Quantitative Proteomics in Plants: Choices in Abundance

The field of proteomics is evolving from cataloguing proteins under static conditions to comparative analyses. Defining proteins that change in abundance, form, location, or activity may indicate which proteins are involved in developmental changes or responses to alterations in environmental conditions. Such studies are facilitated by an increasing number of complementary technical options for performing quantitative proteomic comparisons. As with any developing field, however, rapid expansion in new techniques introduces concerns about choosing the appropriate approach. The goals of this perspective essay, therefore, are both to introduce the various options that are available (or nearly so) for quantitative proteomics and to discuss considerations related to applying these methods in the laboratory.