Melanie II – a third‐generation software package for analysis of two‐dimensional electrophoresis images: I. Features and user interface

Abstract

Although two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) computer analysis software packages have existed ever since 2-DE technology was developed, it is only now that the hardware and software technology allows large-scale studies to be performed on low-cost personal computers or workstations, and that setting up a 2-DE computer analysis system in a small laboratory is no longer considered a luxury. After a first attempt in the seventies and early eighties to develop 2-DE analysis software systems on hardware that had poor or even no graphical capabilities, followed in the late eighties by a wave of innovative software developments that were possible thanks to new graphical interface standards such as XWindows, a third generation of 2-DE analysis software packages has now come to maturity. It can be run on a variety of low-cost, general-purpose personal computers, thus making the purchase of a 2-DE analysis system easily attainable for even the smallest laboratory that is involved in proteome research. Melanie II 2-D PAGE, developed at the University Hospital of Geneva, is such a third-generation software system for 2-DE analysis. Based on unique image processing algorithms, this user-friendly object-oriented software package runs on multiple platforms, including Unix, MS-Windows 95 and NT, and Power Macintosh. It provides efficient spot detection and quantitation, state-of-the-art image comparison, statistical data analysis facilities, and is Internet-ready. Linked to proteome databases such as those available on the World Wide Web, it represents a valuable tool for the "Virtual Lab" of the post-genome area.

Fatty Acid Binding Protein as a Serum Marker for the Early Diagnosis of Stroke

“…Gels were scanned using a laser densitometer (Amersham Biosciences). 2-DE computer image analysis was carried out with the MELANIE 3 software package (12). Spots were detected and quantified automatically.…”

Effect of Rosiglitazone on the Differential Expression of Diabetes-associated Proteins in Pancreatic Islets of C57Bl/6 lep/lep Mice

“…Gels were scanned using a laser densitometer (Amersham Biosciences). The 2-DE image computer analysis was carried out using the MELANIE 3 software package (GeneBio, Geneva, Switzerland) (22). Spots were detected and quantified automatically.…”

14-3-3γ Is Stimulated by IL-3 and Promotes Cell Proliferation

“…The second-dimensional separation was performed in 9 -16% linear gradient polyacrylamide gels at constant 40 mA per gel for ϳ5 h. After protein fixation in 40% methanol and 5% phosphoric acid for 1 h, the gels were stained with Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 for 12 h. Stained gels were scanned using a GS-710 imaging densitometer (Bio-Rad) and analyzed with an Image Master 2-DE Platinum image analysis program (Amersham Biosciences). Expression levels of the spots were determined by the relative spot volume of proteins compared with the volume of a single spot in the gel using the Melanie II program (19).…”