Enrichment of Phosphopeptides via Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography

Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a frequently used method for the enrichment of phosphorylated peptides from complex, cellular lysate-derived peptide mixtures. Here we outline an IMAC protocol that uses iron-chelated magnetic beads to selectively isolate phosphorylated peptides for mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis. Under acidic conditions, negatively charged phosphoryl modifications preferentially bind to positively charged metal ions (e.g., Fe(3+), Ga(3+)) on the beads. After washing away nonphosphorylated peptides, a pH shift to basic conditions causes the elution of bound phosphopeptides from the metal ion. Under optimal conditions, very high specificity for phosphopeptides can be achieved.