Using PICUP on protein complexes is useful in providing catalytic and kinetic information about these proteins, as catalytic mechanisms are rapid and PICUP allows for fast and highly efficient cross-linking of proteins. Some epitope and affinity tags were shown to be unaffected by the PICUP reaction, enabling visualization of the cross-linked proteins.
Furthermore, PICUP allows for visualization of quantitative bands of protein oligomer distribution when it is coupled with protein fractionation techniques. This combination is especially useful when examining the oligomers of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, and Huntington's disease, that result from protein aggregation. PICUP is extremely important when possible prevention and treatment procedures for these diseases are explored, as it is necessary to investigate the aggregation propensity of the respective amyloidogenic proteins.