Metallomics: An integrated science for metals in biology and medicine

Abstract

Metallomics and metalloproteomics are an emerging scientific area focusing on the molecular mechanisms of metal-dependent life processes and the entirety of metal and metalloid species within a cell or tissue/organ. Metallomics is also a part of functional proteomics, complements metabonomics and structural geonomics of metalloproteins. This review summarizes the recent progress of metallomics with a focus on analytical techniques capable of high-throughput quantification, distribution, speciation, identification and structural characterisation. The applications of these advanced analytical methods in the identification of metallo-/phosphor-/seleno-proteins, probing of structure-function relationships of metalloproteins, and the study of metallodrugs will be selectively outlined.