LC-MS for protein characterization: current capabilities and future trends

Abstract

With advances in ionization methods and instrumentation, liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful technology for protein characterization. This review article will describe the general approaches on LC-MS analysis in protein characterization, including bottom-up and top-down strategies. Discussions will be given on characterization of recombinant proteins, and post-translational and protein modifications such as disulfide bonds, glycosylation and phosphorylation using LC-MS. New research directions in this area will also be presented to illustrate future prospects of LC-MS in protein characterization, including application to proteomics.