Basic Design of MRM Assays for Peptide Quantification
Abstract
With the recent availability and accessibility of mass spectrometry for basic and clinical research, the
requirement for stable, sensitive, and reproducible assays to specifically detect proteins of interest has
increased. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) or selective reaction monitoring (SRM) is a highly
selective, sensitive, and robust assay to monitor the presence and amount of biomolecules. Until recently,
MRM was typically used for the detection of drugs and other biomolecules from body fluids. With
increased focus on biomarkers and systems biology approaches, researchers in the proteomics field have
taken advantage of this approach. In this chapter, we will introduce the reader to the basic principle
of designing and optimizing an MRM workflow. We provide examples of MRM workflows for standard
proteomic samples and provide suggestions for the reader who is interested in using MRM for
quantification.
Key words: Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), precursor and fragment ion selection, optimization
and validation of transitions, liquid chromatography, triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.
Abbreviations
QqQ triple quadrupole mass spectrometer
SRM selective reaction monitoring
MRM multiple reaction monitoring
sMRM scheduled MRM
CID collision-induced dissociation
Amu atomic mass unit
LC liquid chromatography
LC-MS/MS liquid chromatography mass spectrometry