In addition to transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the tissues, a range of other functions are attributed to red blood cells (RBCs) of vertebrates. Diseases compromising RBC performance in any of these functions warrant in-depth study. Furthermore, the human RBC is a vital host cell for the malaria parasite. Much has been learned from classical biochemical approaches about RBC composition and membrane organization. Here, we use mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics to characterize the normal RBC protein profile. The aim of this study was to obtain the most complete and informative human RBC proteome possible by combining high-accuracy, high-sensitivity protein identification technology (quadrupole time of flight and Fourier transform MS) with selected biochemical procedures for sample preparation. A total of 340 membrane proteins and 252 soluble proteins were identified, validated, and categorized in terms of subcellular localization, protein family, and function. Splice isoforms of proteins were identified, and polypeptides that migrated with anomalously high or low apparent molecular weights could be grouped into either ubiquitinylated, partially degraded, or ester-linked complexes. Our data reveal unexpected complexity of the RBC proteome, provide a wealth of data on its composition, shed light on several open issues in RBC biology, and form a departure point for comprehensive understanding of RBC functions.

Mice have close genetic/physiological relationships to humans, breed rapidly, and can be genetically modified, making them the most used mammal in biomedical research. Because the red blood cell (RBC) is the sole gas transporter in vertebrates, diseases of the RBC are frequently severe; much research has therefore focused on RBC and cardiovascular disorders of mouse and humans. RBCs also host malaria parasites. Recently we presented an in-depth proteome for the human RBC. Here we present directly comparable data for the mouse RBC as membrane-only, soluble-only, and combined membranebound/soluble proteomes (comprising, respectively, 247, 232, and 165 proteins). All proteins were identified, validated, and categorized in terms of subcellular localization, protein family, and function, and in comparison with the human RBC, were classified as orthologs, family-related, or unique. Splice isoforms were identified, and polypeptides migrating with anomalous apparent molecular weights were grouped into putatively ubiquitinated or partially degraded complexes. Overall there was close concordance between mouse and human proteomes, confirming the unexpected RBC complexity. Several novel findings in the human proteome have been confirmed here. This comparison sheds light on several open issues in RBC biology and provides a departure point for more comprehensive understanding of RBC function.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play a key role in differentiation, inflammation, migration, and survival of epidermal keratinocytes. The NF-kappaB has long been known to play pivotal roles in immune and inflammatory responses, and furthermore NF-kappaB has been implicated in the regulation of epidermal homeostasis. Recent studies have established that p65/RelA is a potent repressor of PPARdelta-mediated transactivation in human keratinocytes. In this article we further investigate the molecular mechanisms dictating the NF-kappaB-dependent repression of PPARdelta in human keratinocytes. We demonstrate that repression is unique to p65/RelA, as no other member of the NF-kappaB family had an impact on PPARdelta-mediated transactivation. Interestingly, our results show that p65/RelA only represses PPARdelta-dependent transactivation when PPARdelta is bound to DNA via its DNA-binding domain. We show that repression is sensitive to inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) by tricostatin A (TSA), suggesting that HDAC activity is indispensable for p65/RelA-mediated repression. Accordingly, we demonstrate that a ternary complex consisting of PPARdelta, p65/RelA, and HDAC1 is formed in vivo. Finally, we demonstrate that TSA relieves tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-induced repression of PPARdelta-mediated transactivation of the PPARdelta target gene adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) indicating that cross-talk between PPARdelta and NF-kappaB is of biological significance in human keratinocytes.