Proteomics of atherosclerosis

Abstract

The human genome contains 20,000 protein-encoding genes, which is similar to the genome of simple organisms, such as C. elegans. It is therefore the regulation of gene expression, the interaction of proteins and their post-translational modifications that define biological complexity. Besides, the genomes also contain gene duplications and non-expressed pseudogenes that can be responsible for interspecies differences and similarities. Unlike the genome, the proteome is dynamic: proteins are subjected to extensive post-translational modifications (PTMs), proteolysis, or compartimentalization. The ultimate goal of proteomics is to analyse the totality of proteins. The present chapter reviews the proteomic tools currently available and highlights achievements in the application of these advanced technologies to atherosclerosis.