Informed-Proteomics: open-source software package for top-down proteomics

Nat Methods. 2017 Sep;14(9):909-914. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.4388. Epub 2017 Aug 7.

Abstract

Top-down proteomics, the analysis of intact proteins in their endogenous form, preserves valuable information about post-translation modifications, isoforms and proteolytic processing. The quality of top-down liquid chromatography-tandem MS (LC-MS/MS) data sets is rapidly increasing on account of advances in instrumentation and sample-processing protocols. However, top-down mass spectra are substantially more complex than conventional bottom-up data. New algorithms and software tools for confident proteoform identification and quantification are needed. Here we present Informed-Proteomics, an open-source software suite for top-down proteomics analysis that consists of an LC-MS feature-finding algorithm, a database search algorithm, and an interactive results viewer. We compare our tool with several other popular tools using human-in-mouse xenograft luminal and basal breast tumor samples that are known to have significant differences in protein abundance based on bottom-up analysis.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Programming Languages
  • Proteome / analysis*
  • Proteome / chemistry*
  • Proteomics / methods
  • Software*
  • Systems Integration
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • User-Computer Interface*

Substances

  • Proteome