Improved proteomic characterization of human myocardium and heart conduction system by computational methods

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of mortality in the developing countries. The cardiac conduction system consists of distinctive heart muscle cells that initiate and propagate the electric impulse required for coordinated contraction. This myogenic system performs a distinguished function and has features not characteristic of the ordinary myocardium. Disturbances of the conduction system may cause life-threatening heart beat disorders. The proteomic analysis of the human conduction system is still limited. In the present study, we have employed computational methods to characterize proteins of the human myocardium and heart the conduction system. We present the computational methods that empowered us to assess the changes in protein expression level as well as to characterize them by exact molecular weight and pI. The changes in protein expression level in human myocardium and heart conduction system reveal the necessity to identify these proteins especially specific of the heart conduction system. Keywords: human myocardium, MC, heart conduction system, HCS, 2-DE fractionation, heart tissue proteomic analysis, computational methods