Phosphoproteomics (PP) data derived from mass spectrometry experiments has a unique ability to interrogate cellular signaling pathways and networks in a comprehensive manner. Such information on a global scale will provide unique insights into cellular signaling in development and differentiation, which will considerably advance our understanding of biology. Although technologies for collecting PP data using mass spectrometry are advancing rapidly, computational tools for analyzing the PP data are not keeping pace. The management and annotation of information on thousands of phosphosites is ineffective if conducted manually and must be automated and visually presented to the user. In addition, although many effective tools exist for pathway and network analysis of gene and protein expression data, the tools for PP are relatively underdeveloped. This proposal, submitted under PA-14-155, intends to advance the field of PP by developing, testing, and disseminating software for phosphoprotein and phosphosite identification, localization, annotation, pathway and network analysis. The outcome of this research will be more rapid and effective translation of PP data into useful knowledge for advancing biological science and drug development. The research will comprise 3 Aims:
Aim 1 : Development and testing of PhosMS-GF+ and PhosphoExplorer, a tool for phosphosite identification and annotation from mass spectrometry data.
This aim will provide a tool that can unify mass spectrometry data with multiple phosphosite databases and extend the number of PP identifications improving analyses.
Aim 2 : Development and testing of a phosphoprotein set enrichment analysis tool kit and phosphoprotein interaction and network analysis tool kit as expansions of PhosphoExplorer.
This aim will provide an unique toolkit for systems level analysis of PP data.
Aim 3 : Develop, test, calibrate, and release software tools for systems-level annotation and analysis of phosphoproteomics data.
This aim will deliver robust open-source software to the user community. As prototype versions of PhosphoExplorer currently exist and are in use in-house at Case Western Reserve University, we have no doubt that over a three-year period we can complete the above improvements and put the tools in the hands of a national cohort of users that are actively collecting and analyzing PP datasets.

Public Health Relevance

Phosphorylation is an important cellular signaling process under tight control in biological development and dysregulated in disease. This signaling is controlled by protein kinases and protein phosphatases. Many approved drugs and drugs under development target the functions of these proteins; however their overall effects are not adequately sampled by existing high throughput methods. This proposal will improve our ability to understand phosphorylation by providing open-source software tools to the biomedical science community.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01GM117208-03S1
Application #
9717606
Study Section
Biodata Management and Analysis Study Section (BDMA)
Program Officer
Smith, Ward
Project Start
2016-09-01
Project End
2019-06-30
Budget Start
2018-07-01
Budget End
2019-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Case Western Reserve University
Department
Nutrition
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
077758407
City
Cleveland
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
44106