title: Hide and seek: Identification and confirmation of small molecule protein targets.
abstract: Target identification and confirmation for small molecules is often the rate limiting step in drug discovery. A robust method to identify proteins addressed by small molecules is affinity chromatography using chemical probes. These usually consist of the compound of interest equipped with a linker molecule and a proper tag. Recently, methods emerged that allow the identification of protein targets without prior functionalization of the small molecule of interest. The digest offers an update on the newest developments in the area of target identification with special focus on confirmation techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; Chemical Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44221 Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ursu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; Chemical Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44221 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: herbert.waldmann@mpi-dortmund.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waldmann
mesh_terms: D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D015335:Molecular Probes; D011506:Proteins; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries
keywords: Affinity chromatography; Chemical probes; Linker; Target confirmation; Target identification