Protein labeling quantification is an experimental technique used to analyze the expression and regulation of proteins that bind to specific labeled molecules in experiments to quantify the expression levels of a specific protein or multiple proteins in different samples.
The key steps in protein marker quantification typically include:
1. Protein extraction
Proteins are first extracted from biological samples under study, such as cells, tissues, or body fluids.
2. Protein labeling:
Bind proteins to chemical or isotopic tags. These tags can be stable isotope labels (e.g., Silac), isotopically labeled amino acids (e.g., ITRAQ), or other specific chemical markers. These markers allow researchers to distinguish and quantify the same protein in different samples in subsequent analyses.
Figure 1Protein quantification was performed using SILAC (Esthelle et al.).,2019）
3. Protein separation and identification
Proteins are separated by liquid chromatography (LC), two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and other techniques. After that, the tagged proteins are typically identified and quantified using mass spectrometry (MS) techniques.
4. Data analysis
Bioinformatics tools were used to analyze the obtained data and compare differences in protein expression between different samples or treatments.
Figure 2SILC vs. Dimethyl marking.
Protein marker quantification services have a wide range of applications in biomedical research, drug development, disease diagnosis, and other fields, especially in studying how proteins are expressed and regulated under different conditions. By quantitatively analyzing protein expression, researchers can better understand the mechanisms of disease, discover potential biomarkers, or evaluate the effects of drugs.