Objective: To construct a partial two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) reference map of the proteins that compose normal human nasal mucosa.
Design and methods: Normal inferior turbinate mucosa samples were subjected to 2-DE, the protein spots were visualized by silver staining, and 78 spots were selected for analysis by mass spectrometry and bioinformatics. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical techniques were performed for validation and localization analysis.
Results: Among the identified proteins, the largest functional groups included proteins associated with the human immune response and enzymes, particularly those of protein metabolism. Proteins participating in the cell cycle, cell division, calcium metabolism, and ion transport were also detected. The mRNA transcripts for 10 selected proteins were amplified by RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry revealed that secretagogin was localized in the submucosal gland and calsenilin was localized in the epithelium and submucosal gland.
Conclusion: This database will serve as the basis for further comparative proteomic studies of nasal mucosal disorders.