Applications of proteomics in ecology and evolution

Abstract

Cieslak, A., Ribera, I. (2009). Applications of proteomics in ecology and evolution. Ecosistemas 18(1):34-43.

The evolution of ecological traits has been subject to intense research efforts for a long time. The complexity of ecological traits usually limits these studies to indirect evidence on the actual adaptive variations. More recently, molecular methods, such as micro-arrays and large-scale genomic sequencing, considerably increased the knowledge on genomes and metabolic pathways. With this, it became possible for the first time to study in detail the interaction of organisms and their environment at the molecular level. However, the investigation of biochemical processes associated to ecological and evolutionary questions relating organisms to their habitats are typically restricted to so-called model organisms. The latest methodological advances in proteomics led to a strongly increase in their use in ecology and evolutionary biology. These approaches are in many respects suitable for ecological studies, and offer the possibility to work on a wide range of organisms. Here we briefly review the methodology and describe how proteomics has been used to date in different fields of evolutionary biology and ecology in non-model organisms.