In an interview with DrugResearcher.com, Dr Anke Cassing, associate director of corporate strategy at Qiagen explained that the range of Qproteome Kits include the PhosphoProtein Purification Kit, currently the only product on the market for complete separation of phosphorylated proteins from unphosphorylated proteins.
Cassing said: "Fractionation has become a growth market driven by the increasing interest in protein analysis and the trend towards parallel analysis of proteins and nucleic acids in the context of systems biology."
"Protein fractionation and depletion protocols are increasingly used in parallel to and in combination with nucleic acid sample preparation and analysis products. It allows scientists to create subclasses of proteins required for subsequent analysis," she added.
However a major problem facing protein researchers is the sheer complexity of the proteome. Whilst purification and analysis of low-abundance species is especially problematic, it is an essential process in drug discovery and development.
"Phosphorylation of proteins plays a vital role in cell signaling, oncogenesis, apoptosis, and immune disorders," explained Cassing.
The PhosphoProtein Purification Kit uses an affinity resin to separate unphosphorylated proteins (which are contained in the column flow-through) from phosphorylated proteins (which are eluted using a phosphate buffer). This separation greatly facilitates investigation of the phosphorylation status of entire cells and specific proteins.
The Qproteome Glycoprotein Kits, which address fractionation according to posttranslational modifications, become the only available products optimised for glycoprotein isolation for proteomics applications.
A common post-translational protein modifications is glycosylation, which plays a role in cellular processes such as cell adhesion and signaling, stabilization of protein structure and function, protein trafficking and sorting, and oncogenesis.
Cassing added: "The Qproteome fractionation kits can be used for increased sensitivity and reliability of protein analysis technologies, enabling scientists to identify and validate biomarkers as well as drug targets. These kits can be used to localize or characterize biomarkers in cells grown under different conditions or isolated from different tissues."
"The quality of the fractionation is key to the sensitivity and reliability of analysis technologies such as PAGE (protein analysis gel electrophoresis) and mass spectrometry. Scientists can identify and validate diagnostic markers or drug targets making it suitable for the academic, biopharmaceutical and biomedical fields."
The range also includes the Qproteome Nuclear Subfractionation Kit designed for fractionation of nuclear proteins such as low-abundance transcription factors, which are regulators of gene expression. The Qproteome Albumin/IgG Depletion Kit is based on monoclonal antibodies and achieves specific and simultaneous depletion of the two serum proteins in a straightforward procedure. In addition, the Qproteome Cell Compartment Kit separates proteins from the cytosol, membranes, nucleus, and cytoskeleton according to their cellular localisation.
The range is completed with the Qproteome Soluble protein separation kit, which allows reproducible and standardized general fractionation on the basis of solubility.
The Qproteome Kits will be available from the end of January