[Advances in plant proteomics--I. Key techniques of proteome]

With the completion of genome sequences of the model plants, such as rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Arabidopsis thaliana, it has come into plant functional genomics era, which becomes a hard base of the appearance and development of plant proteomics. This review focuses on the background of proteomics, concept of proteomics and key techniques of proteomics. The key techniques of proteomics include separation, such as 2-DE (Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis), RP-HPLC (Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and SELDI (Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/ Ionization) protein chip, mass spectrometry, such as MALDI-TOF-MS (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time Of Flight-Mass Spectrometry) and ESI-MS/MS (Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry), databases related to proteomics, quantitative proteome, TAP (Tandem Affinity Purification) and yeast two-hybrid system. Challenges and prospects of proteomic techniques are discussed.