Proteomics as a multifaceted tool in medicine and environmental assessment

Paper I: deals with the simplification of functional characterization for nanoparticles intended for use in biomedicine. Proteomics was constructive in differentiating and semi-quantifying the surface of protein corona. This could be beneficial in predicting the interactions between nanoparticles and a biological entity like the cell or a receptor protein and provide initial valuable information related to targeting, uptake and safety.

Paper II: deals with understanding effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on endothelial cells. A combinatorial approach, involving transcriptomics and proteomics was used to identify aberrations in the permeability and integrity of endothelial cells and tissues. Our study also investigated the correlation of size and how they motivated a differential cellular response. In case of intravenous entry for nanoparticles in targeted drug delivery systems, endothelial cells are the first barrier encountered by these drug carriers. This evaluation involving endothelial cell response could be very instrumental during the designing of NP based drug delivery systems.

Paper III: Pharmaceuticals and its metabolites could be very hazardous, especially if its disposal is not managed properly. Since water bodies are the ultimate sink, these chemicals could end up there, culminating in toxicity and other ‘mixture effects’ in combination with other factors. To evaluate the effects of the pharmaceutical, propranolol and climatic factors like low salinity conditions, a microcosm exposure was designed and shotgun proteomics helped understand its impact on mussel gills. In this study too, a combination of transcriptomics and proteomics unveiled molecular mechanisms altered in response to stressors, both individually and in combination.

Paper IV: An interplay of various factors like EBF1 and PAX5 determines B-cell lineage and commitment. This might have been materialized by direct and transient proteinprotein interactions. A unique method called BioID helped screen relevant interactions in living cells by the application of a promiscuous biotin ligase enzyme capable of tagging proteins through biotinylation based on a proximity radius. Biotinylation of endogenous proteins enabled their selective isolation by exploiting the high affinity of biotin and streptavidin on streptavidin coated agarose beads, leading to their identification by mass spectrometry. The biotinylated proteins were potential candidate interactors of EBF1 and PAX5, which were later confirmed by sequencing techniques like ChIP-Seq, ATAC seq, and visualization techniques like proximity ligation assay (PLA).