A two-dimensional gel database of rat liver proteins useful in gene regulation and drug effects studies.

A standard two-dimensional (2-D) protein map of Fischer 344 rat liver (F344MST3) is presented, with a tabular listing of more than 1200 protein species. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) molecular mass and isoelectric point have been established, based on positions of numerous internal standards. This map has been used to connect and compare hundreds of 2-D gels of rat liver samples from a variety of studies, and forms the nucleus of an expanding database describing rat liver proteins and their regulation by various drugs and toxic agents. An example of such a study, involving regulation of cholesterol synthesis by cholesterol-lowering drugs and a high-cholesterol diet, is presented. Since the map has been obtained with a widely used and highly reproducible 2-D gel system (the Iso-Dalt system), it can be directly related to an expanding body of work in other laboratories.