Proteomics in Toxicology

Exposure to the toxicants such as mutagens, allergens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors may lead to birth defects, modulation of immune function, and loss of muscle control and brain function. Biomolecules like proteins that have large electron densities, such as thiol and basic amine moieties, are susceptible targets of those toxicants that are electrophilic in nature. Chemicals that produce protein adducts can lead to protein dysfunction, which can in turn activate cell pathways to produce unwanted outcomes for the host that lead to chronic or acute disease. Toxicoproteomics is a subdiscipline of proteomics that allows proteins important in a given process to be discovered and followed in a quantitative manner. There is no limit to the types of biofluids and tissues that may be investigated. Here, we review recent advances in proteomics and their use in toxicoproteomics.