TY - JOUR
T1 - Preservation of the metaproteome
T2 - variability of protein preservation in ancient dental calculus
AU - Mackie, Meaghan Emma
AU - Hendy, Jessica
AU - Lowe, Abigail Daisy
AU - Sperduti, Alessandra
AU - Holst, Malin
AU - Collins, Matthew James
AU - Speller, Camilla F.
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - Proteomic analysis of dental calculus is emerging as a powerful tool for disease and dietary characterisation of archaeological populations. To better understand the variability in protein results from dental calculus, we analysed 21 samples from three Roman-period populations to compare: 1) the quantity of extracted protein; 2) the number of mass spectral queries; and 3) the number of peptide spectral matches and protein identifications. We found little correlation between the quantity of calculus analysed and total protein identifications, as well as no systematic trends between site location and protein preservation. We identified a wide range of individual variability, which may be associated with the mechanisms of calculus formation and/or post-depositional contamination, in addition to taphonomic factors. Our results suggest dental calculus is indeed a stable, long-term reservoir of proteins as previously reported, but further systematic studies are needed to identify mechanisms associated with protein entrapment and survival in dental calculus.
AB - Proteomic analysis of dental calculus is emerging as a powerful tool for disease and dietary characterisation of archaeological populations. To better understand the variability in protein results from dental calculus, we analysed 21 samples from three Roman-period populations to compare: 1) the quantity of extracted protein; 2) the number of mass spectral queries; and 3) the number of peptide spectral matches and protein identifications. We found little correlation between the quantity of calculus analysed and total protein identifications, as well as no systematic trends between site location and protein preservation. We identified a wide range of individual variability, which may be associated with the mechanisms of calculus formation and/or post-depositional contamination, in addition to taphonomic factors. Our results suggest dental calculus is indeed a stable, long-term reservoir of proteins as previously reported, but further systematic studies are needed to identify mechanisms associated with protein entrapment and survival in dental calculus.
U2 - 10.1080/20548923.2017.1361629
DO - 10.1080/20548923.2017.1361629
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29098079
SN - 2054-8923
VL - 3
SP - 74
EP - 86
JO - STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research
JF - STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research
IS - 1
ER -