[Proteomic analysis and parasitosis: principles and applications]

O'Farrel described a method allowing two-dimensional (2D) protein separation more than 30 years ago. Since then the original technique has made enormous progress. This progress has been accompanied by advances in mass spectrometry technology as well as various genome-sequencing programs. Today 2D electrophoresis has become the workhorse of proteomics, allowing resolution of complex structures containing thousands of proteins and providing a global view of the state of a proteome. This article presents the different steps and limitations of proteomic analysis: preparation of biological material, 2D electrophoresis, protein detection systems, and available tools for protein identification. Alternative proteomic approaches to 2D electrophoresis are also presented. A few applications are described as examples to illustrate the utility of proteomic analysis for studying the mechanisms underlying virulence, resistance to antimalarial therapies and immune response against pathologic agents.