Modificomics: Posttranslational modifications beyond protein phosphorylation and glycosylation

Posttanslational modifications of proteins possess key functions in the regulation of various cellular processes. While they facilitate fast, location-specific and transient reactions to changing conditions in the first place they enhance the already high complexity of a cellular proteome by orders of magnitude. Furthermore, they can utterly alter the properties of the modified protein, thus making a timely analysis even more difficult. While several standardized methods for the analysis of protein phosphorylation and glycosylation have been established most other modifications require tailor-made solutions for a comprehensive analysis. Therefore, we will provide guidelines for the analysis of some important posttranslational modifications that are underrepresented in contemporary literature. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.