Stable isotope labeling in mammals (SILAM)

Abstract

Analysis of animal models of disease is essential to the understanding of human disease and the identifi cation of potential targets for clinical drugs. Global analysis of proteins by mass spectrometry is an important tool for these studies. Stable isotope labeling in mammals (SILAM) was developed to quantitate the proteomes of rodents using mass spectrometry. The crux of SILAM analysis is the complete labeling of all proteins in a rodent with heavy nitrogen (15 N). These 15 N tissues are then employed as an internal standard for quantitative proteomics analysis using a high-resolution and mass-accuracy mass spectrometer.