Ultrafiltration for proteomic sample preparation

Proteome analysis represents significant challenges to the existing sample preparation techniques. Traditional methods, such as two-dimensional electrophoresis, typically separate high-molecular-weight proteins while discarding low-molecular-weight species. This approach is well justified considering the complexity of any proteome. However, it is desirable to extract the maximum amount of information from each sample to investigate the entire range of biomolecules. We have demonstrated that ultrafiltration not only improves two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) resolution of the protein fraction but also yields the low-molecular-weight fraction amenable for further analysis by high-resolution mass spectrometry. This approach was successfully adapted to the variety of biological samples including cell and tissue lysates and serum. Therefore, ultrafiltration offers an alternative sample preparation technique that enables more thorough analysis of a proteome.