Two-dimensional electrophoresis-cellular thermal shift assay (2DE-CETSA) for target identification of bioactive compounds.

Identification of target molecules of new bioactive compounds is still a challenge in drug development. Various proteomics-based methods have been developed to analyze the interaction between compounds and target proteins. Among these methods, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) has been frequently applied in recent years for validation studies of compound-protein interactions using antibodies. Combining CETSA with comprehensive proteomic analysis has been successful in narrowing down the target(s) of a new compound from the enormous number of proteins in cell. In this chapter, we introduce 2DE-CETSA, which combines CETSA with proteome analysis using two-dimensional electrophoresis as a method for identification of target proteins.