Auditory proteomics: methods, accomplishments and challenges

The advent of contemporary proteomic technologies has ushered in definite advances to the field of auditory research and has provided the potential for a dramatic increase in applications in the near future. Two dimensional-differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) followed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), antibody microarrays and tandem mass spectrometry have evolved as the major tools. Each of these techniques has unique features with distinct advantages. This review attempts to highlight the common as well as diverse characteristics of these methods and their suitability and application to different experimental conditions employed to investigate the auditory system. In addition a glimpse of the valuable scientific information that has been gained in the hearing field using a proteomic approach is given. Finally, a brief view of the directions that auditory proteomics research is headed for has been discussed.