Multi-omics assessment of inheritance of energy pathways in red blood cells


Collaborating Investigator/s

Thomas Raife (University of Wisconsin-Madison)


The study necessitated examination of red blood cells whose contents are notoriously intractable for proteomic analysis.

Each year over 90 million units of blood are transfused worldwide, calling for optimized blood management and storage. During storage, red blood cells undergo degenerative processes resulting in altered metabolic characteristics which may make blood less viable for transfusion. However, not all stored blood spoils at the same rate.

We conclude that individuals can inherit a phenotype composed of higher or lower concentrations of proteins that can result in vastly different red blood cells storage profiles which may need to be considered to develop precise and individualized storage options. Beyond guiding proper blood storage, this intimate link in heritability between energy and redox metabolism pathways may someday prove useful in determining the predisposition of an individual toward metabolic diseases.

This work extended the use of our label-free quantitative methodology to this particular challenging sample type, permitting similar studies in the future.