Molecular and Cellular Proteomics (MCP)
http://www.mcponline.org/

The scope of the journal, which is reflected in the title that has been selected, is purposely broad. It is open to contributions that describe the structural and functional properties of proteins and their expression, particularly with respect to the developmental time courses of the organism of which they are a part. Emphasis is placed on determining how the presence or absence of proteins affects biological responses and how the interaction of proteins with germane cellular partners allows them to function. Thus, the focus clearly is on both structural and functional aspects of proteins. However, as noted, technological advances have an important role in a field that is still clearly being formulated and significant advances in methodology will be deemed to be appropriate subject matter too. The inclusion of array technologies that measure changes in mRNA levels (as opposed to other arrays) can well be viewed as the interface between genomics and proteomics. However, the important predictive value of this information with respect to subsequent changes in expression of the proteins themselves suggests that this area of investigation also falls within the scope of the journal. It is also important to recognize that a significant part of the work on proteomics for the foreseeable future will reflect calculations and/or predictions as opposed to experimental data. This, of course, is particularly true for those aspects of bioinformatics that address needs in proteomics. It is inherent both in the scope and the types of experimentation that will be the principle basis for the studies reported in this journal that they will generate substantive supporting databases. This information will be welcomed as appropriate supplemental material to the electronic version of the journal where space is essentially unlimited. The submission and publication of this information should, of course, be justified as supporting the main theme and/or interpretations of the paper, but it will be otherwise encouraged to the extent that it will be of value to other workers in the field. They will accept such information both as an appendix to a research paper and as papers primarily composed of a database (accompanied by a two-page summary explaining its significance. The journal will also establish hyperlinks with all germane databases that support proteomics so that the readership will be able to move facilely between the journal and these compendia. The management of compilations and the interaction with existing databases will be ongoing priority and will be constantly updated through the advice of a Database Management Committee, appointed to advise the Editors. In summary, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics will publish three types of original articles: research papers, database articles and technology development articles. Mini-reviews and articles discussing important unresolved issues (perspective articles), as invited contributions, will also be published. Letters to the editor dealing with material published in MCP will be published at the discretion of the Editors. This has been added to Biological Informatics Subject Tracer™ Information Blog.