Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China.
Mol Brain. 2021 Feb 17;14(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s13041-021-00750-5.
Chemical synapses in the brain connect neurons to form neural circuits, providing the structural and functional bases for neural communication. Disrupted synaptic signaling is closely related to a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In the past two decades, proteomics has blossomed as a versatile tool in biological and biomedical research, rendering a wealth of information toward decoding the molecular machinery of life. There is enormous interest in employing proteomic approaches for the study of synapses, and substantial progress has been made. Here, we review the findings of proteomic studies of chemical synapses in the brain, with special attention paid to the key players in synaptic signaling, i.e., the synaptic protein complexes and their post-translational modifications. Looking toward the future, we discuss the technological advances in proteomics such as data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS), cross-linking in combination with mass spectrometry (CXMS), and proximity proteomics, along with their potential to untangle the mystery of how the brain functions at the molecular level. Last but not least, we introduce the newly developed synaptomic methods. These methods and their successful applications marked the beginnings of the synaptomics era.
大脑中的化学突触将神经元连接起来形成神经网络，为神经通讯提供了结构和功能基础。突触信号转导的破坏与多种神经和精神疾病密切相关。在过去的二十年中，蛋白质组学作为生物学和生物医学研究的一种通用工具蓬勃发展，为解码生命的分子机制提供了大量信息。人们对采用蛋白质组学方法研究突触有着浓厚的兴趣，并取得了实质性的进展。在这里，我们回顾了大脑中化学突触的蛋白质组学研究结果，特别关注突触信号转导中的关键参与者，即突触蛋白复合物及其翻译后修饰。展望未来，我们讨论了蛋白质组学中的技术进步，如数据非依赖性采集质谱 (DIA-MS)、交联与质谱联用 (CXMS) 和邻近蛋白质组学，以及它们在揭示大脑如何在分子水平上发挥作用的奥秘方面的潜在应用。最后但同样重要的是，我们介绍了新开发的突触组学方法。这些方法及其成功的应用标志着突触组学时代的开始。
