Structural proteomics of macromolecular assemblies using oxidative footprinting and mass spectrometry

Using mass spectrometry-based methods to understand amyloid formation and inhibition of alpha-synuclein and amyloid beta

Amyloid fibrils, insoluble β-sheets structures that arise from protein misfolding, are associated with several neurodegenerative disorders. Many small molecules have been investigated to prevent amyloid fibrils from forming; however, there are currently no therapeutics to combat these diseases. Mass spectrometry (MS) is proving to be effective for studying the high order structure (HOS) of aggregating proteins and for determining structural changes accompanying protein-inhibitor interactions. When combined with native MS (nMS), gas-phase ion mobility, protein footprinting, and chemical cross-linking, MS can afford regional and sometimes amino acid spatial resolution of the aggregating protein. The spatial resolution is greater than typical low-resolution spectroscopic, calorimetric, and the traditional ThT fluorescence methods used in amyloid research today. High-resolution approaches can struggle when investigating protein aggregation, as the proteins exist as complex oligomeric mixtures of many sizes and several conformations or polymorphs. Thus, MS is positioned to complement both high- and low-resolution approaches to studying amyloid fibril formation and protein-inhibitor interactions. This review covers basics in MS paired with ion mobility, continuous hydrogen-deuterium exchange (continuous HDX), pulsed hydrogen-deuterium exchange (pulsed HDX), fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) and other irreversible labeling methods, and chemical cross-linking. We then review the applications of these approaches to studying amyloid-prone proteins with a focus on amyloid beta and alpha-synuclein. Another focus is the determination of protein-inhibitor interactions. The expectation is that MS will bring new insights to amyloid formation and thereby play an important role to prevent their formation.

Quantitative Structural Proteomics Unveils the Conformational Changes of Proteins under the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Protein structures are decisive for their activities and interactions with other molecules. Global analysis of protein structures and conformational changes cannot be achieved by commonly used abundance-based proteomics. Here, we integrated cysteine covalent labeling, selective enrichment, and quantitative proteomics to study protein structures and structural changes on a large scale. This method was applied to globally investigate protein structures in HEK293T cells and protein structural changes in the cells with the tunicamycin (Tm)-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We quantified several thousand cysteine residues, which contain unprecedented and valuable information of protein structures. Combining this method with pulsed stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture, we further analyzed the folding state differences between pre-existing and newly synthesized proteins in cells under the Tm treatment. Besides newly synthesized proteins, unexpectedly, many pre-existing proteins were found to become unfolded upon ER stress, especially those related to gene transcription and protein translation. Furthermore, the current results reveal that N-glycosylation plays a more important role in the folding process of the tertiary and quaternary structures than the secondary structures for newly synthesized proteins. Considering the importance of cysteine in protein structures, this method can be extensively applied in the biological and biomedical research fields.

Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting: A Mass Spectrometry-Based Structural Method for Studying the Higher Order Structure of Proteins

Hydroxyl radical protein footprinting (HRPF) coupled to mass spectrometry has been successfully used to investigate a plethora of protein-related questions. The method, which utilizes hydroxyl radicals to oxidatively modify solvent-accessible amino acids, can inform on protein interaction sites and regions of conformational change. Hydroxyl radical-based footprinting was originally developed to study nucleic acids, but coupling the method with mass spectrometry has enabled the study of proteins. The method has undergone several advancements since its inception that have increased its utility for more varied applications such as protein folding and the study of biotherapeutics. In addition, recent innovations have led to the study of increasingly complex systems including cell lysates and intact cells. Technological advances have also increased throughput and allowed for better control of experimental conditions. In this review, we provide a brief history of the field of HRPF and detail recent innovations and applications in the field.

THE MAKING OF A FOOTPRINT IN PROTEIN FOOTPRINTING: A REVIEW IN HONOR OF MICHAEL L. GROSS

Within the past decade protein footprinting in conjunction with mass spectrometry has become a powerful and versatile means to unravel the higher order structure of proteins. Footprinting-based approaches has demonstrated the capacity to inform on interaction sites and dynamic regions that participate in conformational changes. These findings when set in a biological perspective inform on protein folding/unfolding, protein-protein interactions, and protein-ligand interactions. In this review, we will look at the contribution of Dr. Michael L. Gross to protein footprinting approaches such as hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and hydroxyl radical protein footprinting. This review details the development of novel footprinting methods as well as their applications to study higher order protein structure. © 2020 The Authors. Mass Spectrometry Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Mass Spec Rev.

Ion Mobility and Gas-Phase Covalent Labeling Study of the Structure and Reactivity of Gaseous Ubiquitin Ions Electrosprayed from Aqueous and Denaturing Solutions

Gas-phase ion/ion chemistry was coupled to ion mobility/mass spectrometry analysis to correlate the structure of gaseous ubiquitin to its solution structures with selective covalent structural probes. Collision cross section (CCS) distributions were measured to ensure the ubiquitin ions were not unfolded when they were introduced to the gas phase. Aqueous solutions stabilizing the native state of ubiquitin yielded folded ubiquitin structures with CCS values consistent with previously published literature. Denaturing solutions favored several families of unfolded conformations for most of the charge states evaluated. Gas-phase covalent labeling via ion/ion reactions was followed by collision-induced dissociation of the intact, labeled protein to determine which residues were labeled. Ubiquitin 5+ and 6+ electrosprayed from aqueous conditions were covalently modified preferentially at the lysine 29 and arginine 54 positions, indicating that elements of three-dimensional structure were maintained in the gas phase. On the other hand, most ubiquitin ions produced in denaturing conditions were labeled at various other lysine residues, likely due to the availability of additional sites following methanol- and low-pH-induced unfolding. These data support the conservation of ubiquitin structural elements in the gas phase. The research presented here provides the basis for residue-specific characterization of biomolecules in the gas phase.

Rapid Quantification of Peptide Oxidation Isomers From Complex Mixtures

Hydroxyl radical protein footprinting (HRPF) is a powerful technique for probing changes in protein topography, based on quantifying the amount of oxidation of different regions of a protein. While quantification of HRPF oxidation at the peptide level is relatively common and straightforward, quantification at the residue level is challenging because of the influence of oxidation on MS/MS fragmentation and the large number of complex and only partially chromatographically resolved isomeric peptide oxidation products. HRPF quantification of isomeric peptide oxidation products (where the peptide sequence is the same but isomeric oxidation products are formed at different sites) at the residue level by electron transfer dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (ETD MS/MS) has been demonstrated in both model peptides and HRPF products, but the method is hampered by the partial separation of oxidation isomers by reversed phase chromatography. This requires custom MS/MS methods to equally sample all isomeric oxidation products across their elution window, greatly increasing method development time and reducing the oxidation products quantified in a single LC-MS/MS run. Here, we present a zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction capillary chromatography (ZIC-HILIC) method to ideally coelute all isomeric peptide oxidation products while separating different peptides. This allows us to relatively quantify peptide oxidation isomers using an ETD MS/MS spectrum acquired at any point across the single peptide oxidation isomer peak, greatly simplifying data acquisition and data analysis.

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP): A powerful mass spectrometry-based structural proteomics tool

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) is a MS-based method that has proved useful in studies of protein structures, interactions, conformations, and protein folding. The success of this method relies on the irreversible labeling of solvent-exposed amino acid side chains by hydroxyl radicals. FPOP generates these radicals through laser-induced photolysis of hydrogen peroxide. The data obtained provide residue-level resolution of protein structures and interactions on the microsecond timescale, enabling investigations of fast processes such as protein folding and weak protein-protein interactions. An extensive comparison between FPOP and other footprinting techniques gives insight on their complementarity as well as the robustness of FPOP to provide unique structural information once unattainable. The versatility of this method is evidenced by both the heterogeneity of samples that can be analyzed by FPOP and the myriad of applications for which the method has been successfully used: from proteins of varying size to intact cells. This review discusses the wide applications of this technique and highlights its high potential. Applications including, but not limited to, protein folding, membrane proteins, structure elucidation, and epitope mapping are showcased. Furthermore, the use of FPOP has been extended to probing proteins in cells and in vivo These promising developments are also presented herein.

High-Resolution Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting: Biophysics Tool for Drug Discovery

Hydroxyl radical footprinting (HRF) of proteins with mass spectrometry (MS) is a widespread approach for assessing protein structure. Hydroxyl radicals react with a wide variety of protein side chains, and the ease with which radicals can be generated (by radiolysis or photolysis) has made the approach popular with many laboratories. As some side chains are less reactive and thus cannot be probed, additional specific and nonspecific labeling reagents have been introduced to extend the approach. At the same time, advances in liquid chromatography and MS approaches permit an examination of the labeling of individual residues, transforming the approach to high resolution. Lastly, advances in understanding of the chemistry of the approach have led to the determination of absolute protein topologies from HRF data. Overall, the technology can provide precise and accurate measures of side-chain solvent accessibility in a wide range of interesting and useful contexts for the study of protein structure and dynamics in both academia and industry.

Environmental Fate of Insecticidal Plant-Incorporated Protectants from Genetically Modified Crops: Knowledge Gaps and Research Opportunities

Plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) are biopesticides expressed in genetically modified (GM) crops and are typically macromolecular in nature. First-generation insecticidal PIPs were Cry proteins expressed in GM crops containing transgenes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis; next-generation double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) PIPs have been recently approved. Like conventional synthetic pesticides, the use of either Cry protein or dsRNA PIPs results in their release to receiving environments. However, as opposed to conventional low molecular weight pesticides, the environmental fate of macromolecular PIPs remains less studied and is poorly understood. This Feature highlights the knowledge gaps and challenges that have emerged while investigating the environmental fate of Cry protein PIPs and suggests new avenues to advance the state of the research necessary for the ongoing environmental fate assessment of dsRNA PIPs.

Atmospheric-pressure ionization and fragmentation of peptides by solution-cathode glow discharge

Modern "-omics" (e.g., proteomics, glycomics, metabolomics, etc.) analyses rely heavily on electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry to determine the structural identity of target species. Unfortunately, these methods are limited to specialized mass spectrometry instrumentation. Here, a novel approach is described that enables ionization and controlled, tunable fragmentation of peptides at atmospheric pressure. In the new source, a direct-current plasma is sustained between a tapered metal rod and a flowing sample-containing solution. As the liquid stream contacts the electrical discharge, peptides from the solution are volatilized, ionized, and fragmented. At high discharge currents (e.g., 70 mA), electrospray-like spectra are observed, dominated by singly and doubly protonated molecular ions. At lower currents (35 mA), many peptides exhibit extensive fragmentation, with a-, b-, c-, x-, and y-type ion series present as well as complex fragments, such as d-type ions, not previously observed with atmospheric-pressure dissociation. Though the mechanism of fragmentation is currently unclear, observations indicate it could result from the interaction of peptides with gas-phase radicals or ultraviolet radiation generated within the plasma.

Resolution of protein structure by mass spectrometry

Typically, mass spectrometry is used to identify the peptides present in a complex peptide mixture and subsequently the precursor proteins. As such, mass spectrometry focuses mainly on the primary structure, the (modified) amino acid sequence of peptides and proteins. In contrast, the three-dimensional structure of a protein is typically determined with protein X-ray crystallography or NMR. Despite the close relationship between these two aspects of protein studies (sequence and structure), mass spectrometry and structure determination are not frequently combined. Nevertheless, this combination of approaches, dubbed conformational proteomics, can offer insight into the function, working mechanism, and conformational status of a protein. In this review, we will discuss the developments at the intersection of mass spectrometry-based proteomics and protein structure determination and start from a brief overview of the classic approaches to identify protein structure along with their advantages and disadvantages. We will subsequently discuss the ability of mass spectrometry to overcome some of the hurdles of these classic methods. Finally, we will provide an outlook on the interplay of mass spectrometry and protein structure determination, and highlight several recent experiments in which mass spectrometry was successfully used to either aid or complement structure elucidation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 35:653-665, 2016.

Probing the solution structure of Factor H using hydroxyl radical protein footprinting and cross-linking

The control protein Factor H (FH) is a crucial regulator of the innate immune complement system, where it is active on host cell membranes and in the fluid phase. Mutations impairing the binding capacity of FH lead to severe autoimmune diseases. Here, we studied the solution structure of full-length FH, in its free state and bound to the C3b complement protein. To do so, we used two powerful techniques, hydroxyl radical protein footprinting (HRPF) and chemical cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (MS), to probe the structural rearrangements and to identify protein interfaces. The footprint of C3b on the FH surface matches existing crystal structures of C3b complexed with the N- and C-terminal fragments of FH. In addition, we revealed the position of the central portion of FH in the protein complex. Moreover, cross-linking studies confirmed the involvement of the C-terminus in the dimerization of FH.

Covalent Surface Modification of Prions: A Mass Spectrometry-Based Means of Detecting Distinctive Structural Features of Prion Strains

Prions (PrP(Sc)) are molecular pathogens that are able to convert the isosequential normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into a prion. The only demonstrated difference between PrP(C) and PrP(Sc) is conformational: they are isoforms. A given host can be infected by more than one kind or strain of prion. Five strains of hamster-adapted scrapie [Sc237 (=263K), drowsy, 139H, 22AH, and 22CH] and recombinant PrP were reacted with five different concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, and 20 mM) of reagent (N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of acetic acid) that acetylates lysines. The extent of lysine acetylation was quantitated by mass spectrometry. The lysines in rPrP react similarly. The lysines in the strains react differently from one another in a given strain and react differently when strains are compared. Lysines in the C-terminal region of prions have different strain-dependent reactivity. The results are consistent with a recently proposed model for the structure of a prion. This model proposes that prions are composed of a four-rung β-solenoid structure comprised of four β-sheets that are joined by loops and turns of amino acids. Variation in the amino acid composition of the loops and β-sheet structures is thought to result in different strains of prions.

Covalent Labeling Denaturation Mass Spectrometry for Sensitive Localized Higher Order Structure Comparisons

Protein higher order structure (HOS) describes the three-dimensional folding arrangement of a given protein and plays critical roles in structure/function relationships. As such, it is a key product quality attribute that is monitored during biopharmaceutical development. Covalent labeling of surface residues, combined with mass spectrometry analysis, has increasingly played an important role in characterizing localized protein HOS. Since the label can potentially induce conformation changes, protocols generally use a small amount of label to ensure that the integrity of the protein HOS is not disturbed. The present study, however, describes a method that purposely uses high amounts of isobaric label (levels that induce denaturation) to enhance the sensitivity and resolution for detecting localized structural differences between two or more biological products. The method proved to be highly discriminative, detecting differences in HOS affecting as little as 2.5-5% of the molecular population, levels at which circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy fingerprinting, both gold standard HOS techniques, were unable to adequately differentiate. The methodology was shown to have comparable sensitivity to differential scanning calorimetry for detecting HOS differences. In addition, the workflow presented herein can also quantify other product attributes such as post-translational modifications and site-specific glycosylation, using a single liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) run with automated data analysis. We applied this technique to characterize a large (>90 kDa), multiply glycosylated therapeutic protein under different heat stress conditions and aggregation states.

Absence of sodA Increases the Levels of Oxidation of Key Metabolic Determinants of Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, alters its gene expression in response to environmental signals unique to its tick vector or vertebrate hosts. B. burgdorferi carries one superoxide dismutase gene (sodA) capable of controlling intracellular superoxide levels. Previously, sodA was shown to be essential for infection of B. burgdorferi in the C3H/HeN model of Lyme disease. We employed two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and immunoblot analysis with antibodies specific to carbonylated proteins to identify targets that were differentially oxidized in the soluble fractions of the sodA mutant compared to its isogenic parental control strain following treatment with an endogenous superoxide generator, methyl viologen (MV, paraquat). HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of oxidized proteins revealed that several proteins of the glycolytic pathway (BB0057, BB0020, BB0348) exhibited increased carbonylation in the sodA mutant treated with MV. Levels of ATP and NAD/NADH were reduced in the sodA mutant compared with the parental strain following treatment with MV and could be attributed to increased levels of oxidation of proteins of the glycolytic pathway. In addition, a chaperone, HtpG (BB0560), and outer surface protein A (OspA, BBA15) were also observed to be oxidized in the sodA mutant. Immunoblot analysis revealed reduced levels of Outer surface protein C (OspC), Decorin binding protein A (DbpA), fibronectin binding protein (BBK32), RpoS and BosR in the sodA mutant compared to the control strains. Viable sodA mutant spirochetes could not be recovered from both gp91/phox-⁄- and iNOS deficient mice while borrelial DNA was detected in multiple tissues samples from infected mice at significantly lower levels compared to the parental strain. Taken together, these observations indicate that the increased oxidation of select borrelial determinants and reduced levels of critical pathogenesis-associated lipoproteins contribute to the in vivo deficit of the sodA mutant in the mouse model of Lyme disease. This study, utilizing the sodA mutant, has provided insights into adaptive capabilities critical for survival of B. burgdorferi in its hosts.

A novel chemical footprinting approach identifies critical lysine residues involved in the binding of receptor-associated protein to cluster II of LDL receptor-related protein

Tandem mass tags (TMTs) were utilized in a novel chemical footprinting approach to identify lysine residues that mediate the interaction of receptor-associated protein (RAP) with cluster II of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) receptor (LDLR)-related protein (LRP). The isolated RAP D3 domain was modified with TMT-126 and the D3 domain-cluster II complex with TMT-127. Nano-LC-MS analysis revealed reduced modification with TMT-127 of peptides including Lys(256), Lys(270) and Lys(305)-Lys(306) suggesting that these residues contribute to cluster II binding. This agrees with previous findings that Lys(256) and Lys(270) are critical for binding cluster II sub-domains [Fisher, Beglova and Blacklow (2006) Mol. Cell 22, 277-283]. Cluster II-binding studies utilizing D3 domain variants K(256)A, K(305)A and K(306)A now showed that Lys(306) contributes to cluster II binding as well. For full-length RAP, we observed that peptides including Lys(60), Lys(191), Lys(256), Lys(270) and Lys(305)-Lys(306) exhibited reduced modification with TMT in the RAP-cluster II complex. Notably, Lys(60) has previously been implicated to mediate D1 domain interaction with cluster II. Our results suggest that also Lys(191) of the D2 domain contributes to cluster II binding. Binding studies employing the RAP variants K(191)A, K(256)A, K(305)A and K(306)A, however, revealed a modest reduction in cluster II binding for the K(256)A variant only. This suggests that the other lysine residues can compensate for the absence of a single lysine residue for effective complex assembly. Collectively, novel insight has been obtained into the contribution of lysine residues of RAP to cluster II binding. In addition, we propose that TMTs can be utilized to identify lysine residues critical for protein complex formation.

Experiment-Guided Molecular Modeling of Protein-Protein Complexes Involving GPCRs

Experimental structure determination for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and especially their complexes with protein and peptide ligands is at its infancy. In the absence of complex structures, molecular modeling and docking play a large role not only by providing a proper 3D context for interpretation of biochemical and biophysical data, but also by prospectively guiding experiments. Experimentally confirmed restraints may help improve the accuracy and information content of the computational models. Here we present a hybrid molecular modeling protocol that integrates heterogeneous experimental data with force field-based calculations in the stochastic global optimization of the conformations and relative orientations of binding partners. Some experimental data, such as pharmacophore-like chemical fields or disulfide-trapping restraints, can be seamlessly incorporated in the protocol, while other types of data are more useful at the stage of solution filtering. The protocol was successfully applied to modeling and design of a stable construct that resulted in crystallization of the first complex between a chemokine and its receptor. Examples from this work are used to illustrate the steps of the protocol. The utility of different types of experimental data for modeling and docking is discussed and caveats associated with data misinterpretation are highlighted.

A synchrotron-based hydroxyl radical footprinting analysis of amyloid fibrils and prefibrillar intermediates with residue-specific resolution

Structural models of the fibrils formed by the 40-residue amyloid-β (Aβ40) peptide in Alzheimer’s disease typically consist of linear polypeptide segments, oriented approximately perpendicular to the long axis of the fibril, and joined together as parallel in-register β-sheets to form filaments. However, various models differ in the number of filaments that run the length of a fibril, and in the topological arrangement of these filaments. In addition to questions about the structure of Aβ40 monomers in fibrils, there are important unanswered questions about their structure in prefibrillar intermediates, which are of interest because they may represent the most neurotoxic form of Aβ40. To assess different models of fibril structure and to gain insight into the structure of prefibrillar intermediates, the relative solvent accessibility of amino acid residue side chains in fibrillar and prefibrillar Aβ40 preparations was characterized in solution by hydroxyl radical footprinting and structural mass spectrometry. A key to the application of this technology was the development of hydroxyl radical reactivity measures for individual side chains of Aβ40. Combined with mass-per-length measurements performed by dark-field electron microscopy, the results of this study are consistent with the core filament structure represented by two- and three-filament solid state nuclear magnetic resonance-based models of the Aβ40 fibril (such as 2LMN, 2LMO, 2LMP, and 2LMQ), with minor refinements, but they are inconsistent with the more recently proposed 2M4J model. The results also demonstrate that individual Aβ40 fibrils exhibit structural heterogeneity or polymorphism, where regions of two-filament structure alternate with regions of three-filament structure. The footprinting approach utilized in this study will be valuable for characterizing various fibrillar and nonfibrillar forms of the Aβ peptide.

Modeling of proteins and their assemblies with the Integrative Modeling Platform

To understand the workings of the living cell, we need to characterize protein assemblies that constitute the cell (for example, the ribosome, 26S proteasome, and the nuclear pore complex). A reliable high-resolution structural characterization of these assemblies is frequently beyond the reach of current experimental methods, such as X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, footprinting, chemical cross-linking, FRET spectroscopy, small angle X-ray scattering, and proteomics. However, the information garnered from different methods can be combined and used to build models of the assembly structures that are consistent with all of the available datasets, and therefore more accurate, precise, and complete. Here, we describe a protocol for this integration, whereby the information is converted to a set of spatial restraints and a variety of optimization procedures can be used to generate models that satisfy the restraints as well as possible. These generated models can then potentially inform about the precision and accuracy of structure determination, the accuracy of the input datasets, and further data generation. We also demonstrate the Integrative Modeling Platform (IMP) software, which provides the necessary computational framework to implement this protocol, and several applications for specific use cases.

Mass spectrometry for the biophysical characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are powerful therapeutics, and their characterization has drawn considerable attention and urgency. Unlike small-molecule drugs (150-600 Da) that have rigid structures, mAbs (∼150 kDa) are engineered proteins that undergo complicated folding and can exist in a number of low-energy structures, posing a challenge for traditional methods in structural biology. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based biophysical characterization approaches can provide structural information, bringing high sensitivity, fast turnaround, and small sample consumption. This review outlines various MS-based strategies for protein biophysical characterization and then reviews how these strategies provide structural information of mAbs at the protein level (intact or top-down approaches), peptide, and residue level (bottom-up approaches), affording information on higher order structure, aggregation, and the nature of antibody complexes.

Electrochemical generation of hydroxyl radicals for examining protein structure

The use of hydroxyl radicals to covalently label the solvent-exposed surface of proteins has been shown to be a powerful tool to examine the structure of proteins and intermolecular interfaces. Current methods to generate hydroxyl radicals for footprinting experiments rely on the laser photolysis of H2O2 or the synchrotron radiolysis of water, which adds significant costs and/or complexity to the experiments. In this work, we develop the electro-Fenton reaction as a means to generate hydroxyl radicals for structural footprinting mass spectrometry experiments to complement current laser and synchrotron-based methods, while reducing the costs and complexity of initiating such experiments. The use of an electrochemical flow cell also enables control of the timing and extent of the radical generation process, while reducing the complexity typically associated with radical footprinting experiments. Ubiquitin, a model protein, was labeled with electro-Fenton generated hydroxyl radicals and top-down proteomics was used to verify oxidation sites on the protein surface.

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins for comparing solvent-accessibility changes accompanying protein folding: data processing and application to barstar

Mass spectrometry-based protein footprinting reveals regional and even amino-acid structural changes and fills the gap for many proteins and protein interactions that cannot be studied by X-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy. Hydroxyl radical-mediated labeling has proven to be particularly informative in this pursuit because many solvent-accessible residues can be labeled by OH in a protein or protein complex, thus providing more coverage than does specific amino-acid modifications. Finding all the OH-labeling sites requires LC/MS/MS analysis of a proteolyzed sample, but data processing is daunting without the help of automated software. We describe here a systematic means for achieving a comprehensive residue-resolved analysis of footprinting data in an efficient manner, utilizing software common to proteomics core laboratories. To demonstrate the method and the utility of OH-mediated labeling, we show that FPOP easily distinguishes the buried and exposed residues of barstar in its folded and unfolded states. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mass spectrometry in structural biology.

Structural analysis of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody dimer by hydroxyl radical footprinting

Hydroxyl radical footprinting is a covalent labeling strategy used to probe the conformational properties of proteins in solution. We describe the first application of this high resolution technique for characterizing the structure of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) dimer. As monitored by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), therapeutic mAbs typically contain small amounts of a dimer species relative to the primary monomeric form in its drug substance or drug product. To determine its structural orientation, a sample enriched in an IgG1 mAb dimer was oxidized by hydroxyl radicals generated by exposure of the aqueous solution to synchrotron X-rays in millisecond timescales. The antibody monomer that served as a control was oxidized in a similar fashion. The oxidized samples were digested with trypsin and analyzed by RP-UHPLC-MS. The footprinting data show that peptides displaying decreased rates of oxidation (i.e., regions of increased protection) in the dimer are localized in the light and heavy chains of the Fab domain. The interface region for the monomers comprising the dimer was thus inferred to be between their Fab arms, allowing us to model two possible theoretical dimer orientations: a head-to-head, single arm-bound Fab-to-Fab dimer, and a head-to-head, double arm-bound Fab (') 2-to-Fab (') 2 dimer. Lower resolution fragment-SEC analysis of the dimer and monomer samples treated with papain or FabRICATOR enzyme provided complimentary evidence to support the Fab/Fab orientation of the IgG1 dimer.

Ligand migration in the gaseous insulin-CB7 complex--a cautionary tale about the use of ECD-MS for ligand binding site determination

Knowledge of the structure of protein-ligand complexes can aid in understanding their roles within complex biological processes. Here we use electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled to a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer to investigate the noncovalent binding of the macrocycle cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) to bovine insulin. Recent condensed-phase experiments (Chinai et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133:8810-8813, 2011) indicate that CB7 binds selectively to the N-terminal phenylalanine of the insulin B-chain. Competition experiments employing ESI mass spectrometry to assess complex formation between CB7 and wild type insulin B-chain vs. a mutant B-chain, confirm that the N-terminal phenylalanine plays in important role in solution-phase binding. However, analysis of fragment ions produced by electron capture dissociation (ECD) of CB7 complexed to intact insulin and to the insulin B-chain suggests a different picture. The apparent gas-phase binding site, as identified by the ECD, lies further along the insulin B-chain. Together, these studies thus indicate that the CB7 ligand migrates in the ESI mass spectrometry analysis. Migration is likely aided by the presence of additional interactions between CB7 and the insulin B-chain, which are not observed in the crystal structure. While this conformational difference may result simply from the removal of solvent and addition of excess protons by the ESI, we propose that the migration may be enhanced by charge reduction during the ECD process itself because ion-dipole interactions are key to CB7 binding. The results of this study caution against using ECD-MS as a stand-alone structural probe for the determination of solution-phase binding sites.

Chemical reactivity of brome mosaic virus capsid protein

Viral particles are biological machines that have evolved to package, protect, and deliver the viral genome into the host via regulated conformational changes of virions. We have developed a procedure to modify lysine residues with S-methylthioacetimidate across the pH range from 5.5 to 8.5. Lysine residues that are not completely modified are involved in tertiary or quaternary structural interactions, and their extent of modification can be quantified as a function of pH. This procedure was applied to the pH-dependent structural transitions of brome mosaic virus (BMV). As the reaction pH increases from 5.5 to 8.5, the average number of modified lysine residues in the BMV capsid protein increases from 6 to 12, correlating well with the known pH-dependent swelling behavior of BMV virions. The extent of reaction of each of the capsid protein's lysine residues has been quantified at eight pH values using coupled liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Each lysine can be assigned to one of three structural classes identified by inspection of the BMV virion crystal structure. Several lysine residues display reactivity that indicates their involvement in dynamic interactions that are not obvious in the crystal structure. The influence of several capsid protein mutants on the pH-dependent structural transition of BMV has also been investigated. Mutant H75Q exhibits an altered swelling transition accompanying solution pH increases. The H75Q capsids show increased reactivity at lysine residues 64 and 130, residues distal from the dimer interface occupied by H75, across the entire pH range.

Probing serpin conformational change using mass spectrometry and related methods

The folding, misfolding, and inhibitory mechanisms of serpins are linked to both thermodynamic metastability and conformational flexibility. Characterizing the structural distribution of stability and flexibility in serpins in solution is challenging due to their large size and propensity for aggregation. Structural mass spectrometry techniques offer powerful tools for probing the mechanisms of serpin function and disfunction. In this chapter, we review the principles of the two most commonly employed structural mass spectrometry techniques--hydrogen/deuterium exchange and chemical footprinting--and describe their application to studying serpin flexibility, stability, and conformational change in solution. We also review the application of both hydrogen/deuterium exchange and ion mobility mass spectrometry to probe the mechanism of serpin polymerization and the structure of serpin polymers.

Myosin binding surface on actin probed by hydroxyl radical footprinting and site-directed labels

Actin and myosin are the two main proteins required for cell motility and muscle contraction. The structure of their strongly bound complex-rigor state-is a key for delineating the functional mechanism of actomyosin motor. Current knowledge of that complex is based on models obtained from the docking of known atomic structures of actin and myosin subfragment 1 (S1; the head and neck region of myosin) into low-resolution electron microscopy electron density maps, which precludes atomic- or side-chain-level information. Here, we use radiolytic protein footprinting for global mapping of sites across the actin molecules that are impacted directly or allosterically by myosin binding to actin filaments. Fluorescence and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies and cysteine actin mutants are used for independent, residue-specific probing of S1 effects on two structural elements of actin. We identify actin residue candidates involved in S1 binding and provide experimental evidence to discriminate between the regions of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Focusing on the role of the DNase I binding loop (D-loop) and the W-loop residues of actin in their interactions with S1, we found that the emission properties of acrylodan and the mobility of electron paramagnetic resonance spin labels attached to cysteine mutants of these residues change strongly and in a residue-specific manner upon S1 binding, consistent with the recently proposed direct contacts of these loops with S1. As documented in this study, the direct and indirect changes on actin induced by myosin are more extensive than known until now and attest to the importance of actin dynamics to actomyosin function.

Mass spectrometry-based protein footprinting characterizes the structures of oligomeric apolipoprotein E2, E3, and E4

The three common isoforms of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) differ at two sites in their 299 amino acid sequence; these differences modulate the structure of ApoE to affect profoundly the isoform associations with disease. The ε4 allele in particular is strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease. The study of the structural effects of these mutation sites in aqueous media is hampered by the aggregation proclivity of each ApoE isoform. Hence, understanding the differences between isoforms has thus far relied on lower resolution biophysical measurements, mutagenesis, homology studies, and the use of truncated ApoE variants. In this study, we report two comparative studies of the ApoE family by using the mass spectrometry-based protein footprinting methods of FPOP and glycine ethyl ester (GEE) labeling. The first experiment examines the three full-length WT isoforms in their tetrameric state and finds that the overall structures are similar, with the exception of M108 in ApoE4 which is more solvent-accessible in this isoform than in ApoE2 and ApoE3. The second experiment provides clear evidence, from a comparison of the footprinting results of the wild-type proteins and a monomeric mutant, that several residues in regions 183-205 and 232-251 are involved in self-association.

Structural insights into the pre-amyloid tetramer of β-2-microglobulin from covalent labeling and mass spectrometry

The main pathogenic process underlying dialysis-related amyloidosis is the accumulation of β-2-microglobulin (β2m) as amyloid fibrils in the musculoskeletal system, and some evidence suggests that Cu(II) may play a role in β2m amyloid formation. Cu(II)-induced β2m fibril formation is preceded by the formation of discrete, oligomeric intermediates, including dimers, tetramers, and hexamers. In this work, we use selective covalent labeling reactions combined with mass spectrometry to investigate the amino acids responsible for mediating tetramer formation in wild-type β2m. By comparing the labeling patterns of the monomer, dimer, and tetramer, we find evidence that the tetramer interface is formed by the interaction of D strands from one dimer unit and G strands from another dimer unit. These covalent labeling data along with molecular dynamics calculations allow the construction of a tetramer model that indicates how the protein might proceed to form even higher-order oligomers.

A combined global and local approach to elucidate spatial organization of the Mycobacterial ParB-parS partition assembly

Combining diverse sets of data at global (size, shape) and local (residue) scales is an emerging trend for elucidating the organization and function of the cellular assemblies. We used such a strategy, combining data from X-ray and neutron scattering with H/D-contrast variation and X-ray footprinting with mass spectrometry, to elucidate the spatial organization of the ParB-parS assembly from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The ParB-parS participates in plasmid and chromosome segregation and condensation in predivisional bacterial cells. ParB polymerizes around the parS centromere(s) to form a higher-order assembly that serves to recruit cyto-skeletal ParA ATPases and SMC proteins for chromosome segregation. A hybrid model of the ParB-parS was built by combining and correlating computational models with experiment-derived information about size, shape, position of the symmetry axis within the shape, internal topology, DNA-protein interface, exposed surface patches, and prior knowledge. This first view of the ParB-parS leads us to propose how ParB spread on the chromosome to form a larger assembly.

Modeling of proteins and their assemblies with the integrative modeling platform

To understand the workings of the living cell, we need to characterize protein assemblies that constitute the cell (for example, the ribosome, 26S proteasome, and the nuclear pore complex). A reliable high-resolution structural characterization of these assemblies is frequently beyond the reach of current experimental methods, such as X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, footprinting, chemical cross-linking, FRET spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and proteomics. However, the information garnered from different methods can be combined and used to build computational models of the assembly structures that are consistent with all of the available datasets. Here, we describe a protocol for this integration, whereby the information is converted to a set of spatial restraints and a variety of optimization procedures can be used to generate models that satisfy the restraints as much as possible. These generated models can then potentially inform about the precision and accuracy of structure determination, the accuracy of the input datasets, and further data generation. We also demonstrate the Integrative Modeling Platform (IMP) software, which provides the necessary computational framework to implement this protocol, and several applications for specific-use cases.

Elucidating structural dynamics of integral membrane proteins on native cell surface by hydroxyl radical footprinting and nano LC-MS/MS

Although the snapshots of different in vitro conformational states have been intensively studied, current techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, and electron microscope method cannot probe the in vivo conformational movements of integral membrane proteins on cell surfaces. Here, we describe a hydroxyl radical protein footprinting coupled to a mass spectrometry detection technique to probe the structural dynamics of a membrane protein directly on the native cell surface. This method uses in situ generation of hydroxyl radicals to oxidize and covalently modify integral membrane proteins on the cell surface. To explain this technique in detail, we use the porin OmpF as an example, although the method may be applied to study any membrane protein. Footprinting results show that the surface mapping data of OmpF are consistent with its current crystallographic structure. In addition, this technique also enables the detection of in vivo voltage gating of porin OmpF for the first time. This novel cell surface footprinting method coupled with MS analysis can be a potentially efficient method to study the structural dynamics of the membrane proteins of a living cell.

Structural analysis of a highly glycosylated and unliganded gp120-based antigen using mass spectrometry

Structural characterization of the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 is very important for providing an understanding of the protein's immunogenicity and its binding to cell receptors. So far, the crystallographic structure of gp120 with an intact V3 loop (in the absence of a CD4 coreceptor or antibody) has not been determined. The third variable region (V3) of the gp120 is immunodominant and contains glycosylation signatures that are essential for coreceptor binding and entry of the virus into T-cells. In this study, we characterized the structure of the outer domain of gp120 with an intact V3 loop (gp120-OD8) purified from Drosophila S2 cells utilizing mass spectrometry-based approaches. We mapped the glycosylation sites and calculated the glycosylation occupancy of gp120-OD8; 11 sites from 15 glycosylation motifs were determined as having high-mannose or hybrid glycosylation structures. The specific glycan moieties of nine glycosylation sites from eight unique glycopeptides were determined by a combination of ECD and CID MS approaches. Hydroxyl radical-mediated protein footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry analysis was employed to provide detailed information about protein structure of gp120-OD8 by directly identifying accessible and hydroxyl radical-reactive side chain residues. Comparison of gp120-OD8 experimental footprinting data with a homology model derived from the ligated CD4-gp120-OD8 crystal structure revealed a flexible V3 loop structure in which the V3 tip may provide contacts with the rest of the protein while residues in the V3 base remain solvent accessible. In addition, the data illustrate interactions between specific sugar moieties and amino acid side chains potentially important to the gp120-OD8 structure.

Sulfate radical anion as a new reagent for fast photochemical oxidation of proteins

The focus is to expand the original design of fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) and introduce SO(4)(-•), generated by 248 nm homolysis of low millimolar levels of persulfate, as a radical reactant in protein footprinting. FPOP is a chemical approach to footprinting proteins and protein complexes by "snapshot" reaction with free radicals. The radical used until now is the OH radical, and it provides a measure of residue-resolved solvent accessibility of the native protein. We show that FPOP can accommodate other reagents, increasing its versatility. The new persulfate FPOP system is a potent, nonspecific, and tunable footprinting method; 3-5 times less persulfate is needed to give the same global levels of modification as seen with OH radicals. Although solvent-exposed His and Tyr residues are more reactive with SO(4)(-•) than with (•)OH, oxidation of apomyoglobin and calmodulin shows that (•)OH probes smaller accessible areas than SO(4)(-•), with the possible exception of histidine. His64, an axial ligand in the heme-binding pocket of apomyoglobin, is substantially up-labeled by SO(4)(-•) relative to (•)OH. Nevertheless, the kinds of modification and residue selectivity for both reagent radicals are strikingly similar. Thus, the choice of these reagents relies on the physical properties, particularly the membrane permeability, of the radical precursors.

Oxidative protein labeling in mass-spectrometry-based proteomics

Oxidation of proteins and peptides is a common phenomenon, and can be employed as a labeling technique for mass-spectrometry-based proteomics. Nonspecific oxidative labeling methods can modify almost any amino acid residue in a protein or only surface-exposed regions. Specific agents may label reactive functional groups in amino acids, primarily cysteine, methionine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. Nonspecific radical intermediates (reactive oxygen, nitrogen, or halogen species) can be produced by chemical, photochemical, electrochemical, or enzymatic methods. More targeted oxidation can be achieved by chemical reagents but also by direct electrochemical oxidation, which opens the way to instrumental labeling methods. Oxidative labeling of amino acids in the context of liquid chromatography(LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics allows for differential LC separation, improved MS ionization, and label-specific fragmentation and detection. Oxidation of proteins can create new reactive groups which are useful for secondary, more conventional derivatization reactions with, e.g., fluorescent labels. This review summarizes reactions of oxidizing agents with peptides and proteins, the corresponding methodologies and instrumentation, and the major, innovative applications of oxidative protein labeling described in selected literature from the last decade.

Elucidating the higher-order structure of biopolymers by structural probing and mass spectrometry: MS3D

Chemical probing represents a very versatile alternative for studying the structure and dynamics of substrates that are intractable by established high-resolution techniques. The implementation of MS-based strategies for the characterization of probing products has not only extended the range of applicability to virtually all types of biopolymers but has also paved the way for the introduction of new reagents that would not have been viable with traditional analytical platforms. As the availability of probing data is steadily increasing on the wings of the development of dedicated interpretation aids, powerful computational approaches have been explored to enable the effective utilization of such information to generate valid molecular models. This combination of factors has contributed to making the possibility of obtaining actual 3D structures by MS-based technologies (MS3D) a reality. Although approaches for achieving structure determination of unknown targets or assessing the dynamics of known structures may share similar reagents and development trajectories, they clearly involve distinctive experimental strategies, analytical concerns and interpretation paradigms. This Perspective offers a commentary on methods aimed at obtaining distance constraints for the modeling of full-fledged structures while highlighting common elements, salient distinctions and complementary capabilities exhibited by methods used in dynamics studies. We discuss critical factors to be addressed for completing effective structural determinations and expose possible pitfalls of chemical methods. We survey programs developed for facilitating the interpretation of experimental data and discuss possible computational strategies for translating sparse spatial constraints into all-atom models. Examples are provided to illustrate how the concerted application of very diverse probing techniques can lead to the solution of actual biological systems.

Structural characterization of HIV gp41 with the membrane-proximal external region

Human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (gp120/gp41) plays a critical role in virus infection and pathogenesis. Three of the six monoclonal antibodies considered to have broadly neutralizing activities (2F5, 4E10, and Z13e1) bind to the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of gp41. This makes the MPER a desirable template for developing immunogens that can elicit antibodies with properties similar to these monoclonal antibodies, with a long term goal of developing antigens that could serve as novel HIV vaccines. In order to provide a structural basis for rational antigen design, an MPER construct, HR1-54Q, was generated for x-ray crystallographic and x-ray footprinting studies to provide both high resolution atomic coordinates and verification of the solution state of the antigen, respectively. The crystal structure of HR1-54Q reveals a trimeric, coiled-coil six-helical bundle, which probably represents a postfusion form of gp41. The MPER portion extends from HR2 in continuation of a slightly bent long helix and is relatively flexible. The structures observed for the 2F5 and 4E10 epitopes agree well with existing structural data, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays indicate that the antigen binds well to antibodies that recognize the above epitopes. Hydroxyl radical-mediated protein footprinting of the antigen in solution reveals specifically protected and accessible regions consistent with the predictions based on the trimeric structure from the crystallographic data. Overall, the HR1-54Q antigen, as characterized by crystallography and footprinting, represents a postfusion, trimeric form of HIV gp41, and its structure provides a rational basis for gp41 antigen design suitable for HIV vaccine development.

Conformational changes during the gating of a potassium channel revealed by structural mass spectrometry

Potassium channels are dynamic proteins that undergo large conformational changes to regulate the flow of K(+) ions across the cell membrane. Understanding the gating mechanism of these channels therefore requires methods for probing channel structure in both their open and closed conformations. Radiolytic footprinting is used to study the gating mechanism of the inwardly-rectifying potassium channel KirBac3.1. The purified protein stabilized in either open or closed conformations was exposed to focused synchrotron X-ray beams on millisecond timescales to modify solvent accessible amino acid side chains. These modifications were identified and quantified using high-resolution mass spectrometry. The differences observed between the closed and open states were then used to reveal local conformational changes that occur during channel gating. The results provide support for a proposed gating mechanism of the Kir channel and demonstrate a method of probing the dynamic gating mechanism of other integral membrane proteins and ion channels.