Peptideatlas

Definition

PeptideAtlas is a comprehensive resource that collects and organizes peptide identification data from various proteomic studies, enabling researchers to access information about proteins and their corresponding peptides. It serves as a central repository that integrates data from multiple mass spectrometry experiments, helping to facilitate the understanding of protein expression and function across different biological contexts.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. PeptideAtlas contains data from thousands of proteomic experiments, allowing researchers to search for peptides associated with specific proteins in various organisms.
2. The resource supports the identification of post-translational modifications, providing insights into how proteins are regulated and function in cellular processes.
3. PeptideAtlas can be accessed through user-friendly web interfaces, making it easier for researchers to retrieve relevant data without needing extensive bioinformatics skills.
4. The information in PeptideAtlas is continually updated as new mass spectrometry data becomes available, ensuring that it remains a valuable tool for cutting-edge research.
5. By integrating peptide data from numerous studies, PeptideAtlas helps to reduce redundancy and enhances the reproducibility of proteomic research findings.

Review Questions

• How does PeptideAtlas enhance the understanding of protein expression across different biological contexts?
  • PeptideAtlas enhances the understanding of protein expression by aggregating peptide identification data from numerous proteomic studies. This central repository allows researchers to access a wealth of information regarding protein presence and abundance in various conditions or tissues. By analyzing these data sets, scientists can draw conclusions about how different proteins are expressed and regulated, which can lead to insights into disease mechanisms or biological functions.
• Discuss the role of mass spectrometry in the context of PeptideAtlas and its importance for proteomic research.
  • Mass spectrometry is crucial for generating the peptide identification data that populate PeptideAtlas. This analytical technique allows researchers to precisely measure the mass-to-charge ratios of ionized peptide fragments, facilitating the identification and quantification of proteins. As PeptideAtlas compiles results from various mass spectrometry experiments, it significantly contributes to the body of knowledge in proteomics by enabling cross-study comparisons and enhancing the reliability of protein characterization.
• Evaluate how PeptideAtlas contributes to reproducibility in proteomic research and its impact on scientific discovery.
  • PeptideAtlas contributes to reproducibility in proteomic research by serving as a centralized database that integrates findings from multiple studies, thus reducing redundancy. This ensures that scientists can refer to consistent peptide data when conducting their own experiments, increasing confidence in results. The availability of this curated information streamlines research efforts, allowing for quicker validations and potentially accelerating scientific discoveries related to protein functions and interactions in various biological processes.

Related terms

Proteomics:

The large-scale study of proteins, particularly their functions and structures, focusing on the entire set of proteins expressed in a cell, tissue, or organism.

Mass Spectrometry: An analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, widely used in proteomics for identifying and quantifying proteins and their fragments.

Peptide: Short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds, which serve as building blocks for proteins and play essential roles in biological processes.