Technology enables ultrasensitive absolute protein quantitation using stable isotope labelled peptides and mass spectrometry
Sigma has launched a new offering of Custom Aqua peptides for use with Protein-Aqua quantitative proteomics.
Protein Aqua, described as a powerful breakthrough technology, enables ultrasensitive absolute protein quantitation using stable isotope labelled peptides and mass spectrometry.
To meet the specific needs of this dynamic and growing area, Sigma says it has leveraged its capabilities in the areas of custom peptide synthesis and stable isotope production to develop a specialised custom peptide offering.
Custom Aqua peptides are synthesised using fully labelled 98 atom% 13C and 98 atom% 15N enriched amino acids (one labelled amino acid per peptide) and are stringently tested to ensure high purity (HPLC), accurate molecular weight (Maldi-Tof MS), and specific peptide content.
Custom Aqua peptides are available in small (5x1nmol) package sizes to enable convenient sample preparation and provide an appropriate peptide amount.
Versatile and innovative, Protein-Aqua has many significant applications.
"Protein-Aqua confers the opportunity to significantly enable such important applications as differential protein expression, biomarker quantification and RNAi functional validation," said Graham Scott, proteomics R and D manager for Sigma-Aldrich.
Unlike alternative quantitative methods, Protein-Aqua sensitivity is virtually unlimited, says the company.
"The vastly superior sensitivity of mass spectrometry over any other method currently available in conjunction with Aqua-based methods will enable quantitation of proteins at levels of sensitivity previously considered unattainable," said Michael Hadjisavas, global proteomics business manager for Sigma-Aldrich.
This method was developed by Steve Gygi and colleagues at Harvard Medical School [Stemmann O, Zou H, Gerber SA, Gygi SP, Kirschner MW; Dual inhibition of sister chromatid separation at metaphase, Cell 2001, Dec 14, 107: 715-726] and is the subject of both US and PCT patent applications.
Limited use of this method is permitted under a licensing arrangement with Harvard Medical School.
