Detection and proteomic identification of S-nitrosated proteins in human hepatocytes.

The S-nitrosation of protein thiols is a redox-based posttranslational modification that modulates protein function and cell phenotype. Although the detection of S-nitrosated proteins is problematical because of the lability of S-nitrosothiols, an increasing range of proteins has been shown to undergo S-nitrosation with the improvement of molecular tools. This chapter describes the methodology used to identify potential targets of S-nitrosation in cultured primary human hepatocytes using proteomic approaches. This methodology is based on the biotin switch method, which labels S-nitrosated proteins with an affinity tag, allowing their selective detection and proteomic identification.