PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS OF ENAMEL CELLS FROM DEVELOPING RAT TEETH - BIG RETURNS FROM A SMALL TISSUE

Poor understanding of the molecular links between disturbed calcium re gulation in cells and disease remains a problem of considerable biomed ical importance. Dental enamel cells might provide useful insights to this problem since they handle calcium in bulk without suffering its c ytotoxic effects. Two practical challenges hindered investigation of c alcium handling mechanisms in enamel cells - paucity of molecular info rmation and limited availability of sample from developing rat teeth, the experimental system of choice. This paper outlines the microscale proteomic approaches we applied to overcome these difficulties and rev iews several major findings that ensued from initial characterization of the enamel cell proteome. Enamel cells are now established as a pow erful model for fundamental calcium research and have provided outcome s of broad biological relevance, including the discovery of a new endo plasmic reticulum protein. Future proteomic approaches that might bene fit understanding of function are discussed.