Regulation of developmental processes: insights from mass spectrometry-based proteomics

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has become an indispensable tool for protein identification and quantification. In this paper, common MS workflows are described, with an emphasis on applications of MS-based proteomics in developmental biology. Progress has been made in the analysis of proteome changes during tissue differentiation and in various genetic perturbations. MS-based proteomics has been particularly useful for identifying novel protein interactions by affinity purification-mass spectrometry (AP-MS), many of which have been subsequently functionally validated and led to the discovery of previously unknown modes of developmental regulation. Quantitative proteomics approaches can be used to study posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins such as phosphorylation, to reveal the dynamics of intracellular signal transduction. Integrative approaches combine quantitative MS-based proteomics with other high-throughput methods, with the promise of a systems level understanding of developmental regulation.