The red blood cell or erythrocyte is easily purified, readily available, and has a relatively simple structure. Therefore, it has become a very well studied cell in terms of protein composition and function. RBC proteomic studies performed over the last five years, by several laboratories, have identified 751 proteins within the human erythrocyte. As RBCs contain few internal structures, the proteome will contain far fewer proteins than nucleated cells. In this minireview, we summarize the current knowledge of the RBC proteome, discuss alterations in this partial proteome in varied human disease states, and demonstrate how in silico studies of the RBC interactome can lead to considerable insight into disease diagnosis, severity, and drug or gene therapy response. To make these latter points we focus on what is known concerning changes in the RBC proteome in Sickle Cell Disease.

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The red blood cell or erythrocyte is easily purified, readily available, and has a relatively simple structure. Therefore, it II. CONSTRUCTION OF THE PPI NETWORK has become a very well studied cell in terms of protein composition and function. RBC proteomic studies performed Thesanatic s of the C int inclus over the last five years, by several laboratories, have identified construction of a PPI network and assessing it using various 751 proteins within the human erythrocyte. Data describing network measures. Nodes of the network are the known most of their interactions are also available. This allowed us to RBC proteins and links connecting the nodes correspond to assemble a preliminary interactome of the red blood cell. the known interactions. Although there is a long way to go Identifying the role of certain proteins in the development of to identify all RBC proteins and to know their complete blood diseases, such as sickle cell disease, remains a challenge. sequence, posttranslational modifications, and number of To give future studies the benefit of focusing on a smaller copies per RBC, we began to assemble a preliminary subset of proteins, we consider several measures aimed to interactome from the currently known RBC protein computationally establish the relative functional significance of composition.protein members of the interactome.The construction of the PPI network has two major steps:

A graph G with n vertices and m edges is a generically minimally rigid graph (Laman graph), if m = 2n−3 and every induced subset of k vertices spans at most 2k − 3 edges. Laman graphs play a fundamental role in rigidity theory.We discuss the Verification problem: Given a graph G with n vertices, decide if it is Laman. We present an algorithm that recognizes Laman graphs in O(Tst(n) + n log n) time, where Tst(n) is the best time to extract two edge disjoint spanning trees from a graph with n vertices and 2n − 2 edges, or decide no such trees exist. So far, it is known that Tst(n) is O(n 3/2 √ log n).