Mass spectrometry-based qualitative and quantitative N-glycomics: An update of 2017–2018

Highlights: • MS-based N-glycomics is the best tool for high-throughput profiling of N-glycans. • Qualitative information of N-glycans at multi-level are readily available. • Updated progresses in frontier methods and applications in 2017–2018 are reviewed. -- Abstract: N-glycosylation is one of the most frequently occurring protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) with broad cellular, physiological and pathological relevance. Mass spectrometry-based N-glycomics has become the state-of-the-art instrumental analytical pipeline for sensitive, high-throughput and comprehensive characterization of N-glycans and N-glycomes. Improvement and new development of methods in N-glycan release, enrichment, derivatization, isotopic labeling, separation, ionization, MS, tandem MS and informatics accompany side-by-side wider and deeper application. This review provides a comprehensive update of mass spectrometry-based qualitative and quantitative N-glycomics in the years of 2017–2018.