Metalloproteomic Approaches for Matching Metals to Proteins: The Power of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Abstract

Metal/metalloid complexes have been commonly used in medicine as either therapeutic or diagnostic agents. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of action of metallodrugs is crucial for the development of more effective metallodrugs. Metalloproteomics serve as important tools for systematic analysis of metal-bound proteins within a cell or tissue type. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), has been widely employed by metalloproteomic approaches. We summarize the latest progress of ICP-MS-based metalloproteomic approaches for the identification of putative protein targets of anticancer and antibacterial metallodrugs with the purpose of exploring their molecular mechanisms of action. The approach can also play a role in systems biology and precision medicine.