About this Research Topic

Background

Protein Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) are critical in regulating protein function, subcellular localization, and stability, and they are implicated in various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. The study of PTMs has been significantly advanced by the use of Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS), which allows for the unbiased detection of mass shifts indicative of PTMs. Despite these advancements, researchers face challenges such as the low abundance of certain PTMs, the limited sensitivity and resolution of older mass spectrometers, and the constraints of popular peptide search engines. Recent studies have identified hundreds of new PTMs, yet the majority of research has focused on phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination, which account for approximately 90% of reported PTMs. This disparity raises questions about whether the lower number of studies that analyze novel PTMs is due to a lack of interest or to the natural scarcity of novel PTMs. There is a growing need to explore these less common PTMs, especially given emerging evidence linking them to various diseases.

This research topic aims to collect articles that highlight advances in the study of less common PTMs. The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge, identify gaps, and propose new methodologies for the detection and analysis of these modifications. Specific questions to be addressed include: What are the novel PTMs that have been recently discovered? How can computational methods be improved to detect and localize these PTMs more effectively? What is the impact of rare PTMs on protein structure and activity? Are there correlations between these rare PTMs and specific diseases? By answering these questions, the research aims to provide a roadmap for future studies and foster collaboration among researchers in this promising field.

To gather further insights into the boundaries of this research topic, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Discovery of uncharacterized PTMs
- Computational methods for the detection and localization of PTMs, especially in an “open modification search” context
- Computational methods to predict the effect of rare PTMs on protein structure and activity
- Single-cell proteomics that analyze PTMs
- Studies of disease or drug effects on quantitative differences in PTM levels in biological samples
- Correlation between rare PTMs and disease
- Addressing the current limitations in PTMs analysis and proposing innovative solutions and methodologies to overcome these challenges

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: posttranslational modification, bioinformatics, proteomics, open modification search, mass spectrometry

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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