On similarity of proteome maps

In this paper, we consider a scheme for determining the similarity among proteome maps. In our view, the crucial step in determining the degree of similarity among proteome maps is that which defines the normalization for the relative abundances of the protein spots. We suggest that the relative abundances be normalized so that the sum of the abundances for all spots considered is the same for all maps. The approach is illustrated on proteome maps reported in the literature.