High sensitivity analysis of proteins and peptides by capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry: Recent developments in technology and applications

Analytical biochemistry, in particular the analysis of regulatory proteins that control biological systems and pathways, is dependent on methods of ever-increasing sensitivity. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has long been recognized as an ultrasensitive analytical technique. In spite of the high sensitivity, CE has not penetrated protein discovery research as a standard analytical method. In this review article we summarize recent technical developments which have significantly enhanced CE as a tool for the analysis of trace amounts of proteins. Specifically, we review recent advances in the development and application of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) and on-line analyte concentration techniques, and introduce the emerging field of microfluidics as a front end to mass spectrometry (MS).