Mass spectrometry‐based characterization of histones in clinical samples: applications, progress, and challenges. (23rd January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Noberini, Roberta; Robusti, Giulia; Bonaldi, Tiziana
• Is Part Of: FEBS journal. Volume 289:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 1191
• Page End: 1213
• Publication Date: 2021-01-23
• Subjects: biomarker -- cancer -- chromatin -- epigenetics -- histone post‐translational modification -- histone variant -- histone‐modifying enzyme -- mass spectrometry -- proteomics; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 572
• DOI: 10.1111/febs.15707
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-464X

Abstract

Abstract : In the last 15 years, increasing evidence linking epigenetics to various aspects of cancer biology has prompted the investigation of histone post‐translational modifications (PTMs) and histone variants in the context of clinical samples. The studies performed so far demonstrated the potential of this type of investigations for the discovery of both potential epigenetic biomarkers for patient stratification and novel epigenetic mechanisms potentially targetable for cancer therapy. Although traditionally the analysis of histones in clinical samples was performed through antibody‐based methods, mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a more powerful tool for the unbiased, comprehensive, and quantitative investigation of histone PTMs and variants. MS has been extensively used for the analysis of epigenetic marks in cell lines and animal tissue and, thanks to recent technological advances, is now ready to be applied also to clinical samples. In this review, we will provide an overview on the quantitative MS‐based analysis of histones, their PTMs and their variants in cancer clinical samples, highlighting current achievements and future perspectives for this novel field of research. Among the different MS‐based approaches currently available for histone PTM profiling, we will focus on the 'bottom‐up' strategy, namely the analysis of short proteolytic peptides, as it has been already successfully employed for the analysis of clinical samples. Abstract : In the last decade, epigenetics has emerged as a crucial player in various aspects of cancer biology, prompting the investigation of epigenetic features in the context of clinical samples. In this review, we provide an overview on the application of quantitative mass spectrometry‐based approaches for the analysis of histone post‐translational modifications and histone variants in cancer clinical samples, highlighting current achievements, challenges, and future perspectives.