Mezi molekulárními metodami používanými pro určování druhů se v posledním desetiletí uplatňuje proteinové profilování pomocí matricí asistované laserové desorpce (MALDI-TOF). Metoda poskytuje unikátní proteinové spektrum, které umožňuje rychlé přiřazení k druhu. Jde o proces jednoduchý, levný a přímočarý, užívá se proto k určování širokého spektra organismů (od patogenních bakterií až po krev sající hmyz) a má potenciál stát se jednou z významných metod studia taxonomie a biodiverzity.

Doporučená literatura:

ANGELETTI, Silvia. Matrix assisted laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) in clinical microbiology. Journal of microbiological methods, 2017, 138: 20-29.
CAMPBELL, Peter M. Species differentiation of insects and other multicellular organisms using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry protein profiling. systematic Entomology, 2005, 30.2: 186-190.
DIERIG, Alexa; FREI, Reno; EGLI, Adrian. The Fast Route to Microbe Identification: Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization—Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 2015, 34.1: 97-99.
DVORAK, Vit, et al. Identification of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. Parasites & vectors, 2014, 7.1: 21.
JAMAL, Wafaa Y.; SHAHIN, May; ROTIMI, Vincent O. Comparison of two matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry methods and API 20AN for identification of clinically relevant anaerobic bacteria. Journal of medical microbiology, 2013, 62.4: 540-544.
FERNÁNDEZ-ÁLVAREZ, Clara, et al. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for rapid differentiation of Tenacibaculum species pathogenic for fish. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2017, 1-14.
HOPPENHEIT, Antje, et al. Identification of Tsetse (Glossina spp.) using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2013, 7.7: e2305.
HUANG, Angela M., et al. Impact of rapid organism identification via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight combined with antimicrobial stewardship team intervention in adult patients with bacteremia and candidemia. Clinical infectious diseases, 2013, 57.9: 1237-1245.
KARADUMAN, Ayse, et al. Identification by using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of lactic acid bacteria isolated from non-commercial yogurts in southern Anatolia, Turkey. International Microbiology, 2017, 20.1: 25-30.
KAUFMANN, C., et al. Evaluation of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry for characterization of Culicoides nubeculosus biting midges. Medical and veterinary entomology, 2011, 25.1: 32-38.
KAUFMANN, Christian, et al. Spatio-temporal occurrence of Culicoides biting midges in the climatic regions of Switzerland, along with large scale species identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Parasites & vectors, 2012, 5.1: 246.
LAROCHE, Maureen, et al. MALDI-TOF MS as an innovative tool for detection of Plasmodium parasites in Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria journal, 2017, 16.1: 5.
MATHIS, Alexander, et al. Identification of phlebotomine sand flies using one MALDI-TOF MS reference database and two mass spectrometer systems. Parasites & vectors, 2015, 8.1: 266. NIARE, Sirama, et al. Identification of blood meal sources in the main African malaria mosquito vector by MALDI-TOF MS. Malaria journal, 2016, 15.1: 87.
SUTER, Tobias, et al. First report of the invasive mosquito species Aedes koreicus in the Swiss-Italian border region. Parasites & vectors, 2015, 8.1: 402.
VITHANAGE, Nuwan R., et al. Species-Level Discrimination of Psychrotrophic Pathogenic and Spoilage Gram-Negative Raw Milk Isolates Using a Combined MALDI-TOF MS Proteomics–Bioinformatics-based Approach. Journal of Proteome Research, 2017, 16.6: 2188-2203.
YSSOUF, Amina, et al. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry: an emerging tool for the rapid identification of mosquito vectors. PLoS One, 2013, 8.8: e72380.
YSSOUF, Amina, et al. Identification of flea species using MALDI-TOF/MS. Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases, 2014, 37.3: 153-157.

Among molecular methods, MALDI-TOF protein profiling has emerged in the last decade as a popular method of species identification. The assay generates a mass spectrum that represents a unique protein fingerprint which allows rapid species identification. As this approach is simple, inexpensive, and straightforward, it is widely used for species detection of various organisms (from pathogenic bacteria to blood feeding insects) and may potentially become an important method to study taxonomy and biodiversity.