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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Phosphopeptide Enrichment Coupled with Label-free Quantitative Mass Spectrometry to Investigate the Phosphoproteome in Prostate Cancer
Published on: August 2, 2018
Phosphoproteomics in cancer
1Institute of Bioinformatics, International Technology Park, Bangalore, India. harsha@ibioinformatics.org
Abstract:
Reversible protein phosphorylation serves as a basis for regulating a number of cellular processes. Aberrant activation of kinase signaling pathways is commonly associated with several cancers. Recent developments in phosphoprotein/phosphopeptide enrichment strategies and quantitative mass spectrometry have resulted in robust pipelines for high-throughput characterization of phosphorylation in a global fashion. Today, it is possible to profile site-specific phosphorylation events on thousands of proteins in a single experiment. The potential of this approach is already being realized to characterize signaling pathways that govern oncogenesis. In addition, chemical proteomic strategies have been used to unravel targets of kinase inhibitors, which are otherwise difficult to characterize. This review summarizes various approaches used for analysis of the phosphoproteome in general, and protein kinases in particular, highlighting key cancer phosphoproteomic studies.
Insights
This review covers advanced methods for analyzing protein phosphorylation, crucial for understanding cellular processes and cancer development. It highlights techniques for mapping thousands of phosphorylation sites and identifying drug targets.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Reversible protein phosphorylation regulates cellular functions.
- Dysregulated kinase signaling pathways are linked to cancer.
- Phosphorylation analysis is vital for understanding oncogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review phosphoproteomic analysis approaches.
- To highlight protein kinase characterization methods.
- To summarize key cancer phosphoproteomic studies.
Main Methods:
- Phosphoprotein/phosphopeptide enrichment strategies.
- Quantitative mass spectrometry for global phosphoproteomics.
- Chemical proteomic strategies for target identification.
Main Results:
- High-throughput characterization of site-specific phosphorylation is possible.
- Thousands of proteins can be profiled in a single experiment.
- Kinase inhibitor targets can be identified using chemical proteomics.
Conclusions:
- Phosphoproteomics offers powerful insights into cancer signaling.
- Advanced analytical techniques enable comprehensive phosphorylation profiling.
- This field is crucial for developing targeted cancer therapies.
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