Next-generation proteomics: toward customized biomarkers for environmental biomonitoring

Because of their ecological representativeness, invertebrates are commonly employed as test organisms in ecotoxicological assessment; however, to date, biomarkers employed for these species were the result of a direct transposition from vertebrates, despite deep evolutionary divergence. To gain efficiency in the diagnostics of ecosystem health, specific biomarkers must be developed. In this sense, next-generation proteomics enables the specific identification of proteins involved in key physiological functions or defense mechanisms, which are responsive to ecotoxicological challenges. However, the analytical investment required restricts use in biomarker discovery. Routine biomarker validation and assays rely on more conventional mass spectrometers. Here, we describe how proteomics remains a challenge for ecotoxicological test organisms because of the lack of appropriate protein sequences databases, thus restricting the analysis on conserved and ubiquitous proteins. These limits and some strategies used to overcome them are discussed. These new tools, such as proteogenomics and targeted proteomics, should result in new biomarkers specific to relevant environmental organisms and applicable to routine ecotoxicological assessment.