Rapid Isolation of Peptides and Proteins from Biological Fluids for Proteomic Analysis by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is a versatile analytical technique capable of rapidly characterizing biological samples. The ease of use and high throughput capability make this approach advantageous for analyzing large sample sets. In comparison, the time of data acquisition is significantly less than the initial sample preparation. The isolation, concentration, and buffer exchange necessary for sample preparation can be costly and time consuming. Therefore, new methods need to be developed to isolate and concentrate target molecules quickly and efficiently In this study, we developed a method to rapidly isolate and concentrate peptides and proteins in biological fluids within a chosen mass range. This method was then applied to mouse plasma, and serum to define a healthy baseline Proteomicprofiling by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization ( mass spectrometry ( has been shown to be effective at assessing systemic disease 1 4. Other targeted detection technologies such as competitive immunoassays, sandwich type immunoassays, immune capture, immunoblots, and activity assays have traditionally been employed to diagnose various disease states However, MALDI TOF MS is a sensitive, high throughput, and cost effective technique that is well suited for analyzing biological fluids. Changes in the relative amounts of peptides and proteins in plasma reflect systemic events therefore, they can be measured and serve as diagnostic, predictive or prognostic biomarkers of disease. By characterizing these changes in the plasma and serum, insight can be gained into the biochemical events that underpin various disease states.