How SILAC Technology Enhances the Accuracy of Protein Expression Analysis?
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Signaling Pathway Analysis: Facilitates monitoring of intracellular signaling protein changes before and after stimulation, enabling identification of critical nodes and regulatory mechanisms.
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Drug Mechanism Elucidation: Compares pre- and post-treatment proteomic profiles to assist in target identification and mapping of downstream pathways.
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Cancer and Immunology Research: Dissects differential proteomic responses between cancer and immune cells under identical stimuli, advancing precision medicine initiatives.
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Protein–Protein Interaction Studies: Employs SILAC combined with immunoprecipitation (SILAC-IP) for high-specificity identification of interacting protein partners.
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Multiple heavy amino acid labeling schemes (e.g., 13C6-Lys, 13C6-Arg)
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Labeling efficiency strictly maintained above 95%
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Integration with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry platforms such as Orbitrap Exploris 480
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Standardized data analysis pipelines, compatible with widely used proteomics software such as MaxQuant and Perseus
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An experienced team ensuring high experimental success rates and in-depth data interpretation
Monitoring dynamic changes in protein expression is fundamental to understanding disease mechanisms, identifying drug targets, and advancing cell biology research. However, conventional protein quantification methods, such as dye labeling, Western blotting, or label-free quantification, often suffer from substantial inter-batch variability, limited quantitative precision, and poor reproducibility. Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino acids in Cell culture (SILAC) represents a transformative advance, enabling highly accurate and reproducible protein expression analysis.
What Is SILAC? The Gold Standard of Endogenous Metabolic Labeling
SILAC is a cell culture–based technique in which essential amino acids labeled with stable isotopes are incorporated into proteins during cellular metabolism. When light-labeled and heavy-labeled cells are co-cultured or mixed and subsequently analyzed by mass spectrometry, precise relative quantification is achieved. Unlike chemical labeling approaches such as TMT or iTRAQ, SILAC is a form of in vivo metabolic labeling that eliminates additional post-extraction labeling steps, minimizes error propagation, and exerts minimal perturbation on the sample. This makes it particularly advantageous for investigating cellular responses, time-dependent proteomic changes, and protein–protein interactions.
How SILAC Improves the Accuracy of Protein Expression Analysis
1. Endogenous Labeling Minimizes Sample Processing Variability
SILAC labeling occurs intracellularly, avoiding the need for post-extraction labeling and thereby substantially reducing variability introduced during sample handling. This approach ensures experimental consistency and yields data of high analytical reliability.
2. Parallel Sample Processing Enhances Reproducibility
Light- and heavy-labeled samples undergo identical processing across all experimental stages, including lysis, digestion, enrichment, and mass spectrometry injection, resulting in markedly improved reproducibility compared to exogenous labeling methods such as TMT or iTRAQ. For studies requiring multiple replicates or sensitive fold-change detection, SILAC offers robust and stable quantification.
3. High-Throughput Capability with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry
When coupled with advanced mass spectrometry platforms such as Orbitrap, SILAC enables high-throughput quantification of thousands of proteins, offering a broad dynamic range and sensitive detection of low-abundance species. Its compatibility with analyses of post-translational modifications, including ubiquitination and phosphorylation, makes it a versatile tool for proteomic research.
4. An Optimal Approach for Dynamic Regulation Studies
SILAC is well-suited for tracking temporal changes in protein expression following specific perturbations, such as drug treatment, signaling activation, or time-course experiments, and is widely applied in time-series analyses, cell cycle studies, and stress response investigations.
Applications: From Fundamental Research to Drug Development
Advantages of the MtoZ Biolabs SILAC Platform
MtoZ Biolabs has established a high-precision proteomics platform centered on SILAC technology, supporting stable isotope labeling in commonly used human and mouse cell lines. Customization is available for culture systems, labeling strategies, and experimental designs to meet specific research needs. Key advantages include:
SILAC stands as a trusted approach for achieving quantitative precision and biological interpretability. It not only refines the accuracy of protein expression analysis but also drives proteomics toward systems biology and translational medicine. For reliable SILAC-based quantification solutions, MtoZ Biolabs offers high-quality, publication-ready proteomics services tailored to your research goals.
MtoZ Biolabs, an integrated chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS) services provider.
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