Tandem mass spectrometry in metallomics and the involving role of ICP-MS detection: a review

Abstract

Metallomics is a relatively new branch of omics with a growing interest. The study of metallomes is becoming more focused in certain metabolites and the screening of various categories of analytes using a robust analytical methodology is more than appealing. In this context, when dealing with the challenge of identifying a certain species or specify a particular molecular structure, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a reliable tool. Moreover, MS/MS instrumentation is recommended in hyphenated chromatographic techniques with MS detection such as LC-MS, where primary molecular species suffer minor fragmentation (soft-ionization techniques). ICP-MS is widely used in metallomics with its main advantages being the provided high sensitivity and selectivity. Usually, analyzes utilize ICP-MS as the main detection. Its role in proteomics is significant as an alternating choice for protein and peptide quantifications. In this review, we discuss modern trends and applications of MS/MS in the important and growing field of metallomics. These reports concern the identification, characterization and determination of various metal species such as metalloproteins, metallo-DNA adducts, metal-labeled molecules and other metal binding biomolecules. Such assays also present new and interesting hyphenated instrumentation and novel sophisticated apparatus. In addition, we designate the role of ICP-MS in the mentioned contributions and in the same scope we highlight some general analytical strategies.

Keywords: ICP–MS; Metallomics; Metalloproteins; Tandem mass spectrometry.