Magnetic nanoparticles-based digestion and enrichment methods in proteomics analysis

Abstract

In proteome research, rapid and effective proteolysis and enrichment strategies are essential for successful protein identification. Functionalized magnetic microspheres of micro- and nano-meter size are gaining increasing attention due to their easy manipulation and recovery, great specific surface areas and high surface activity. The introduction of magnetic nanoparticles into the field of proteomics study has accelerated the development of digestion and enrichment methods. In this article, we mainly focus on recent developments of using different functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for rapid digestion and preconcentration of low-abundance peptides/proteins, including those containing post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and glycosylation, prior to mass spectrometric analysis.

Keywords::

• digestion
• enrichment
• magnetic nanoparticle
• post-translational modification
• proteomic analysis

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported by the China State Key Basic Research Program Grant (No. 2007CB914100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 20705006), the China High Technology Research Program Grant (No. 2006AA02A308) and the Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project B109. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.