Application of LC/MS to proteomics studies: current status and future prospects

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has become a powerful technology in proteomics studies in drug discovery, including target protein characterization and discovery of biomarkers. This review article will describe current LC/MS approaches in protein characterization, including a bottom-up method for protein identification and quantitative proteomics. We will discuss the investigation of protein post-translational modifications such as glycosylation (glycoproteomics) and phosphorylation (phosphoproteomics) using LC/MS. Future trends in LC/MS with respect to proteomics studies will also be illustrated.