Grenoble, France
EuPA 2025 in Saint-Malo was outstanding, both for its beautiful setting and the vibrant participation of all attendees. I would like to share a snapshot that left a strong impression on me, especially regarding sessions focused on post-translational modifications (PTMs).
Prof. Maarten Dhaenens amazed us with his vision of the “Energy-Information Axis,” connecting epigenetics, metabolism, and genetics. In this view, histones sit at the center of a nexus linking genes, proteins, and metabolites. He compellingly presented histone PTMs not as a code but as a language, where their combinations form a kind of grammar that acts in a context-aware manner.
Equally inspiring was Prof. Lennart Martens, who showcased the latest advances in the DeepLC retention time prediction algorithm. He demonstrated how far it has come in predicting the retention times of modified peptides, even with PTMs the model has never encountered before.
On the technical side of MS/MS spectra for modified histone peptides, Dr. Veit Schwämmle highlighted the value of internal ions, often overlooked, in improving annotation. In the same vein, our group, led by Dr. Delphine Pflieger, recently published guidelines for the confident identification of histone PTMs. At the conference, my colleague Julie Manessier presented her exciting results on histone lysine D- and L-lactylation, shedding more light on this intricate landscape.
I also had the opportunity, thanks to SFSM and FPS grants, to present an enhanced derivatization protocol for histone MS analysis. This streamlined approach sparked the interest of Prof. Dhaenens and Prof. Tiziana Bonaldi, two pioneers in the MS-based histone PTM field.
Beyond these scientific highlights, the conference fostered fruitful interactions and sparked new ideas to strengthen collaborations between histone-focused laboratories. These collaborations will pave the way for a EuPA network uniting histone-focused proteomics laboratories. Stay tuned!
