Probing yeast molecular systems biology by new proteomics strategies

Abstract

The characterization of protein architecture in complex cellular model systems such asthe unicellular yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has become one of the major biological challenges of the last decades.. The development of high throughput methodology to identify and quantify proteins from biological samples, mainly using mass spectrometry, has however enabled us to stitch biological concepts together into a more global perspective. Proteins are in that sense remarkable molecules since their interactions, modifications and catalytic functions give rise to a sheer endless amount of biological networks. Moreover, we now begin to understand that proteins often do not just have one particular function but participate in a wide range of processes. In order to obtain more information on protein characteristics such as stability, interactions and modifications there is a need to develop dedicated analytical methods to focus on each particular aspect, for instance protein phosphorylation. The integration of multiple levels of information that is gained in this way will lead to a better understanding of the cellular functioning.