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Facility Introduction

Gene expression results in coding DNA transcription into mRNA. Editing occurs by intron excision and exon splicing. Alternative splicing to generate splice variants can occur and this is a significant component of the functional complexity of the genome. Proteins are synthesised by ribosome translation of the codon sequence of mRNA into an amino acid sequence. Proteins may undergo co- and post-translational modification and thus a single mRNA sequence can give rise to more than one form of the protein encoded by the gene.

The study of messenger RNA expression, the transcriptome, can be performed using microarrays. However analysis at the mRNA level does not always correlate well with changes in protein levels. Protein expression levels, protein-protein interactions and subcellular localisation can be studied using proteomic techniques and proteomics can also be applied to the analysis of post-translational modifications (PTM). PTM analysis cannot be performed using microarray/transcriptome approaches. Thus systematic understanding of normal haemopoiesis and the disruption which occurs in leukaemia can be facilitated by the complementary use of transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.

The LRF Cellular Development Unit at UMIST, Manchester committed to the development of proteomics for leukaemia research in the late 1990s. This led to the creation of the LRF Proteomics Facility to (i) provide help and advice to LRF grantholders on the application of proteomics to haematology research and (ii) to develop new techniques and applications for the benefit of LRF grantholders.

The LRF Proteomics Facility is co-directed by Profs Tony Whetton, Simon Gaskell and Dr Caroline Evans and is based in the Stem Cell and Leukaemia Proteomics Laboratory (SCALPL) at the Christie Hospital site, Manchester.