iTRAQ-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of the Initiation of Head Regeneration in Planarians

The planarian Dugesia japonica has amazing ability to regenerate a head from the anterior ends of the amputated stump with maintenance of the original anterior-posterior polarity. Although planarians present an attractive system for molecular investigation of regeneration and research has focused on clarifying the molecular mechanism of regeneration initiation in planarians, but proteomic studies are still in the early stages. Here, a global proteomics analysis of regenerating head fragments in planarians at 0h, 2h and 6h after amputation was performed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics coupled with LC-MS/MS strategy. Then the significantly changed proteins were identified. The correlation betwwen protein expression profiles and signaling pathways/biological processes was analyzed by bioinformatics and systems biology.