High-throughput chemical proteomics workflow for profiling protein citrullination dynamics

Citrullination is a post-translational modification implicated in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, yet its low abundance and lack of effective enrichment tools have limited proteome-wide analysis. Here, we develop a robust chemical proteomics workflow with improved specificity and throughput. This method builds upon glyoxal-based derivatization and incorporates a cleavable biotin linker for efficient peptide enrichment, release, and identification via mass spectrometry. Benchmarking demonstrates a > 10-fold increase in the detection of citrullinated peptides at sub-0.1% abundance. Applying this workflow to primary human neutrophils, we successfully monitor dynamic regulation, quantifying dose-dependent activation and inhibition by the PAD4 inhibitor GSK484. Furthermore, stimulation with the fungal pathogen Candida albicans reveals a "core citrullinome" conserved across distinct stimuli. Notably, extensive citrullination of linker histone H1 and structural proteins like lamin B1 suggests broad remodeling of cell architecture during NET formation. This workflow enables proteome-wide mapping of citrullination sites and facilitates its study across diverse biological contexts.