title: Advancing formaldehyde cross-linking towards quantitative proteomic applications.
abstract: Formaldehyde is a key fixation reagent. This review explores its application in combination with qualitative and quantitative mass spectrometry (MS). Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues form a large reservoir of biologically valuable samples and their investigation by MS has only recently started. Furthermore, formaldehyde can be used to stabilise protein-protein interactions in living cells. Because formaldehyde is able to modify proteins, performing MS analysis on these samples can pose a challenge. Here we discuss the chemistry of formaldehyde cross-linking, describe the problems of and progress in these two applications and their common aspects, and evaluate the potential of these methods for the future.
authors.affiliation: The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Cordula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klockenbusch
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: O'Hara
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kast
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D011506:Proteins; D005557:Formaldehyde