Combination of PAGE and LA-ICP-MS as an analytical workflow in metallomics: state of the art, new quantification strategies, advantages and limitations.

Metallomics (more specifically, metalloproteomics) is an emerging field that encompasses the role, uptake, transport and storage of trace metals, which are essential to preserve the functions of proteins within a biological system. The current strategies for metal-binding and metalloprotein analysis based on the combination of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are discussed in this review. The advantages, limitations and the most recently developed and applied quantification approaches for this methodology are also described.