Multidimensional proteomics for cell biology

The proteome is complex as a result of the interconnected, dynamic properties of proteins, which include abundance, isoform expression, subcellular localization, interactions, turnover rate and post-translational modifications, among others.Only through analysing the variation in many of these properties can a full understanding of crucial biological regulatory mechanisms be achieved. Such analyses have so far been restricted by technical limitations and cost.Data analysis and data sharing are crucial to maximise the effect of mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses, as is making such data available to cell biologists in free to access, web-based and graphically rich formats.Our understanding of cellular processes will be enhanced by predicting the interdependence of protein properties. For example, knowing that a protein with a certain modification, if localized in the cytosol, will be degraded. Future innovations will enable more comprehensive measurement of a wider range of protein properties.