Improved proteomic characterization of human myocardium and heart conduction system by computational methods

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of mortality in the developing countries. The cardiac conduction system consists of distinctive heart muscle cells that initiate and propagate the electric impulse required for coordinated contraction. This myogenic system performs a distinguished function and has features not characteristic of the ordinary myocardium. Disturbances of the conduction system may cause lifethreatening heart beat disorders. The proteomic analysis of the human conduction system is still limited. In the present study, we have employed computational methods to characterize proteins of the human myocardium and heart the conduction system. We present the computational methods that empowered us to assess the changes in protein expression level as well as to characterize them by exact molecular weight and pI. The changes in protein expression level in human myocardium and heart conduction system reveal the necessity to identify these proteins especially specific of the heart conduction system.

Širdies ir kraujagyslių ligos priskiriamos labiausiai paplitusioms ir besibaigiančioms mirtimi išsivysčiusiose šalyse. Žmogaus širdies miokardo ir laidžiosios dalies proteominiai tyrimai, kurie praverstų terapiniams tikslams, dar nėra plačiai atliekami. Mes pritaikėme skaitinius metodus žmogaus širdies miokardo ir laidžiosios dalies baltymams apibūdinti. Šie metodai leido įvertinti baltymų raiškos kaitą miokardo bei laidžiosios dalies proteomo žemėlapiuose bei tiksliai juos charakterizuoti pagal molekulinį svorį bei baltymų pI. Numatomi tolesni baltymų, kurių raiškos lygis kinta miokardo bei širdies laidžiojoje dalyje, identifikavimo tyrimai.