I-49: Human Y Chromosome ProteomeProject

The success of the Human Genome Project (HGP) has provided a blueprint for the approximately 20,000 gene-encoded proteins potentially active in all of the hundreds of cell types that make up the human body. Yet we still have limited knowledge about a majority of the gene-encoded proteins which are the “building blocks of life” and “cellular machinery”. It is estimated that for nearly half of the proteins encoded in the human genome, there is no experimental evidence for their protein existence and for many others there is very little information related to protein abundance, localization, and function. Therefore, Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) propose a gene-centric approach to generate a human proteome map with an “information backbone” about the proteins expressed from each gene locus, and to make this information publicly available with no restrictions, as was done with the genome sequence data. Thereby, a genecentric human proteome project will facilitate in-depth studies to understand human biology and disease. In Iran, the current efforts are focused on mapping the proteome of human chromosome Y, a project endorsed by HUPO. The Y chromosome is unique undermany aspects. It is always in the haploid state and full of repeated sequences but it is responsible for important biological roles such as sex determination and male fertility. The goal of human Y chromosome Proteome Project (YHPP) is to fill the void between genotype and phenotype for basic science discovery and clinical application. Reasonable end-points of YHPP must be clearly defined, feasible within a limited time-period and achievable without paradigm shifts in technology. We propose a systematic approach to ensure that, for each predicted protein-coding gene, at least one of its major representative proteins will be characterized in the context of its major anatomical sites of expression, its abundance and its functional relevance in a biological and/or medical context. We realize that there are many technical and biological issues that need to be overcome prior to execution of the full scale mapping.