OBJECTIVETo analyze and identify the membrane proteins of endomembrane system in human pancreatic cancer cell by proteomics.

METHODSMembrane protein was extracted from pancreatic cancer cell lines Capan-1, MiaPaCa-2, Panc-1. The membrane protein mixture of the three pancreatic cancer cell lines were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Positive dots of staining 2-DE gel were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and PMF matching, and then evaluated by bio-informatics searching in NCBI and ExPASy databases. Information of membrane proteins were acquired like sequence, molecular weight, isoelectric point, location and biological functions.

RESULTSForty-nine membrane proteins out of 166 protein dots which could be seen on the 2-DE gel were identified as channel carrier proteins (4 proteins), signal transduction proteins (5 proteins), transcription regulatory and translation modification protein (7 proteins), proliferation and apoptosis related proteins (4 proteins), invasion and migration associated proteins (2 proteins), cytoskeleton proteins (3 proteins), metabolism pathway proteins (14 proteins), and function unknown protein (10 proteins).

CONCLUSIONSEndomembrane proteins of pancreatic cancer cell play key roles in tumor malignant behavior like proliferation, metabolism, motility, adhesion and migration. These membrane proteins might become candidate biomarkers or targets of therapy of pancreatic cancer.