Proteins and Proteomics: A Laboratory Manual

  • Richard J. Simpson
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: 2003. 926 pp. $250 (hbk), $185 (pbk)

We now have the complete sequences of a large number of genomes at our disposal. Each of these provides us with a complete inventory of the working parts of an organism's cells. The difficult bit is discovering what all these working parts do. Functional genomics is all about the analysis of gene action and interaction on a genome-wide scale. Four levels of analysis are commonly exploited: genes (the genome), messenger RNA (the transcriptome), proteins (the proteome) and metabolites (the metabolome). Although the genome is relatively constant, the complement of the other 'omes' changes with the physiological, developmental or pathological state of the organism.

Proteomics is probably the most important, but it is also the most difficult to study in a comprehensive manner. One reason for this is that the proteome is multidimensional: a single gene can specify a number of different protein products that may themselves be modified post-translationally by the covalent attachment of a range of functional groups. Moreover, proteins commonly occur in complexes whose composition and conformation have a profound effect on both their activity and their stability. Proteomics attempts to grapple with this complexity by using a vast range of molecular, chemical and genetic techniques.

This superb volume embraces this diversity and, even if proteomic techniques are far from comprehensive in their scope, this weighty tome is certainly comprehensive in its description of them. Everything is here, from detailed laboratory protocols to clear explanations of the theoretical basis of the methods used. The book is as up-to-date as possible. It is peppered with references from 2002, and deals fully with recent technical advances, such as protein microarrays.

Richard Simpson even manages to slip in bits of history, such as the derivation of the name Coomassie for the blue dye used to stain proteins in gels. (It was named to commemorate the British conquest of Kumasie — the capital of the Ashanti, in what is now Ghana — and was originally used to dye woollen jumpers.) Such nuggets make this volume more than just an excellent laboratory manual; it is also a book to dip into and enjoy.