Isolation, characterization and partial sequencing of Pregnancy Associated Mouse Protein PAMP1 identifies it as a novel female specific protein, unrelated to the alpha-2-macroglobulin family of proteinase inhibitors

Identifying Sex-Specific Serum Patterns of Alzheimer's Mice through Deep TMT Profiling and a Concentration-Dependent Concatenation Strategy

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia, disproportionately affecting women in disease prevalence and progression. Comprehensive analysis of the serum proteome in a common AD mouse model offers potential in identifying possible AD pathology- and gender-associated biomarkers. Here, we introduce a multiplexed, nondepleted mouse serum proteome profiling via tandem mass-tag (TMTpro) labeling. The labeled sample was separated into 475 fractions using basic reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), which were categorized into low-, medium-, and high-concentration fractions for concatenation. This concentration-dependent concatenation strategy resulted in 128 fractions for acidic RPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis, collecting ∼5 million MS/MS scans and identifying 3972 unique proteins (3413 genes) that cover a dynamic range spanning at least 6 orders of magnitude. The differential expression analysis between wild type and the commonly used AD model (5xFAD) mice exhibited minimal significant protein alterations. However, we detected 60 statistically significant (FDR < 0.05), sex-specific proteins, including complement components, serpins, carboxylesterases, major urinary proteins, cysteine-rich secretory protein 1, pregnancy-associated murine protein 1, prolactin, amyloid P component, epidermal growth factor receptor, fibrinogen-like protein 1, and hepcidin. The results suggest that our platform possesses the sensitivity and reproducibility required to detect sex-specific differentially expressed proteins in mouse serum samples.

Molecular cloning of a gene on chromosome 19q12 coding for a novel intracellular protein: analysis of expression in human and mouse tissues and in human tumor cells, particularly Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin disease

A novel protein, named NNX3, was molecularly characterized by cloning its cDNA, and its gene was mapped to chromosome 19q12. The equivalent mouse cDNA and gene were also cloned to allow us to analyze expression in murine in addition to human cells and tissues. Human and mouse NNX3 genes are composed of nine exons coding for proteins that are unrelated to any known protein. Signal peptides and hydrophobic domains are absent, corroborating their localization in the cytoplasm in transfected Cos cells. In Western blotting and immunoprecipitation, human NNX3 appeared as a doublet of Mr 64K-66K, while mouse NNX3 was a 70-kDa protein, both apparently much larger than the predicted 50 kDa, due in part to a stretch of 16-18 acidic residues hinging two nearly equally sized domains. In addition, phosphorylation of serine residues was demonstrated. Putative nuclear targeting signals were predicted, but NNX3 protein and two truncated versions remained localized in the cytoplasm of transfected Cos cells. NNX3 was expressed in embryonic and adult mouse tissues, particularly in brain, muscle, and lung. The expression of human NNX3 was most notable in human skeletal muscle and in ganglion cells and was also evident in human tumors and derived cell lines. This was confirmed by entries appearing in the GenBank EST database during the later phase of this study, representing partial NNX3 cDNA isolated from diverse neoplastic and developing tissues. Surprisingly, NNX3 was immunochemically detected in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin disease, in parallel with restin, a cytoplasmic protein we previously characterized (J. Delabie et al., 1993, Leuk. Lymphoma 12, 21-26). The cloning and comprehensive molecular analysis of NNX3 as presented will form the basis for elucidating its function and, conversely, will constitute a marker for Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin disease.