Proteomic studies of rat tibialis anterior muscle during postnatal growth and development

In this study, a proteomic analysis consisting of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry was accomplished to investigate the complex protein expression patterns in rat tibialis anterior muscle during postnatal 3-month period. We determined the time-dependent expression alterations of 107 protein spots, among which 53 protein spots were identified. These identified proteins included skeletal contractile proteins, metabolic enzymes, chaperone, intermediate filament, and signal transduction proteins. The time-dependent expression of three proteins, such as Mylpf, desmin, and RKIP, was confirmed by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. The functional implication of these expression changes was also discussed. We further analyzed the linkage and interactions among the differentially expressed proteins (MAPK1, RKIP, AHSG, etc.). Collectively, the results might add to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating postnatal growth and development of rat tibialis anterior muscle.