Protein phosphorylation is one of the most important and prevalent post-translational modifications. Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful tool for the analysis of phosphopeptides. However, the low dynamic stoichiometry, poor ionization efficiency, and signal suppression by high-abundance non-phosphorylated peptides have hindered the direct applications in the analysis of phosphopeptides. Therefore, the development of highly selective and sensitive enrichment strategies is necessary for the identification of phosphopeptides prior to MS analysis. Magnetic nanomaterials have good magnetic responsiveness and can be separated rapidly from the solution with the help of external magnets. Functionalized magnetic nanomaterials have been widely used as a new analytical tool in proteomics research. This review surveys recently reported functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for the enrichment of phosphopeptides reported in recent years. Further trends in the enrichment of phosphopeptides with functionalized magnetic materials are also prospected.
Keywords: functionalization; magnetic; phosphopeptides; review.