Bio Workflows Proteomics Pipeline

Version Compatibility

Reference examples tested with: MSnbase 2.28+, limma 3.58+, DEqMS 1.20+, proDA 1.20+, MSstatsTMT 2.10+, arrow 15.0+ (DIA-NN report.parquet), ggplot2 3.5+

Before using code patterns, verify installed versions match. If versions differ:

• R: packageVersion('<pkg>') then ?function_name to verify parameters

If code throws ImportError, AttributeError, or TypeError, introspect the installed package and adapt the example to match the actual API rather than retrying.

Proteomics Pipeline

"Process my proteomics data from raw MS files to differential abundance" -> Orchestrate data import (pyopenms/MaxQuant), QC assessment, protein quantification, normalization, differential abundance testing (limma/DEqMS, or MSstats for feature-level designs), and PTM analysis.

This is a workflow skill: it owns the chaining decisions and hand-offs, not the internals of any one step.

The governing principle

Bottom-up proteomics never measures proteins; it measures peptides and INFERS proteins, and the trustworthiness decisions are made at seams before the statistics.

1. The search database + acquisition mode are committed once and inherited by everything. The FASTA fixes the target-decoy frame (concatenated one-search FDR = #decoy/#target; a separate-search design needs mix-max instead — mixing the two mis-estimates FDR), what counts as a "unique peptide" (relative to the DB: canonical vs +isoforms), and the contaminants (cRAP must be IN the search DB from the start; a contaminant can BE the protein of interest, so never blind-delete CON__ rows). DDA vs DIA is set at the instrument and dictates which imputation is even legitimate.
2. FDR is re-controlled at THREE levels, not just PSM — and match-between-runs has its OWN FDR. 1% PSM-FDR does NOT give 1% protein-FDR — each level (PSM, peptide, protein-group) needs its own target-decoy estimation; PSM-only filtering yields 10-30% real protein-FDR on deep data (one false PSM nucleates a false one-hit-wonder, and false proteins grow with dataset size). Use picked-protein/picked-group FDR. The two-peptide rule INCREASES protein-FDR, it does not reduce it. MBR transfers IDs across runs by RT/m-z and can be wrong for low-abundance precursors — do NOT report MBR-filled counts as directly measured; DIA-NN controls MBR-FDR via Lib.* q-values, IonQuant via an explicit MBR-FDR mixture model.
3. Missingness is MODELED, not filled. DDA missingness is structured left-censored MNAR; downshift imputation (mean=mu-1.8sigma) on an on/off protein inflates the t-numerator AND deflates the denominator (the volcano "wing" artifact). The honest report for a protein missing in one whole group is "undetected in group B", not a fold change — model the MNAR (proDA/msqrob2/MSstats-AFT).
4. Normalize AFTER contaminant removal and AFTER inspecting raw distributions; batch is a covariate, not pre-subtracted. Median-normalizing first mathematically erases a 3x-low load. Cross-plex TMT is invalid without an IRS bridge. removeBatchEffect before testing understates residual variance (anticonservative p) — put batch in the same model.

Made-once commitments

Pipeline Overview

Raw MS Data (mzML) --> MaxQuant/DIA-NN --> proteinGroups.txt
                                                 |
                                                 v
            +--------------------------------------------+
            |             proteomics-pipeline            |
            +--------------------------------------------+
            |  1. Data Import & Filtering                |
            |  2. Log2 + inspect RAW distributions       |
            |  3. Normalization (after the inspection)   |
            |  4. Per-Group Completeness Filter          |
            |  5. QC: PCA, Correlation                   |
            |  6. Differential Abundance (limma/MSstats) |
            |  7. Visualization & Export                 |
            +--------------------------------------------+
                                                 |
                                                 v
                  Differential Proteins + Volcano Plots

Complete R Workflow

Goal: Turn a MaxQuant or DIA-NN protein matrix into a table of differentially abundant proteins with honest missing-value handling.

Approach: Strip bookkeeping rows, log2 and inspect the RAW per-sample distributions (dropping failed loads before normalization can hide them), median-center, filter on per-group completeness, then model the dropout with proDA (or fall back to imputation), and test with moderated limma using treat() for a minimum fold change.

library(limma)
library(ggplot2)
library(pheatmap)

# === 1. DATA IMPORT ===
proteins <- read.delim('proteinGroups.txt', stringsAsFactors = FALSE)
cat('Loaded', nrow(proteins), 'protein groups\n')

# Filter contaminants, reverse, only-by-site
proteins <- proteins[proteins$Potential.contaminant != '+' &
                      proteins$Reverse != '+' &
                      proteins$Only.identified.by.site != '+', ]
cat('After filtering:', nrow(proteins), 'proteins\n')

# Extract LFQ intensities
lfq_cols <- grep('^LFQ\\.intensity\\.', colnames(proteins), value = TRUE)
intensities <- proteins[, lfq_cols]
rownames(intensities) <- proteins$Majority.protein.IDs
colnames(intensities) <- gsub('LFQ\\.intensity\\.', '', colnames(intensities))

# === 2. LOG2 TRANSFORM, THEN INSPECT RAW DISTRIBUTIONS ===
intensities[intensities == 0] <- NA
log2_int <- log2(intensities)

# Inspect BEFORE normalizing (rule 4). Median-centering rescales every sample onto a common median,
# so it mathematically erases the 3x-low load that marks a failed injection -- after this point the
# failure is invisible. Identify and drop failures HERE.
boxplot(log2_int, las = 2, main = 'RAW log2 LFQ (pre-normalization)', ylab = 'log2 intensity')
id_counts <- colSums(!is.na(log2_int))
print(data.frame(id_count = id_counts, raw_median_log2 = round(apply(log2_int, 2, median, na.rm = TRUE), 2)))

# <50% of the cohort median ID count is a failed injection / low load, not biology.
failed <- names(id_counts)[id_counts < 0.5 * median(id_counts)]
if (length(failed) > 0) {
    message('Dropping failed samples: ', paste(failed, collapse = ', '))
    log2_int <- log2_int[, !colnames(log2_int) %in% failed, drop = FALSE]
}

# === 3. NORMALIZE (only after the raw inspection above) ===
sample_medians <- apply(log2_int, 2, median, na.rm = TRUE)
global_median <- median(sample_medians)
normalized <- sweep(log2_int, 2, sample_medians - global_median)

# === 4. FILTER ON PER-GROUP COMPLETENESS (do NOT impute by default) ===
# Filter FIRST on completeness PER GROUP: keep a protein if it is valid in >= ~50-70%
# of replicates in AT LEAST ONE condition. A protein missing in every group fails QC.
sample_info <- read.csv('sample_annotation.csv')
# Re-align the annotation to the samples that SURVIVED the raw-distribution QC above; otherwise the
# column indexing below requests a dropped sample and errors (or silently misaligns the design).
sample_info <- sample_info[sample_info$sample %in% colnames(normalized), ]
sample_info$condition <- droplevels(factor(sample_info$condition))
min_frac <- 0.6   # >= 60% present within at least one group; tune 0.5-0.7 per design
group_complete <- sapply(levels(sample_info$condition), function(g) {
    cols <- sample_info$sample[sample_info$condition == g]
    rowSums(!is.na(normalized[, cols, drop = FALSE])) >= ceiling(length(cols) * min_frac)
})
valid_rows <- rowSums(group_complete) > 0
filtered <- normalized[valid_rows, ]
cat('Proteins after per-group completeness filter:', nrow(filtered), '\n')

# Missingness in label-free DDA is left-censored MNAR (missing BECAUSE low). The modern,
# correct approach is to MODEL the missingness in the likelihood, NOT impute it. See
# proteomics/differential-abundance for the decision (proDA / msqrob2 / MSstats-AFT). The
# proDA path below is the RECOMMENDED route; the impute-then-limma path is a fallback.

# --- RECOMMENDED: model the missingness with proDA (no imputation) ---
# library(proDA)
# fit <- proDA(as.matrix(filtered), design = ~ condition, col_data = sample_info,
#              reference_level = 'Control')
# da <- test_diff(fit, contrast = 'conditionTreatment')   # columns: diff (log2FC), pval, adj_pval
# (Skip the === 5-6 impute/limma blocks below when using proDA.)

# --- FALLBACK ONLY: left-censored downshift imputation, then limma ---
# WARNING: downshift MANUFACTURES systematic false positives for on/off proteins near the
# detection limit (the volcano "anchor arms"): it pins missing values ~1.8 SD below the mean
# with an artificially tight 0.3 SD spread, inflating the t-statistic. The honest report for
# a protein fully missing in one group is "undetected in group B", NOT a fold change.
impute_minprob <- function(x) {
    nas <- is.na(x)
    if (all(nas)) return(x)
    x[nas] <- rnorm(sum(nas), mean = mean(x, na.rm = TRUE) - 1.8 * sd(x, na.rm = TRUE),
                    sd = 0.3 * sd(x, na.rm = TRUE))
    x
}
imputed <- as.data.frame(t(apply(filtered, 1, impute_minprob)))

# === 5. QC ===
# PCA
pca <- prcomp(t(imputed), scale. = TRUE)
pca_df <- data.frame(PC1 = pca$x[, 1], PC2 = pca$x[, 2], Sample = rownames(pca$x))

# === 6. DIFFERENTIAL ANALYSIS (fallback impute-then-limma path) ===
# sample_info is already loaded and factored in step 4. Put any batch in the design
# (~ batch + condition); removeBatchEffect() is visualization-only, never an input to lmFit.
design <- model.matrix(~ 0 + condition, data = sample_info)
colnames(design) <- levels(sample_info$condition)

fit <- lmFit(as.matrix(imputed), design)
contrast <- makeContrasts(Treatment - Control, levels = design)
fit2 <- contrasts.fit(fit, contrast)

# Select on FDR ALONE. A post-hoc fold-change + significance double filter inflates FDR
# (a collider/selection effect; realized FDR can exceed 50%). To require a minimum effect,
# use the moderated minimum-fold-change test treat()/topTreat() instead of filtering after.
fit2_treat <- treat(fit2, lfc = log2(1.5), trend = TRUE, robust = TRUE)   # moderated min-FC test; trend+robust ~mandatory for label-free LFQ
results <- topTreat(fit2_treat, coef = 1, number = Inf)
results$protein <- rownames(results)
results$significant <- results$adj.P.Val < 0.05

# === 7. OUTPUT ===
cat('\nResults:\n')
cat('  Significant proteins:', sum(results$significant), '\n')
cat('  Up-regulated:', sum(results$significant & results$logFC > 0), '\n')
cat('  Down-regulated:', sum(results$significant & results$logFC < 0), '\n')

write.csv(results, 'proteomics_results.csv', row.names = FALSE)

MSstats Workflow

library(MSstats)

# From MaxQuant
evidence <- read.table('evidence.txt', sep = '\t', header = TRUE)
proteinGroups <- read.table('proteinGroups.txt', sep = '\t', header = TRUE)
annotation <- read.csv('annotation.csv')

# Convert to MSstats format
msstats_input <- MaxQtoMSstatsFormat(evidence = evidence,
                                      proteinGroups = proteinGroups,
                                      annotation = annotation)

# Process data
processed <- dataProcess(msstats_input, normalization = 'equalizeMedians',
                         summaryMethod = 'TMP', censoredInt = 'NA')

# Comparison. +1 on the numerator: Treatment=+1, Control=-1 so log2FC = Treatment - Control
# (positive = up in Treatment), matching the label and the limma makeContrasts(Treatment-Control) path.
comparison <- matrix(c(-1, 1), nrow = 1)
rownames(comparison) <- 'Treatment_vs_Control'
colnames(comparison) <- c('Control', 'Treatment')

results <- groupComparison(contrast.matrix = comparison, data = processed)

QC Checkpoints

Workflow Variants

TMT/iTRAQ Isobaric Labeling

Reporter extraction is a spectra-level step, not a text-matrix read. Within a single plex the channels are co-isolated/co-fragmented in the same MS2 event, so relative ratios are stable; but MULTI-batch TMT CANNOT be compared across plexes without an IRS bridge (a pooled reference channel in every plex; Plubell 2017). Route to proteomics/quantification for the mechanics.

library(MSnbase)

# Extract reporter ions from spectra (NOT readMSnSet, which loads an existing text matrix)
raw <- readMSData('tmt.mzML', mode = 'onDisk')
tmt_data <- quantify(raw, reporters = TMT10, method = 'max')
# Correct isobaric impurity cross-talk with the LOT-SPECIFIC matrix from the reagent CoA.
# edit=FALSE avoids the interactive editor (default edit=TRUE blocks in scripts); load the CoA
# cross-talk values rather than the near-identity template makeImpuritiesMatrix(10) returns alone.
impurities <- makeImpuritiesMatrix(filename = 'tmt10_coa.csv', edit = FALSE)
tmt_data <- purityCorrect(tmt_data, impurities)

# Multi-batch TMT: do NOT concatenate plexes directly. Use MSstatsTMT, which applies the
# reference-channel (IRS) bridge during summarization:
#   library(MSstatsTMT)
#   summ <- proteinSummarization(msstatstmt_input)   # includes the cross-plex bridge
#   groupComparisonTMT(summ, contrast.matrix = comparison)

SILAC Workflow

Caveat: heavy-Arg -> heavy-Pro metabolic conversion biases ratios for proline-containing peptides (under-counts the heavy channel), and labeling efficiency must be checked (residual light reads as down-regulation). Route to proteomics/quantification for the mechanics.

# SILAC ratios from MaxQuant
silac <- read.delim('proteinGroups.txt')
ratio_cols <- grep('Ratio.H.L.normalized', colnames(silac), value = TRUE)

# Log2 transform ratios
silac_log2 <- log2(silac[, ratio_cols])

# One-sample t-test against 0 (no change)
results <- apply(silac_log2, 1, function(x) t.test(x, mu = 0)$p.value)

DIA-NN Workflow

DIA-NN 1.9+ defaults to report.parquet (the only default in 2.0); read it with arrow, not read.delim. Filter on q-values BEFORE pivoting, or low-confidence rows enter the matrix. Route to proteomics/dia-analysis for the mechanics.

library(arrow)
library(dplyr)
library(tidyr)

diann <- read_parquet('report.parquet')

# Filter to 1% FDR at precursor AND protein-group level before pivoting.
# Use the GLOBAL protein-group q-value for the cross-run matrix (per-run min(Q.Value) is anti-conservative).
# When MBR is ON, MBR has its own FDR: add the Lib.* q-values (Lib.Q.Value, Lib.PG.Q.Value <= 0.01).
diann_filt <- diann %>%
    filter(Q.Value <= 0.01 & PG.Q.Value <= 0.01 & Global.PG.Q.Value <= 0.01)

# PG.MaxLFQ is ALREADY cross-run MaxLFQ-normalized at report generation. Re-normalizing it
# double-normalizes -- go straight to log2 + limma with no further normalization. To apply the
# skill's own median-centering instead, pivot raw PG.Quantity here, not PG.MaxLFQ.
protein_matrix <- diann_filt %>%
    select(Protein.Group, Run, PG.MaxLFQ) %>%
    distinct() %>%
    pivot_wider(names_from = Run, values_from = PG.MaxLFQ)

# PG.MaxLFQ path: log2-transform and go straight to limma (no re-normalization)

Common Errors

References

• Elias JE, Gygi SP (2007) Target-decoy search strategy for increased confidence in large-scale protein identifications by mass spectrometry. Nature Methods 4:207-214. DOI 10.1038/nmeth1019.
• Savitski MM, Wilhelm M, Hahne H, Kuster B, Bantscheff M (2015) A scalable approach for protein false discovery rate estimation in large proteomic data sets. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 14:2394-2404. DOI 10.1074/mcp.M114.046995. (picked-protein FDR.)
• Plubell DL, Wilmarth PA, Zhao Y, et al (2017) Extended multiplexing of tandem mass tags (TMT) labeling reveals age and high-fat-diet specific proteome changes in mouse epididymal adipose tissue. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 16:873-890. DOI 10.1074/mcp.M116.065524. (IRS.)
• Ritchie ME, Phipson B, Wu D, et al (2015) limma powers differential expression analyses for RNA-sequencing and microarray studies. Nucleic Acids Research 43:e47. DOI 10.1093/nar/gkv007.
• Zhu Y, Orre LM, Zhou Tran Y, et al (2020) DEqMS: a method for accurate variance estimation in differential protein expression analysis. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 19:1047-1057. DOI 10.1074/mcp.TIR119.001646.

Related Skills

• proteomics/data-import - Load MS data formats
• proteomics/proteomics-qc - Quality control before analysis
• proteomics/quantification - Normalization, TMT IRS bridge, SILAC mechanics
• proteomics/protein-inference - Razor/shared-peptide assignment to protein groups
• proteomics/differential-abundance - Modeling missingness, moderated testing details
• proteomics/dia-analysis - DIA-NN report parsing and q-value filtering
• proteomics/ptm-analysis - Phosphoproteomics and other PTMs
• data-visualization/volcano-and-ma-plots - Volcano plots with LFC shrinkage