Quantitative profiling of the membrane proteome in a halophilic archaeon.

We present a large scale quantitation study of the membrane proteome from Halobacterium salinarum. To overcome problems generally encountered with membrane proteins, we established a membrane preparation protocol that allows the application of most proteomic techniques originally developed for soluble proteins. Proteins were quantified using two complementary approaches.

A cysteine-rich extracellular protein containing a PA14 domain mediates quorum sensing in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Much remains to be understood about quorum-sensing factors that allow cells to sense their local density. Dictyostelium discoideum is a simple eukaryote that grows as single-celled amoebae and switches to multicellular development when food becomes limited. As the growing cells reach a high density, they begin expressing discoidin genes.

Proteome analysis of the thermoreceptive pit membrane of the western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox.

Rattlesnakes detect their prey's temperature by means of a cavern-like structure, the pit organ. The sensory component of this organ lies within a thin membrane called the pit membrane. Proteome analysis conducted on this neurosensory tissue revealed only a relatively small number of proteins, thereby depicting its high degree of specialization.