper respiratory tract home, it must wait for a return trip on a wet hand or landing on a cough droplet, or, best of all, on a piece of surgical equipment marked “Sterile.” While waiting (it cannot walk or crawl) it faces the depletion of its glucose supply and ensuing starvation. Michalik et al., looked into the options. Using 2‐D PAGE and pulse‐chase methods, they found that the bacterium survived several weeks by a massive, rapid down‐regulation of protein synthesis, and recycling damaged proteins, the most recently synthesized proteins, and “unemployed” proteins. Is this “A modest proposal”?Michalik, S. et al., Proteomics 2009, 9, 4468–4477.Finding NemaThe independent nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been a valuable organism for elucidation of a variety of genetic, neurological and developmental problems. It has proven more difficult for some types of biochemical questions because of its cuticle and collagen protection anything that disrupts the cuticle usually destroys everything else mitochondria, nuclei, etc.,… But patience, dude, patience. Given enough time and a good collection of worm torture devices, Li et al., found that a tissue grinder after dinner was the best way to crack the worms without destroying the mitochondria. The new protocol opens the door to comparative analyses with other organism's mitochondria, studies of mitochondrial‐linked diseases, respiration and redox mechanisms.Li, J. et al., Proteomics 2009, 9, 4539–4553.Four for one: proteomes of stages of Eimeria tenellaEimeria tenella is the most pathogenic parasitic protozoan that infects young poultry. It attacks in a complex four‐stage cell invasion process. Each of the stages goes through a particulate/encapsulated form that can be readily harvested. Hence, Lal et al., did that for proteomic analysis. Taken together, the four stages produced over 1800 proteins that could be identified: 630 in early oocysts (unsporulated), 699 in late oocysts (sporulated), 845 in sporozoites and 1532 in the second‐generation merozoites. The bulk of the proteins were identified by MudPIT shotgun techniques, about 300 by 2‐D PAGE methods. For those who speak this parasite language, useful information is developed concerning “glideosomes,” micronemes, refractile bodies, rhoptry protein secretion and the mannitol cycle.Lal, K. et al., Proteomics 2009, 9, 4566–4576.