Advances in Mass Spectrometry to Unravel the Structure and Function of Protein Condensates

Overview

Journal Nat Protoc

Specialties Biology
Pathology
Science

Date 2023 Nov 1

PMID 37907762

Authors

Cagla Sahin

Axel Leppert

Michael Landreh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Membrane-less organelles assemble through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of partially disordered proteins into highly specialized microenvironments. Currently, it is challenging to obtain a clear understanding of the relationship between the structure and function of phase-separated protein assemblies, owing to their size, dynamics and heterogeneity. In this Perspective, we discuss recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) that offer several promising approaches for the study of protein LLPS. We survey MS tools that have provided valuable insights into other insoluble protein systems, such as amyloids, and describe how they can also be applied to study proteins that undergo LLPS. On the basis of these recent advances, we propose to integrate MS into the experimental workflow for LLPS studies. We identify specific challenges and future opportunities for the analysis of protein condensate structure and function by MS.

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