Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to identify human liver proteins that are associated with different stages of liver development. METHODS: We collected liver samples from 14 fetuses between 14 and 41 weeks of development, one child and four adults. Proteins which exhibited consistent and significant variations during development by two-dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) were subjected to peptide mass fingerprint analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed, at the transcriptional level, the data obtained by the proteomic approach. RESULTS: Among a total of 80 protein spots showing differential expression, we identified 42 different proteins or polypeptide chains, of which 26 were upregulated and 16 downregulated in developing in comparison to adult liver. These proteins could be classified in specific groups according to their function. By comparing their temporal expression profiles, we identified protein groups that were associated with different developmental stages of human fetal liver and suggest that the changes in protein expression observed during the 20- to 36-week time window play a pivotal role in liver development. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of these proteins may represent good markers of human liver and stem cells differentiation.