Achievements and perspectives of top-down proteomics

Over the last years, top-down (TD) MS has gained a remarkable space in proteomics, rapidly trespassing the limit between a promising approach and a solid, established technique. Several research groups worldwide have implemented TD analysis in their routine work on proteomics, deriving structural information on proteins with the level of accuracy that is impossible to achieve with classical bottom-up approaches. Complete maps of PTMs and assessment of single aminoacid polymorphisms are only a few of the results that can be obtained with this technique. Despite some existing technical and economical limitations, TD analysis is at present the most powerful instrument for MS-based proteomics and its implementation in routine workflow is a rapidly approaching turning point in proteomics. In this review article, the state-of-the-art of TD approach is described along with its major advantages and drawbacks and the most recent trends in TD analysis are discussed. References for all the covered topics are reported in the text, with the aim to support both newcomers and mass spectrometrists already introduced to TD proteomics.