Visual account of protein investment in cellular functions

TLDR

Proteins constitute roughly half of a cell’s dry mass, and when quantified by copy number they form the proteome, a comprehensive map that reflects cellular physiology, structure, and metabolic capacity. The study visualizes quantitative proteome data. Proteomaps display proteins as polygons sized by abundance, arranging similar functions adjacently to reveal the relative investment in each functional class. Proteins or classes that dominate the proteomap highlight demanding cellular processes and suggest promising targets for further research.

Abstract

Significance Proteins, which constitute roughly half of the cell dry mass, are extremely diverse. By counting the protein copy number of each gene in the genome, we obtain the proteome—a comprehensive picture of a cell's biochemical machinery. The proteome reflects physiology, structure, metabolic capacities, and many other aspects of the cell's lifestyle. Here, we visualize quantitative proteome data using a graphical tool we call proteomaps, where proteins are shown as polygons whose sizes indicate the abundances. Proteins involved in similar cellular functions are arranged in adjacent locations, creating regions whose areas give insight into the relative investment in each functional class. Proteins or protein classes that dominate the proteomap indicate demanding cellular processes and promising targets for further research.