Phosphoproteomics: Challenges and Opportunities

Signal transduction through reversible protein phosphorylation plays a central role in cellular physiology in both normal and disease states, and mass spectrometry is well-suited to the task of identifying and cataloging protein phosphorylation sites. Recent advances in sample enrichment strategies, instrumentation, and software availability allow researchers to identify hundreds of phosphorylation sites in a single study. However, to take the next step toward translating these findings into clinical application, the biological relevance of the sites must be validated and clinical assays must be developed to monitor phospho-specific biomarkers.