Investigation of several unique tandem mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns of NFDEIDR, an orcokinin analog, and its N-terminal dimethylated form

Increased N,N-Dimethyl Leucine Isobaric Tag Multiplexing by a Combined Precursor Isotopic Labeling and Isobaric Tagging Approach

Multiplex isobaric tags have become valuable tools for high-throughput quantitative analysis of complex biological samples in discovery-based proteomics studies. Hybrid labeling strategies that pair stable isotope mass difference labeling with multiplex isobaric tag-based quantification further facilitate these studies by greatly increasing multiplexing capability. In this work, we present a cost-effective chemical labeling approach that couples duplex stable isotope dimethyl labeling with our custom 12-plex N,N-dimethyl leucine (DiLeu) isobaric tags in a combined precursor isotopic labeling and isobaric tagging (cPILOT) strategy that is compatible with a wide variety of biological samples and permits 24-plex quantification in a single LC-MS/MS experiment. We demonstrate the utility of the DiLeu cPILOT approach by labeling yeast digests and performing proof-of-principle quantification experiments on the Orbitrap Fusion Lumos.

Discovery of 40 Classes of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Historical Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFFs) and AFFF-Impacted Groundwater

Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), are released into the environment during response to fire-related emergencies. Repeated historical applications of AFFF at military sites were a result of fire-fighter training exercises and equipment testing. Recent data on AFFF-impacted groundwater indicates that ∼25% of the PFASs remain unidentified. In an attempt to close the mass balance, a systematic evaluation of 3M and fluorotelomer-based AFFFs, commercial products, and AFFF-impacted groundwaters from 15 U.S. military bases was conducted to identify the remaining PFASs. Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for compound discovery. Nontarget analysis utilized Kendrick mass defect plots and a "nontarget" R script. Suspect screening compared masses with those of previously reported PFASs. Forty classes of novel anionic, zwitterionic, and cationic PFASs were discovered, and an additional 17 previously reported classes were observed for the first time in AFFF and/or AFFF-impacted groundwater. All 57 classes received an acronym and IUPAC-like name derived from collective author knowledge. Thirty-four of the 40 newly identified PFAS classes derive from electrochemical fluorination (ECF) processes, most of which have the same base structure. Of the newly discovered PFASs found only in AFFF-impacted groundwater, 11 of the 13 classes are ECF-derived, and the remaining two classes are fluorotelomer-derived, which suggests that both ECF- and fluorotelomer-based PFASs are persistent in the environment.

Identification of novel fluorinated surfactants in aqueous film forming foams and commercial surfactant concentrates

Recent studies comparing the results of total organofluorine-combustion ion chromatography (TOF-CIC) to targeted analysis of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) have shown that a significant yet variable portion of the total organofluorine in environmental and biological samples is in the form of unknown PFASs. A portion of this unknown organofluorine likely originates in proprietary fluorinated surfactants not included in LC-MS/MS analyses and not fully characterized by the environmental science community, which may enter the environment through use in aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) for firefighting. Contamination of water, biota, and soils with various PFASs due to AFFF deployment has been documented. Ten fluorinated AFFF concentrates, 9 of which were obtained from fire sites in Ontario, Canada, and two commercial fluorinated surfactant concentrates were characterized in order to identify novel fluorinated surfactants. Mixed-mode ion exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) fractionated fluorinated surfactants based on ionic character. High resolution mass spectrometry assigned molecular formulas to fluorinated surfactant ions, while collision induced dissociation (CID) spectra assisted structural elucidation. LC-MS/MS detected isomers and low abundance fluorinated chain lengths. In total, 12 novel and 10 infrequently reported PFAS classes were identified in fluorinated chain lengths from C3 to C15 for a total of 103 compounds. Further research should examine the environmental fate and toxicology of these PFASs, especially their potential as perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursors.

Mass spectrometric elucidation of the neuropeptidome of a crustacean neuroendocrine organ

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus has been used as an experimental model organism for the study of regulation of cardiac activity and other physiological processes. Moreover, it is an economically and ecologically important crustacean species. However, there was no previous report on the characterization of its neuropeptidome. To fill in this gap, we employed multiple sample preparation methods including direct tissue profiling, crude tissue extraction and tissue extract fractionation by HPLC to obtain a complete description of the neuropeptidome of C. sapidus. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) and MALDI-time-of-flight (TOF)/TOF were utilized initially to obtain a quick snapshot of the neuropeptide profile, and subsequently nanoflow liquid chromatography (nanoLC) coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight (ESI-Q-TOF) tandem MS analysis of neuropeptide extracts was conducted for de novo sequencing. Simultaneously, the pericardial organ (PO) tissue extract was labeled by a novel N,N-dimethylated leucine (DiLeu) reagent, offering enhanced fragmentation efficiency of peptides. In total, 130 peptide sequences belonging to 11 known neuropeptide families including orcomyotropin, pyrokinin, allatostatin A (AST-A), allatostatin B (AST-B), FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs), and orcokinin were identified. Among these 130 sequences, 44 are novel peptides and 86 are previously identified. Overall, our results lay the groundwork for future physiological studies of neuropeptides in C. sapidus and other crustaceans.

Formation of y + 10 and y + 11 ions in the collision-induced dissociation of peptide ions

Tandem mass spectra of peptide ions, acquired in shotgun proteomic studies of selected proteins, tissues, and organisms, commonly include prominent peaks that cannot be assigned to the known fragmentation product ions (y, b, a, neutral losses). In many cases these persist even when creating consensus spectra for inclusion in spectral libraries, where it is important to determine whether these peaks represent new fragmentation paths or arise from impurities. Using spectra from libraries and synthesized peptides, we investigate a class of fragment ions corresponding to y(n-1) + 10 and y(n-1) + 11, where n is the number of amino acid residues in the peptide. These 10 and 11 Da differences in mass of the y ion were ascribed before to the masses of [+ CO - H(2)O] and [+ CO - NH(3)], respectively. The mechanism is suggested to involve dissociation of the N-terminal residue at the CH-CO bond following loss of H(2)O or NH(3). MS(3) spectra of these ions show that the location of the additional 10 or 11 Da is at the N-terminal residue. The y(n-1) + 10 ion is most often found in peptides with N-terminal proline, asparagine, and histidine, and also with serine and threonine in the adjacent position. The y(n-1) + 11 ion is observed predominantly with histidine and asparagine at the N-terminus, but also occurs with asparagine in positions two through four. The intensities of the y(n-1) + 10 ions decrease with increasing peptide length. These data for y(n-1) + 10 and y(n-1) + 11 ion formation may be used to improve peptide identification from tandem mass spectra.

Discovery and characterization of the Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone precursor related peptides (CPRP) and orcokinin neuropeptides in the sinus glands of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus using multiple tandem mass spectrometry techniques

The crustacean sinus gland (SG) is a well-defined neuroendocrine site that produces numerous hemolymph-borne agents including the most complex class of endocrine signaling molecules-neuropeptides. Via a multifaceted mass spectrometry (MS) approach, 70 neuropeptides were identified including orcokinins, orcomyotropin, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) precursor-related peptides (CPRPs), red pigment concentrating hormone (RPCH), pigment dispersing hormone (PDH), proctolin, RFamides, RYamides, and HL/IGSL/IYRamide. Among them, 15 novel orcokinins, 9 novel CPRPs, 1 novel orcomyotropin, 1 novel Ork/Orcomyotropin-related peptide, and 1 novel PDH were de novo sequenced via collision induced dissociation (CID) from the SG of a model organism Callinectes sapidus. Electron transfer dissociation (ETD) was used for sequencing of intact CPRPs due to their large size and higher charge state. Capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) was employed for separation of members of the orcokinin family, which is one of the most abundant neuropeptide families observed in the SG. Collectively, our study represents the most complete characterization of neuropeptides in the SG and provides a foundation for future investigation of the physiological function of neuropeptides in the SG of C. sapidus.

Combining capillary electrophoresis matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and stable isotopic labeling techniques for comparative crustacean peptidomics

Herein we describe a sensitive and straightforward off-line capillary electrophoresis (CE) matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) interface in conjunction with stable isotopic labeling (SIL) technique for comparative neuropeptidomic analysis in crustacean model organisms. Two SIL schemes, including a binary H/D formaldehyde labeling technique and novel, laboratory-developed multiplexed dimethylated leucine-based isobaric tagging reagents, have been evaluated in these proof-of-concept experiments. We employ these isotopic labeling techniques in conjunction with CE-MALDI-MS for quantitative peptidomic analyses of the pericardial organs isolated from two crustacean species, the European green crab Carcinus maenas and the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Isotopically labeled peptide pairs are found to co-migrate in CE fractions and quantitative changes in relative abundances of peptide pairs are obtained by comparing peak intensities of respective peptide pairs. Several neuropeptide families exhibit changes in response to salinity stress, suggesting potential physiological functions of these signaling peptides.

N,N-dimethyl leucines as novel isobaric tandem mass tags for quantitative proteomics and peptidomics

Herein, we describe the development and application of a set of novel N,N-dimethyl leucine (DiLeu) 4-plex isobaric tandem mass (MS(2)) tagging reagents with high quantitation efficacy and greatly reduced cost for neuropeptide and protein analysis. DiLeu reagents serve as attractive alternatives for isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) and tandem mass tags (TMTs) due to their synthetic simplicity, labeling efficiency, and improved fragmentation efficiency. DiLeu reagent resembles the general structure of a tandem mass tag in that it contains an amine reactive group (triazine ester) targeting the N-terminus and epsilon-amino group of the lysine side chain of a peptide, a balance group, and a reporter group. A mass shift of 145.1 Da is observed for each incorporated label. Intense a(1) reporter ions at m/z 115.1, 116.1, 117.1, and 118.1 are observed for all pooled samples upon MS(2). All labeling reagents are readily synthesized from commercially available chemicals with greatly reduced cost. Labels 117 and 118 can be synthesized in one step and labels 115 and 116 can be synthesized in two steps. Both DiLeu and iTRAQ reagents show comparable protein sequence coverage (approximately 43%) and quantitation accuracy (<15%) for tryptically digested protein samples. Furthermore, enhanced fragmentation of DiLeu labeling reagents offers greater confidence in protein identification and neuropeptide sequencing from complex neuroendocrine tissue extracts from a marine model organism, Callinectes sapidus.

Molecular, mass spectral, and physiological analyses of orcokinins and orcokinin precursor-related peptides in the lobster Homarus americanus and the crayfish Procambarus clarkii

Recently, cDNAs encoding prepro-orcokinins were cloned from the crayfish Procambarus clarkii; these cDNAs encode multiple copies of four orcokinin isoforms as well as several other peptides. Using the translated open reading frames of the P. clarkii transcripts as queries, five ESTs encoding American lobster Homarus americanus orthologs were identified via BLAST analysis. From these clones, three cDNAs, each encoding one of two distinct prepro-hormones, were characterized. Predicted processing of the deduced prepro-hormones would generate 13 peptides, 12 of which are conserved between the 2 precursors: the orcokinins NFDEIDRSGFGFN (3 copies), NFDEIDRSGFGFH (2 copies) and NFDEIDRSGFGFV (2 copies), FDAFTTGFGHN (an orcomyotropin-related peptide), SSEDMDRLGFGFN, GDY((SO3))DVYPE, VYGPRDIANLY and SAE. Additionally, one of two longer peptides (GPIKVRFLSAIFIPIAAPARSSPQQDAAAGYTDGAPV or APARSSPQQDAAAGYTDGAPV) is predicted from each prepro-hormone. MALDI-FTMS analyses confirmed the presence of all predicted orcokinins, the orcomyotropin-related peptide, and three precursor-related peptides, SSEDMDRLGFGFN, GDYDVYPE (unsulfated) and VYGPRDIANLY, in H. americanus neural tissues. SAE and the longer, unshared peptides were not detected. Similar complements of peptides are predicted from P. clarkii transcripts; the majority of these were detected in its neural tissues with mass spectrometry. Truncated orcokinins not predicted from any precursor were also detected in both species. Consistent with previous studies in the crayfish Orconectes limosus, NFDEIDRSGFGFN increased mid-/hindgut motility in P. clarkii. Surprisingly, the same peptide, although native to H. americanus, did not affect gut motility in this species. Together, our results provide the framework for future investigations of the regulation and physiological function of orcokinins/orcokinin precursor-related peptides in astacideans.

Mass spectrometric characterization and physiological actions of VPNDWAHFRGSWamide, a novel B type allatostatin in the crab, Cancer borealis

The neural networks in the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion are modulated by neuroactive substances released locally into the neuropil of the stomatogastric ganglion and by circulating hormones released by neuroendocrine structures including the pericardial organs. Using nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we have identified and sequenced a novel B type allatostatin (CbAST-B1), VPNDWAHFRGSWamide, present in the pericardial organs of the crabs, Cancer borealis, and Cancer productus. We describe the physiological actions of CbAST-B1 on the pyloric rhythm of the stomatogastric ganglion of the crab, Cancer borealis. CbAST-B1 reduces the pyloric network frequency in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of bath-applied CbAST-B1 depends on the preceding physiological state of the preparation. Surprisingly, despite marked amino-acid sequence dissimilarity between the novel CbAST-B1 and the A type allatostatin family of peptides (AST-A), the physiological effects of CbAST-B1 are similar to those of AST-A.

Neutral loss of water from the b ions with histidine at the C-terminus and formation of the c ions involving lysine side chains

Neutral loss of water from the amide bond induced by the His side chain has been reported. The proposed fragmentation pathway is a retro-Ritter reaction catalyzed by the imidazole nitrogen. In our MS/MS study of the neuropeptide GAHKNYLRFamide, we observed that the neutral loss of water from the b(3) ion is abundant. The b(3) ion has a His residue at the C-terminus. As reported previously, in the b ions with His at the C-terminus, the imidazole residue is connected to the carbonyl carbon to form a five-membered ring. Therefore, it is unlikely that the neutral loss of water from the b(3) ion is catalyzed by the imidazole nitrogen. Through MS2 and MS3 studies of a synthetic peptide standard AGHKLL and its chemically labeled and isotope-encoded forms, we discovered that the water loss from the b(3) ion involves the carbonyl group of His, the hydrogen connected to the alpha-carbon of Gly, and the amide hydrogen of His. We also discovered the formation of an unusual c(x) ion in peptides with a Lys or Arg residue at the (x + 1) position of the peptide.

Deviation from the mobile proton model in amino-modified peptides: implications for multiple reaction monitoring analysis of peptides

The study of peptide fragmentation is important to the understanding of chemical processes occurring in the gas phase and the more practical concern of peptide identification for proteomic analysis. Using the mobile proton model as a framework, we explore the effect of amino-group modifications on peptide fragmentation. Three aldehydes are used to transform the peptides' primary amino groups into either a dimethylamino or a heterocyclic structure (five- or six-membered). The observed fragmentation patterns deviate strongly from those observed for the analogous underivatised peptides. In particular, the a1 ion is the base peak in most tandem mass spectra of the derivatised peptides. The a1 ion intensity depends strongly on the N-terminal amino acid, with tyrosine and phenylalanine having the strongest enhancement. Despite the change in fragmentation patterns of the derivatised peptides, they still provide high-quality tandem mass spectra that, in many cases, are more amenable to database searching than the spectra of underivatised peptides. In addition, the reliable presence of the a1 ion facilitates rapid quantitative measurements using the multiple reaction monitoring approach.