POSTMan (POST-translational modification analysis), a software application for PTM discovery

Post-translationally modified peptides present in low concentrations are often not selected for CID, resulting in no sequence information for these peptides. We have developed a software POSTMan (POST-translational Modification analysis) allowing post-translationally modified peptides to be targeted for fragmentation. The software aligns LC-MS runs (MS(1) data) between individual runs or within a single run and isolates pairs of peptides which differ by a user defined mass difference (post-translationally modified peptides). The method was validated for acetylated peptides and allowed an assessment of even the basal protein phosphorylation of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PHA) in intact cells.