Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Proteomics is the large-scale analytical study of the structure, function, and expression of the entire set of proteins produced by an organism or cellular system.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- Mining of proteins (A): Involves identifying and cataloging all proteins present in a complex biological sample.
- Protein-expression profiling (B): Measures relative changes in protein abundance across different tissues, stages, or treatment conditions.
- Mapping of protein modifications (D): Identifies post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation, glycosylation, and ubiquitination.
- Analytical proteomics methods (like mass spectrometry) are highly effective for identifying and quantifying proteins (A, B, and D).
- In contrast, determining the native 3D structure of a protein (C) requires specialized biophysical techniques like X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, or cryo-EM, which are classified under structural biology rather than analytical proteomics.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The primary applications of analytical proteomics are protein mining, expression profiling, and modification mapping.