Comparative Proteomics of Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analyses for Bacterial Strains Identification and Differentiation

Bacterial proteome represents the collection of functional and structural proteins that are present in the cell. The bacterial proteome consists of diverse classes of proteins with different cellular functions. Overall, the protein content of the cell represents the majority of the cell dry weight, which makes it an ideal cellular component to be utilized for bacterial characterization. Comparative proteomics has been widely applied to microbial identification and characterization studies through the utilization of several mass spectrometry techniques, with tandem mass spectrometry techniques proving to be effective and reliable approach. This chapter will address the utilization of comparative proteomics and the application of tandem mass spectrometry in the identification and differentiation of bacterial strains. Published in Tandem Mass Spectrometry - Applications and Principles, chapter 10, p217-238, February, 2012.