Proteome analysis of mouse model systems: A tool to model human disease and for the investigation of tissue-specific biology

Abstract

The molecular dissections of the mechanistic pathways involved in human disease have always relied on the use of model organisms. Among the higher mammalian organisms, the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) is the most widely used model. A large number of commercially-available, inbred strains are available to the community, including an ever growing collection of transgenic, knock-out, and disease models. Coupled to availability is the fact that animal colonies can be kept under standardized housing condition at most major universities and research institutes, with relative ease and cost efficiency (compared to larger vertebrates). As such, mouse models to study human biology and disease remains extremely attractive. In the current review we will provide an historic overview of the use of mouse models in proteome research with a focus on general tissue and organelle biology, comparative proteomics of human and mouse and the use of mouse models to study cardiac disease.