Publisher

Managed Service

The mission of MCP is to foster the development and applications of proteomics in both basic and translational research. MCP will publish manuscripts that report significant new discoveries, supported by proteomics observations across all kingdoms of life. Manuscripts must define the biological roles played by proteins or their mechanisms of action or provide significant computational and methodological advancements that enable such discoveries. Indeed MCP has been successful in its original mission to facilitate the development of enabling proteomics technology and to establish standards of performance and quality, and this mission continues. A major focus of proteomics, and therefore of MCP, has shifted toward reproducible quantification – rather than simple enumeration – of proteins and their modifications across biological samples in a range of states. These studies of the "proteotypes" present, their levels and how they change constitute the proteomic basis of phenotypes underlying normal physiology, diseases and the interplay of living systems and environment. Scope of the Journal Proteotype determines phenotype. It is now possible to analyze proteotypes and thus to define the molecular determinants of phenotypes. Much more progress must be made before it will be possible to measure proteotypes comprehensively: to determine the identity, quantity, post-translational modifications, tissue distributions, sub-cellular locations, interacting partners, and functional chemistry of every protein. Manuscripts that elucidate these detailed features of proteotypes and establish causal relationships with phenotypes will be given preference for publication. Because living systems are dynamic, studies that define the dynamics of proteotypes are especially important. Proteotypes reflect the interplay of genotype, development, environment and interactions with other organisms. Publication preference will be given to manuscripts that establish the mechanistic bases of these relationships. The flow of biological information from genotype to phenotype is particularly important in understanding gene function and how genomic abnormalities cause disease. Genomic data alone are often insufficient for inference from genotype to phenotype. Proteomics provides a key information layer to understand how genomic characteristics are expressed. Genomic and transcriptomic data present hypotheses that can be tested with proteomic measurements. The integration of proteomic data with genomic, transcriptomic and phenotypic information presents important conceptual and computational challenges. Publication preference will be given to studies that describe new proteogenomic data analysis approaches and that integrate combined genomic and proteomic data to describe physiology and disease processes. Host-microbe and microbiome studies are important emerging areas in biology and health. Proteomics offers new opportunities to analyze these important systems at both the molecular and evolutionary levels. Publication preference will be given to manuscripts that describe studies in microbiome proteomics, host-microbe and host-pathogen interactions, and their roles in health and disease. Metabolomics is focused on the analysis of small molecules in living systems and shares common analysis platforms with proteomics. The metabolome is both a functional output and regulator of the proteome and can provide important information about physiological and disease processes. Publication preference will be given to studies that integrate metabolomics and proteomics to understand functional connection between genes and phenotypes.