All articles tagged with #proteomics
Rockefeller University researchers found that six 30-second all-out sprints trigger rapid, widespread changes in blood proteins and metabolites—far more than 90 minutes of moderate cycling—with many affected proteins linked to lower risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, illustrating how brief, high-intensity bursts can drive powerful interorgan signaling that persists with training.
Two Denisovan leg bones dredged from the Penghu Channel in Taiwan were assigned to Denisovans via ancient proteomes, and initial estimates suggest they were tall (about 1.8–1.9 meters), but with no secure dating or geological provenance the species-wide height is uncertain and caution is advised in interpreting Denisovans as taller than other ancient humans.
Proteomic analysis of two Denisovan leg bones (Penghu 2 and Penghu 3) from the Penghu Channel near Taiwan suggests some Denisovans were among the Ice Age’s giants, with Penghu 2 around 176–179 cm (≈83 kg) and Penghu 3 potentially up to ~189–190 cm (≈91 kg). Placed in the Denisovan lineage via collagen proteins, these bones reveal a mix of archaic and modern features and imply a diverse, widespread population across Asia, possibly with different hunting adaptations and interbreeding with modern humans. DNA wasn’t recoverable, so proteins provided the link; the findings complement prior genetic work (e.g., Harbin skull, Penghu 1) and highlight Denisovans as a more varied lineage than once thought.
A University of Oxford study proposes that ancient brain preservation occurs when waterlogged, low-oxygen conditions reroute brain decay into crosslinking brain proteins, forming tough, decay-resistant aggregates. Oxygen-rich environments accelerate degradation, while hypoxic settings slow it, a conclusion supported by experiments burying mouse brains under varying conditions and tracking protein decay with mass spectrometry. The findings illuminate why brains are disproportionately preserved in archaeology and may offer clues about peptide fingerprints similar to those seen in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Researchers introduce transient pore analyte looping (tPAL), pairing a dual-modified MspA nanopore with an NTA-Ni adapter to anchor a peptide for repeated re-reads of the N-terminus. An anchored aminopeptidase then shortens the peptide one amino acid at a time, producing narrow, stepwise, sequence-dependent signals that enable single-amino-acid resolution and detection of mutations, post-translational modifications, and noncanonical amino acids, aided by a machine-learning decoder to reconstruct the sequence.
A Nature Medicine study identifies a 19-protein panel in blood plasma that predicts whether ALS-gene carriers will develop the disease within 6 months to 5 years, outperforming NEFL as a single-marker predictor and estimating time-to-onset with about a 1.6-year error. Many panel proteins relate to muscle biology, suggesting early muscle changes precede nerve degeneration. While promising, the panel is experimental, requiring validation and more accessible testing before clinical use; UK Biobank replication offered partial confirmation but with limitations due to its snapshot design.
A proteomic analysis of 20 Homo naledi teeth from the Rising Star cave in South Africa found no AMELY (male) markers, suggesting all examined skeletons are female. The finding includes specimens once thought to be male (e.g., DH1 and Neo) and raises questions about sex representation or a possible AMELY deletion, with researchers noting this is a surprising result that requires more sampling to understand the biology and evolution of the species. The study, published in Cell (2026), also highlights shared protein variants with Paranthropus robustus and underscores the potential of ancient proteins to illuminate sex in extinct hominins.
An international study reveals that the human genome produces a large set of previously hidden tiny proteins, called peptideins, derived from non-canonical open reading frames. The team identified 1,785 microproteins across 95,520 experiments, expanding the known proteome and suggesting some peptideins may function like real proteins. Early findings include a peptidein linked to cancer survival, hinting at future therapeutic opportunities, though much remains to understand their roles. The work underscores that the dark genome is more biochemically active than previously thought and was published in Nature.
A seven-day water-only fast drives broad molecular shifts that become most evident after about three days, including changes in hundreds of circulating proteins linked to the extracellular matrix and brain support, alongside a switch from glucose to fat and about 5.7 kg of weight loss. Refeeding largely reverses lean-tissue loss while fat loss persists. These findings could inform therapies that mimic fasting’s benefits for metabolism, aging, and neurological health, though prolonged fasting carries risks and should be medically supervised.
An international study standardizes evidence for thousands of non-canonical ORFs (ncORFs) and introduces the term peptidein for ncORF-encoded microproteins. Analyzing 7,264 ncORFs across 95,520 proteomics experiments, researchers find roughly 25% yield detectable peptides, and they develop an annotation framework using proteomics, immunopeptidomics, and Ribo-seq to classify ncORFs into protein or peptidein status. They also introduce ORBL and ORBLq to measure evolutionary constraint on ORFness, showing detected ncORFs often have higher constraint. The work identifies pan-essential ncORFs that meet criteria for potential protein-coding genes or peptideins and outlines a path to elevate ncORFs toward reference annotation, thereby broadening the recognized human proteome with implications for cancer biology and immunotherapy.
Thousands of so-called dark proteins in the human genome have been reclassified as peptideins and added to major databases, but only 15 of 7,264 suspected sequences have robust experimental support; peptideins are short, often lack evolutionary relatives, and may be cellular by-products with unclear functions, though some are linked to diseases like childhood cancers. The effort aims to spur research into their roles and significance in biology.
A Swiss study analyzing blood from centenarians (100–105) found 37 of 724 serum proteins resemble those of younger people, suggesting key aging mechanisms can slow rather than stop; centenarians show lower oxidative stress markers, more youthful extracellular-matrix proteins, and a metabolism that remains balanced, with lifestyle factors highlighted as a powerful longevity lever.
A proteomics study of 516 samples from 76 organ donors aged 14–68 finds an aging inflection around age 50, with vascular tissues like the aorta aging fastest. The team built tissue-specific aging clocks across seven body systems, mapped organ aging trajectories, and identified disease-related protein changes that rise with age. Notably, most remodeling occurs between ages 45–55. In a mouse experiment, a protein linked to vascular aging induced declines in physical performance, underscoring the aorta and blood vessels as early aging targets. The work aims to create a comprehensive multi-tissue aging atlas to guide interventions for age-related diseases.
Researchers combined multispectral imaging and proteomics to study two 1531 Renaissance medical manuals, uncovering faded text and protein traces from readers’ hands. The marginalia show extensive at‑home experimentation with vernacular remedies, including both common ingredients and exotic compounds like hippopotamus teeth; proteomics also detected immune-related proteins, illustrating how Renaissance knowledge blended practical tinkering with book knowledge. The work demonstrates a new way to contextualize historical recipes and could scale to more collections.
A study analyzing 516 tissue samples from 76 organ donors aged 14–68 shows rapid aging begins around age 50, with different organs aging at different rates. The findings support aging as a systemic, nonuniform process and highlight the need for further research. In the meantime, NIH/CDC guidance emphasizes regular exercise, a nutrient-rich diet, portion control, and social engagement to maintain health and quality of life into later years.