Magnetic Immunoaffinity Enrichment for Selective Capture and MS/MS Analysis of N-Terminal-TMPP-Labeled Peptides

Proteogenomics is the alliance of proteomics and genomics with the aim of better annotating structural genes based on experimental, protein-based data items established by tandem mass spectrometry. While, on average, more than one-tenth of protein N-termini are incorrectly annotated, there is a crucial need for methodological approaches to systematically establish the translational starts of polypeptides, and their maturations, such as N-terminal methionine processing and peptide signal excision. Refinement of genome annotation through correction of wrongly annotation initiation start site and detection of unannotated genes can be achieved after enrichment and detection of protein N-termini by mass spectrometry. Here we describe a straightforward strategy to specifically label protein N-termini with a positively charged TMPP label to selectively capture these entities with in-house–developed anti-TMPP antibodies coupled to magnetic beads and to analyze them by nanoLC–MS/MS. While most N-terminomics-orient...