Automating proteome analysis: improvements in throughput, quality and accuracy of protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting

Selected Bioinformatic Tools and MS (MALDI-TOF, PMF) Techniques Used in the Strategy for the Identification of Oat Proteins After 2-DE

Computer analysis of protein maps obtained from the separation of proteins with two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) analysis and selected bioinformatic tools is used in the strategy for the identification of oat proteins. In proteomic research the most often used MS technique is the combination of ion sources: matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and the analyzer of the time of flight (TOF), i.e., MALDI-TOF MS.This chapter describes the possibilities of the use of selected bioinformatic tools (UniProtKB database, ProtParam, Compute pI/MW programs) for initial identification of separated oat proteins (especially prolamin fractions) with the 2-DE technique. Also the procedure of preparation of samples obtained from cut out protein spots for analysis with the MALDI-TOF MS and peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) technique is presented.Among oat prolamins separated with the 2-DE technique (see Chapter 17 ), 13 protein spots are considered to be the most characteristic (range of MW 27.0-34.6 kDa, pI 5.7-7.6) for this fraction of proteins. Among them there are four protein spots (MW 27.0-28.0 kDa) and two spots (MW 31.4-32.1 kDa) which can correspond to avenins (Accession numbers (AC) in UniProtKB: L0L5I0, I4EP88, I4EP64, L0L4I8 and F2Q9W5, L0L6J0, respectively).

Ionic liquids as matrices in microfluidic sample deposition for high-mass matrix- assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Sample preparation for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) via a microfluidic deposition device using ionic liquid matrices addresses several problems of standard protocols with crystalline matrices, such as the heterogeneity of sample spots due to the co-crystallization of sample and matrix and the limited capability for high-throughput analysis. Since ionic liquid matrices do not solidify during the measurement, the resulting sample spots are homogeneous. The use of these matrices is also beneficial for automated sample preparation, since crystallization of the matrix is avoided and, thus, no clogging of the spotting device can occur. The applicability of ionic liquids to the analysis of biomolecules with high molecular weights, up to ≈ 1 MDa is shown, as well as a good sensitivity (5 fmol) for recombinant human fibronectin, a protein with a molecular weight of 226 kDa. Microfluidic sample deposition of proteins with high molecular weights will, in the future, allow parallel sample preparation for MALDI-MS and for electron microscopy.

Applications of chemical tagging approaches in combination with 2DE and mass spectrometry

Chemical modification reactions play an important role in various protocols for mass-spectrometry-based proteome analysis; this applies to both gel-based and gel-free proteomics workflows. In combination with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE), the addition of "tags" by means of chemical reactions serves several purposes. Potential benefits include increased sensitivity or sequence coverage for peptide mass fingerprinting and improved peptide fragmentation for de novo sequencing studies. Tagging strategies can also be used to obtain complementary quantitative information in addition to densitometry, and they may be employed for the study of post-translational modifications. In combination with the unique advantages of 2DE as a separation technique, such approaches provide a powerful toolbox for proteomic research. In this review, relevant examples from recent literature will be given to illustrate the capabilities of chemical tagging approaches, and methodological requirements will be discussed.

Towards high-throughput identification of endocrine disrupting compounds with mass spectrometry

High-mass matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) combined with chemical cross-linking has the ability to monitor the ligand-dependent dimerization of the human estrogen receptor alpha ligand binding domain (hERalpha LBD) in solution. Because only ER ligands enhance the homodimer abundance, we evaluated the ability of this label-free approach for identifying endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in a high-throughput manner. This was achieved by combining an automated liquid handler with an automated MS acquisition procedure, which allowed a five-fold gain in operator time compared to a fully manual approach. To detect ligand binding with enough confidence, the receptor has to be incubated with at least a 10 microM concentration of the test compound. Based on the increase of the measured homodimer intensity, eight compounds with a relative binding affinity (RBA, relative to the natural hormone estradiol) >7% were identified as ER ligands among the 28 chemicals tested. Two other compounds, quercetin and 4-tert-amylphenol, were also identified as ER ligands, although their RBAs have been reported to be only 0.01% and 0.000055%, respectively. This suggests that these two ligands have a higher affinity for hERalpha LBD than reported in the literature. The high-mass MALDI approach thus allows identifying high affinity EDCs in an efficient way.

Proteome of mesenchymal stem cells

Proteomics has evolved, in recent years, into effective tools for basic and applied stem cell research, and has been extensively used to facilitate the identification of changes in signal transduction components, especially with regard to plasticity, proliferation, and differentiation. Several recent reports have also employed proteomic strategies to characterize human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) and their differentiated derivatives. Although these approaches have yielded valuable data, the results highlight the fact that only the limited numbers of proteins are characterized at the protein level in these cells, thus necessitating expandable MSC proteome dataset. This review presents, for the first time, an expandable list of MSC proteins, which will function as a starting point for the generation of a comprehensive reference map of their proteome. Also, the better way to bridge current gap between genomics and proteomics study such as integrated proteomic and transcriptomic analyses is discussed.

Cancer immunomics: from serological proteome analysis to multiple affinity protein profiling

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Thus, to identify any useful biomarkers is still a need. We performed "cancer immunomics" to identify autoantibody signatures produced in response to the presence of either breast or colorectal cancer. SERological proteome analysis (SERPA) was performed by two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis separation, immunoblotting, image analysis, and mass spectrometry. Alternatively, to identify the antigens recognized by the autoantibodies of cancer patients, we developed an approach combining 2-D immunoaffinity chromatography, enzymatic digestion of the isolated antigens, nano flow separation of the resulting peptides, and identification: MAPPing (multiple affinity protein profiling). By these approaches we identified both proteins recognized by autoantibodies independently of a cancer status, and a limited number of proteins reacting preferentially with cancer sera.

Sample-First Preparation: A Method for Surface-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Cyclic Oligosaccharides

A new sample preparation method for the analysis of cyclic oligosaccharides in surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) is presented. We call this new technique "sample first method", in which a sample is deposited first and then bare gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which serve as the SALDI matrixes, are added to the top of the sample layer. The use of the sample first method offers significant advantages for improving shot-to-shot reproducibility, enhancing the ionization efficiency of the analyte, and reducing sample preparation time as compared to the dried-droplet method, wherein samples and bare AuNPs are mixed and dried together. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of the signal intensity as calculated from 65 sample spots was 25% when the sample first methods were applied to the analysis of beta-cyclodextrin. The results were more homogeneous as compared to the outcome using dried-droplet preparation of AuNPs (RSD=66%) and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (RSD=209%). We also found out that the optimal concentration of AuNP for ionization efficiency is 7.4 nM (4.52x10(12) particles/mL) while the lowest detectable concentration of cyclic oligosaccharides through this approach is 0.25 microM. Except for the cyclic oligosaccharide, the proposed method was also applied to the analyses of other biological samples, including neutral carbohydrate and steroid, aminothiols, and peptides as well as proteins.

Automated integration of monolith-based protein separation with on-plate digestion for mass spectrometric analysis of esophageal adenocarcinoma human epithelial samples

A unique approach of automating the integration of monolithic capillary HPLC-based protein separation and on-plate digestion for subsequent MALDI-MS analysis has been developed. All liquid-handling procedures were performed using a robotic module. This automated high-throughput method minimizes the amount of time and extensive labor required for traditional in-solution digestion followed by exhaustive sample cleanup and analysis. Also, precise positioning of the droplet from the capillary HPLC separation onto the MALDI plate allows for preconcentration effects of analytes for improved sensitivity. Proteins from primary esophageal Barrett's adenocarcinoma tissue were prefractionated by chromatofocusing and analyzed successfully by this automated configuration, obtaining rapid protein identifications through PMF and sequencing analyses with high sequence coverage. Additionally, intact protein molecular weight values were obtained as a means to further confirm protein identification and also to identify potential sequence modifications of proteins. This simple and rapid method is a highly versatile and robust approach for the analysis of complex proteomes.

A proteomic approach to investigate potential biomarkers directed against membrane-associated breast cancer proteins

The identification of specific protein markers for breast cancer would provide the basis for early diagnosis. Particularly, membrane and membrane-associated proteins are rich in targets for antibodies that may constitute suitable biomarkers of carcinogenesis. However, membrane proteins separation using 2-DE remains difficult. In this work, the breast cancer cell line MCF7 was used as source of proteins for the screening of potential cell membrane-associated antigens recognized by autoantibodies in patients with breast cancer and healthy volunteers. The protein extract obtained using trifluoroethanol (TFE) as cosolvent was compared to a total cell lysate protein extract prepared by a current technique. After 2-DE separation of the two extracts, their protein patterns clearly differed. About 63% of the proteins identified in the TFE-extract were predicted to possess at least one transmembrane domain. 2-D blots probed with sera from cancer patients or from healthy volunteers showed that, as expected, additional antigens were provided in the TFE-extract. Thus, the method described here appeared well suited for proteomic investigation of potential biomarkers undetected by current techniques.

Usefulness of an integrated microfluidic device (HPLC-Chip-MS) to enhance confidence in protein identification by proteomics

Nanoflow liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (nanoLC/MS) has become a current tool in proteomics applications increasingly used in the search for new biomarkers. A new integrated microfluidic device (HPLC-Chip), coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS), appears as an innovative and robust tool for improving the identifications commonly performed by nanoLC/MS/MS. We tested this device for the identification of proteins obtained from two-dimensional gel electrophoresis or chromatography. The chip allows the measurement of reproducible retention times that, in association with m/z ratios, was found useful for identifying peptide sequences without ambiguity. A sensitivity increase of a factor of at least 5-fold is obtained compared to the results obtained previously in our laboratory by conventional nanoLC/MS/MS on the same ion trap. We conclude that this recently available microfluidic device can be a valuable tool during biomarker discovery programs, particularly identifying low-abundance proteins.

Proteomic Study of Galectin-1 Expression in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to interact with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and immune cells, and are of potential interest to be used as therapeutic agents for enhancing allogenic hematopoietic engraftment and preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Galectin 1 (Gal1) belongs to a family of structurally related molecules expressed in many vertebrate tissues that exert their functions both by binding to glycoconjugates, and by interaction with protein partners. In this work using a proteomic approach, we looked for the presence and the localization of Gal1 in short- and long-term culture of human (h) hMSC. We first determined, that Gal1 is one of the major proteins expressed in hMSC. We futher demonstrated that its expression is maintained when hMSC are expanded through a subculturing process up to five passages. Moreover, Gal1 is secreted and found at the cell surface of MSC, participating in extra cellular matrix (ECM)-cell interactions. Given the immunomodulatory properties of Gal1, its potential involvement in immunological functions of hMSC could be suggested.