Evaluating preparative isoelectric focusing of complex peptide mixtures for tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomics: a case study in profiling chromatin-enriched subcellular fractions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Carrier ampholyte-free free-flow isoelectric focusing for separation of protein

Free-flow isoelectric focusing (FFIEF) has the merits of mild separation conditions, high recovery and resolution, but suffers from the issues of ampholytes interference and high cost due to expensive carrier ampholytes. In this paper, a home-made carrier ampholyte-free FFIEF system was constructed via orientated migration of H⁺ and OH^- provided by electrode solutions. When applying an electric field, a linear pH gradient from pH 4 to 9 (R² = 0.994) was automatically formed by the electromigration of protons and hydroxyl ions in the separation chamber. The carrier ampholyte-free FFIEF system not only avoids interference of ampholyte to detection but also guarantees high separation resolution by establishing stable pH gradient. The separation selectivity was conveniently adjusted by controlling operating voltage and optimizing the composition, concentration and flow rate of the carrier buffer. The constructed system was applied to separation of proteins in egg white, followed by MADLI-TOF-MS identification. Three major proteins, ovomucoid, ovalbumin and ovotransferrin, were successfully separated according to their pI values with 15 mmol/L Tris-acetic acid (pH = 6.5) as carrier buffer at a flow rate of 12.9 mL/min.

In-gel peptide IEF sample preparation for LC/MS analysis

The technique of proteolytically digesting a sample and identifying its protein components by liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a widely used analytical tool. Prior fractionation by isoelectric focusing (IEF) may be performed to increase the depth of proteome coverage. Here, we describe a method for in-gel IEF separation of a proteolytic digest that utilizes commercially available immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strips and a widely used IEF instrument.

Pros and cons of peptide isolectric focusing in shotgun proteomics

In shotgun proteomics, protein mixtures are proteolytically digested before tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis. Biological samples are generally characterized by a very high complexity, therefore a step of peptides fractionation before the MS analysis is essential. This passage reduces the sample complexity and increases its compatibility with the sampling performance of the instrument. Among all the existing approaches for peptide fractionation, isoelectric focusing has several peculiarities that are theoretically known but practically rarely exploited by the proteomics community. The main aim of this review is to draw the readers' attention to these unique qualities, which are not accessible with other common approaches, and that represent important tools to increase confidence in the identification of proteins and some post-translational modifications. The general characteristics of different methods to perform peptide isoelectric focusing with natural and artificial pH gradients, the existing instrumentation, and the informatics tools available for isoelectric point calculation are also critically described. Finally, we give some general conclusions on this strategy, underlying its principal limitations.

Toward deciphering proteomes of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens comprise a potentially valuable resource for both prospective and retrospective biomarker discovery. Unlocking the proteomic profile of clinicopathological FFPE tissues is a critically essential step for annotating clinical findings and predicting biomarkers for ultimate disease prognosis and therapeutic follow-up.

Three-dimensional peptide fractionation for highly sensitive nanoscale LC-based shotgun proteomic analysis of complex protein mixtures

To sensitively analyze complex protein mixtures by mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics, researchers have employed platforms that couple orthogonal peptide fractionation methods using nanoscale HPLC. Commonly used platforms have coupled either strong cation exchange (SCX) HPLC or preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF) with nanoscale reversed-phase (nanoRP) HPLC fractionation of peptides. Coupling two dimensions of peptide fractionation, prior to mass spectrometric analysis, increases the sensitivity for identifying low abundance proteins. However, the large dynamic range of protein abundance and high level of complexity of protein mixtures derived from many biological sources, such as bodily fluids, require additional steps of peptide fractionation. To address this shortcoming, we have developed a platform combining three dimensions of peptide fractionation as follows: (1) preparative IEF; (2) SCX HPLC; and (3) nanoRP HPLC. This platform significantly increases the sensitivity of shotgun proteomic analysis in complex protein mixtures. Here, we describe the implementation of this three-dimensional peptide fractionation platform for proteomic studies of complex mixtures.

Proteomic interrogation of human chromatin

Chromatin proteins provide a scaffold for DNA packaging and a basis for epigenetic regulation and genomic maintenance. Despite understanding its functional roles, mapping the chromatin proteome (i.e. the "Chromatome") is still a continuing process. Here, we assess the biological specificity and proteomic extent of three distinct chromatin preparations by identifying proteins in selected chromatin-enriched fractions using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. These experiments allowed us to produce a chromatin catalog, including several proteins ranging from highly abundant histone proteins to less abundant members of different chromatin machinery complexes. Using a Normalized Spectral Abundance Factor approach, we quantified relative abundances of the proteins across the chromatin enriched fractions giving a glimpse into their chromosomal abundance. The large-scale data sets also allowed for the discovery of a variety of novel post-translational modifications on the identified chromatin proteins. With these comparisons, we find one of the probed methods to be qualitatively superior in specificity for chromatin proteins, but inferior in proteomic extent, evidencing a compromise that must be made between biological specificity and broadness of characterization. Additionally, we attempt to identify proteins in eu- and heterochromatin, verifying the enrichments by characterizing the post-translational modifications detected on histone proteins from these chromatin regions. In summary, our results provide insights into the value of different methods to extract chromatin-associated proteins and provide starting points to study the factors that may be involved in directing gene expression and other chromatin-related processes.

Detection and identification of a serine to arginine sequence variant in a therapeutic monoclonal antibody

Sequence variants, also known as unintended amino acid substitutions in the protein primary structure, are one of the critical quality attributes needed to be monitored during process development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Here we report on analytical methods for detection and identification of a sequence variant in an IgG1 mAb expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The presence of the sequence variant was detected by an imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (ICIEF) assay, showing a new basic species in mAb charge variant profile. The new basic variant was fractionated and enriched by ion-exchange chromatography, analyzed by reduced light and heavy chain mass determination, and characterized by HPLC-UV/MS/MS of tryptic and endoproteinase Lys-C peptide maps. A Serine to Arginine sequence variant was identified at the heavy chain 441 position (S441R), and confirmed by using synthetic peptides. The relative level of the S441R variant was estimated to be in the range of 0.3-0.6% for several mAb batches analyzed via extracted ion chromatogram (EIC). This work demonstrates the effectiveness of using integrated analytical methods to detect and identify protein heterogeneity and the importance of monitoring product quality during mAb bioprocess development.

Sequential extraction leading to improved proteomic analysis of the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi

The oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi (L. starkeyi) is an excellent intracellular lipid producer. Thus, extraction of protein from lipid-rich L. starkeyi samples following conventional methods can be difficult, leading to poor data in terms of proteomic analysis. The presence of lipophilic components in those samples may also interfere with the extraction process and the downstream analysis. In this work, we developed a sequential extraction method for preparation and analysis of L. starkeyi proteome combining to an online multidimensional nano reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (microRPLC-MS/MS) strategy. Protein hits of high confidence reached 227 with false positive rate less than 0.1, twice of those identified from the one-buffer extraction preparation. Moreover, the protein hits related to primary metabolism was increased, which may be important to establish the molecular mechanism of lipid accumulation. The method should be valuable for protein extraction from oleaginous species.

Selective enrichment and analysis of acidic peptides and proteins using polymeric reverse micelles and MALDI-MS

The typical difficulties associated with the detection of acidic peptides (i.e., those with low isoelectric points (pI)) by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) represent a challenge in some proteomic analyses. Here, reverse micelle-forming amphiphilic homopolymers with positively charged interiors are synthesized and used to selectively enrich low pI peptides from complex mixtures for MALDI-MS detection. When using these polymers, acidic proteolytic peptides that are undetectable during normal MALDI-MS analysis are selectively detected. We show that enrichment of these low pI peptides allows acidic proteins to be selectively targeted for detection in multiprotein digests. In addition, the presence of the positively charged polymers during MALDI-MS analyses enhances peptide ion signals by almost an order of magnitude, thereby achieving reproducible ion signals for acidic peptides at concentrations as low as 100 fM. Concurrent detection of acidic and basic peptides was also facilitated by utilizing a sequential extraction process involving reverse micelle forming polymers with positively and negatively charged interiors.

Saliva: diagnostics and therapeutic perspectives

For the past two decades, salivary diagnostic approaches have been developed to monitor oral diseases such as periodontal diseases and to assess caries risk. Recently, the combination of emerging biotechnologies and salivary diagnostics has extended the range of saliva-based diagnostics from the oral cavity to the whole physiologic system as most compounds found in blood are also present in saliva. Accordingly, saliva can reflect the physiologic state of the body, including emotional, endocrinal, nutritional and metabolic variations and acts as a source for the monitoring of oral and also systemic health. This review presents an update on the status of saliva diagnostics and delves into their applications to the discovery of biomarkers for cancer detection and therapeutic applications. Translating scientific findings of nucleic acids, proteins and metabolites in body fluids to clinical applications is a cumbersome and challenging journey. Our research group is pursuing the biology of salivary analytes and the development of technologies for detection of distinct biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity. The avenue of saliva diagnostics incorporating transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic findings will enable us to connect salivary molecular analytes to monitor therapies, therapeutic outcomes, and finally disease progression in cancer.

Peptidome analysis of mouse liver tissue by size exclusion chromatography prefractionation

Here we report our approach to the peptidomic analysis of mouse liver. We use ultrafiltration for peptide prefractionation, which is followed by size exclusion chromatography. The low molecular weight peptides (MW below ~3 kDa) are analysed directly by nanoLC-MS/MS, and the higher molecular weight peptides (MW above ~3 kDa) are characterized with MALDI-TOF MS first and then proteolytically digested prior to nanoLC-MS/MS analyses.

Power and limitations of electrophoretic separations in proteomics strategies

Proteomics can be defined as the large-scale analysis of proteins. Due to the complexity of biological systems, it is required to concatenate various separation techniques prior to mass spectrometry. These techniques, dealing with proteins or peptides, can rely on chromatography or electrophoresis. In this review, the electrophoretic techniques are under scrutiny. Their principles are recalled, and their applications for peptide and protein separations are presented and critically discussed. In addition, the features that are specific to gel electrophoresis and that interplay with mass spectrometry (i.e., protein detection after electrophoresis, and the process leading from a gel piece to a solution of peptides) are also discussed.

From micro to macro: conversion of capillary electrophoretic separations of biomolecules and bioparticles to preparative free-flow electrophoresis scale

This invited contribution in the special issue of Electrophoresis published in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of this journal reflects the impact of our milestone paper [Prusík, Z., Kasicka, V., Mudra, P., Stepánek, J., Smékal, O., Hlavácek, J., Electrophoresis 1990, 11, 932-936] in the area of conversion of microscale analytical and micropreparative CE separations of biomolecules and bioparticles into (macro)preparative free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) scale on the basis of a correlation between CE and FFE methods. In addition to the survey of advances in the relatively narrow field of CE-FFE correlation and CE-FFE conversion, a comprehensive review of the recent developments of micropreparative CE and (macro)preparative FFE techniques is also presented and applications of these techniques to micro- and (macro)preparative separations and purifications of biomolecules and bioparticles are demonstrated. The review covers the period since the year of publication of the above paper, i.e. ca. the last 20 years.

Selective on-line serum peptide extraction and multidimensional separation by coupling a restricted-access material-based capillary trap column with nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

As the serum peptidome gets increasing attention for biomarker discovery, one of the important issues is how to efficiently extract the peptides from highly complex human serum for peptidome analysis. Here we developed a fully automated platform for direct injection, on-line extraction, multidimensional separation and MS detection of peptides present in human serum. A capillary SPE column packed with a novel mix mode restricted access material (RAM) exhibiting strong cation exchange and size exclusion chromatography (SCX/SEC) properties were coupled with a nanoliquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS) system. The capillary SPE column excludes the high abundant serum proteins such as HSA by size exclusion chromatography and simultaneously extracts the low molecular weight peptides by binding to sulfonic acid residues. Subsequently, the trapped peptides are eluted to a capillary LC column packed with a RP-C18 stationary phase. After injection of only 2 microL human serum to the one-dimensional nanoLC-MS system around 400 peptides could be identified. When conducting a multidimensional separation, the described SCX/SEC/RP-MS platform allows the separation and identification of 1286 peptides present in human serum by the injection and on-line processing of 20 microL human serum sample.

Systematic comparison of the human saliva and plasma proteomes

The proteome of human salivary fluid has the potential to open new doors for disease biomarker discovery. A recent study to comprehensively identify and catalog the human ductal salivary proteome led to the compilation of 1166 proteins. The protein complexity of both saliva and plasma is large, suggesting that a comparison of these two proteomes will provide valuable insight into their physiological significance and an understanding of the unique and overlapping disease diagnostic potential that each fluid provides. To create a more comprehensive catalog of human salivary proteins, we have first compiled an extensive list of proteins from whole saliva (WS) identified through MS experiments. The WS list is thereafter combined with the proteins identified from the ductal parotid, and submandibular and sublingual (parotid/SMSL) salivas. In parallel, a core dataset of the human plasma proteome with 3020 protein identifications was recently released. A total of 1939 nonredundant salivary proteins were compiled from a total of 19 474 unique peptide sequences identified from whole and ductal salivas; 740 out of the total 1939 salivary proteins were identified in both whole and ductal saliva. A total of 597 of the salivary proteins have been observed in plasma. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed similarities in the distributions of the saliva and plasma proteomes with regard to cellular localization, biological processes, and molecular function, but revealed differences which may be related to the different physiological functions of saliva and plasma. The comprehensive catalog of the salivary proteome and its comparison to the plasma proteome provides insights useful for future study, such as exploration of potential biomarkers for disease diagnostics.

Application of a peptide-based PF2D platform for quantitative proteomics in disease biomarker discovery

A peptide-based 2-D liquid phase fractionation (PF2D) system was used in a quantitative proteomic analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma. 2-D liquid maps of peptide specimens showed better resolution than those of proteins, leading to the identification of differentially expressed proteins. Peptide-based PF2D gave well-matched theoretical and experimental pI values and was proven to be a very efficient and versatile analytical tool for both large-scale profiling and quantification of phosphoproteins in disease biomarker discovery.

Analysis of human plasma proteins: a focus on sample collection and separation using free-flow electrophoresis

Due to ease of accessibility, plasma has become the sample of choice for proteomics studies directed towards biomarker discovery intended for use in diagnostics, prognostics and even in theranostics. The result of these extensive efforts is a long list of potential biomarkers, very few of which have led to clinical utility. Why have so many potential biomarkers failed validation? Herein, we address certain issues encountered, which complicate biomarker discovery efforts originating from plasma. The advantages of stabilizing the sample at collection by the addition of protease inhibitors are discussed. The principles of free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) separation are provided together with examples applying to various studies. Finally, particular attention is given to plasma or serum analysis using multidimensional separation strategies into which the FFE is incorporated. The advantages of using FFE separation in these workflows are discussed.

Calculation of the isoelectric point of tryptic peptides in the pH 3.5-4.5 range based on adjacent amino acid effects

Current algorithms for the calculation of peptide or protein pI, based on the charge associated with individual amino acids, can calculate pI values to within +/-0.2 pI units. Here, we present a new pI calculation algorithm that takes into account the effect of adjacent amino acids on the pI value. The algorithm accounts for the effect of adjacent amino acids+/-3 residues away from a charged aspartic or glutamic acid, as well as effects on the free C terminus, and applies a correction term to the corresponding pK values. The correction increments are derived from a 5000-peptide training set using a genetic optimization approach. The accuracy of the new pI values obtained with this method approaches the error associated with the manufacture of the IPG strip (<+/-0.03 pI units). The approach is demonstrated for cytosolic cell extracts derived from the breast-cancer cell line DU4475, and from membrane preparations from human lung-tissue samples. One potential application of a more highly accurate pI calculation is data filtering of MS/MS outputs that will allow for more complex database searches including gene finding, and validation, and detection of coding single-nucleotide polymorphisms in their expressed form.

PICarver: a software tool and strategy for peptides isoelectric focusing

The use of isoelectric focusing as first dimension of separation is a new trend in shotgun proteomics. In all applications using this approach, peptides are separated into equitable fractions, whereas theoretical distribution of peptides according to p I is heterogeneous. We present the development of a new tool and strategy that generates a fractionation scheme resulting in almost even distribution of peptides per fraction, based on theoretical and experimental data. The "pICarver" software tool also increases the throughput of the approach by reducing the number of fractions and merging the peptide-poor regions. A set of isoelectric point fluorescent peptide markers was also developed in combination with the pICarver program to calibrate the pH gradient of commercially available strips. These markers enhanced the precision of pICarver predications. The overall strategy allowed detecting false positive identification and post-translational modifications. The software tool is freely available on www.expasy.org/tools/pICarver.

Two-dimensional separation of human plasma proteins using iterative free-flow electrophoresis

Blood plasma is the most complex human-derived proteome, containing other tissue proteomes as subsets. This proteome has only been partially characterized due to the extremely wide dynamic range of the plasma proteins of more than ten orders of magnitude. Thus, the reduction in sample complexity prior to mass spectrometric analysis is particularly important and alternative separation methodologies are required to more effectively mine the lower abundant plasma proteins. Here, we demonstrated a novel separation approach using 2-D free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) separating proteins and peptides in solution according to their pI prior to LC-MS/MS. We used the combination of sequential protein and peptide separation by first separating the plasma proteins into specific FFE fractions. Tryptic digests of the separated proteins were generated and subsequently separated using FFE. The protein separation medium was optimized to segregate albumin into specific fractions containing only few other proteins. An optimization of throughput for the protein separation reduced the separation time of 1 mL of plasma to approximately 3 h providing sufficient material for digestion and the subsequent peptide separation. Our approach revealed low-abundant proteins (e.g., L-selectin at 17 ng/mL and vascular endothelial-cadherin precursor at 30 ng/mL) and several tissue leakage products, thus providing a powerful orthogonal separation step in the proteomics workflow.

Hsf1 activation inhibits rapamycin resistance and TOR signaling in yeast revealed by combined proteomic and genetic analysis

TOR kinases integrate environmental and nutritional signals to regulate cell growth in eukaryotic organisms. Here, we describe results from a study combining quantitative proteomics and comparative expression analysis in the budding yeast, S. cerevisiae, to gain insights into TOR function and regulation. We profiled protein abundance changes under conditions of TOR inhibition by rapamycin treatment, and compared this data to existing expression information for corresponding gene products measured under a variety of conditions in yeast. Among proteins showing abundance changes upon rapamycin treatment, almost 90% of them demonstrated homodirectional (i.e., in similar direction) transcriptomic changes under conditions of heat/oxidative stress. Because the known downstream responses regulated by Tor1/2 did not fully explain the extent of overlap between these two conditions, we tested for novel connections between the major regulators of heat/oxidative stress response and the TOR pathway. Specifically, we hypothesized that activation of regulator(s) of heat/oxidative stress responses phenocopied TOR inhibition and sought to identify these putative TOR inhibitor(s). Among the stress regulators tested, we found that cells (hsf1-R206S, F256S and ssa1-3 ssa2-2) constitutively activated for heat shock transcription factor 1, Hsf1, inhibited rapamycin resistance. Further analysis of the hsf1-R206S, F256S allele revealed that these cells also displayed multiple phenotypes consistent with reduced TOR signaling. Among the multiple Hsf1 targets elevated in hsf1-R206S, F256S cells, deletion of PIR3 and YRO2 suppressed the TOR-regulated phenotypes. In contrast to our observations in cells activated for Hsf1, constitutive activation of other regulators of heat/oxidative stress responses, such as Msn2/4 and Hyr1, did not inhibit TOR signaling. Thus, we propose that activated Hsf1 inhibits rapamycin resistance and TOR signaling via elevated expression of specific target genes in S. cerevisiae. Additionally, these results highlight the value of comparative expression analyses between large-scale proteomic and transcriptomic datasets to reveal new regulatory connections.

Integration of 18O labeling and solution isoelectric focusing in a shotgun analysis of mitochondrial proteins

Forward and reverse (18)O labeling are integrated with solution isoelectric focusing and capillary LC-tandem mass spectrometry to evaluate a new strategy for quantitative proteomics and to study abundance changes in mitochondrial proteins associated with drug resistance in MCF-7 human cancer cells. Galectin-3 binding protein, which is involved in apoptosis, was detected only in the resistant cell line, as a result of reverse labeling. Among 278 proteins identified, 12 were detected with abundances altered at least 2-fold.

Proteomics analysis of cells in whole saliva from oral cancer patients via value-added three-dimensional peptide fractionation and tandem mass spectrometry

Whole human saliva possesses tremendous potential in clinical diagnostics, particularly for conditions within the oral cavity such as oral cancer. Although many have studied the soluble fraction of whole saliva, few have taken advantage of the diagnostic potential of the cells present in saliva, and none have taken advantage of proteomics capabilities for their study. We report on a novel proteomics method with which we characterized for the first time cells contained in whole saliva from patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Our method uses three dimensions of peptide fractionation, combining the following steps: preparative IEF using free flow electrophoresis, strong cation exchange step gradient chromatography, and microcapillary reverse-phase liquid chromatography. We determined that the whole saliva samples contained enough cells, mostly exfoliated epithelial cells, providing adequate amounts of total protein for proteomics analysis. From a mixture of four oral cancer patient samples, the analysis resulted in a catalogue of over 1000 human proteins, each identified from at least two peptides, including numerous proteins with a role in oral squamous cell carcinoma signaling and tumorigenesis pathways. Additionally proteins from over 30 different bacteria were identified, some of which putatively contribute to cancer development. The combination of preparative IEF followed by strong cation exchange chromatography effectively fractionated the complex peptide mixtures despite the closely related physiochemical peptide properties of these separations (pI and solution phase charge, respectively). Furthermore compared with our two-step method combining preparative IEF and reverse-phase liquid chromatography, our three-step method identified significantly more cellular proteins while retaining higher confidence protein identification enabled by peptide pI information gained through IEF. Thus, for detecting salivary markers of oral cancer and possibly other conditions of the oral cavity, the results confirm both the potential of analyzing the cells in whole saliva and doing so with our proteomics method.

iTRAQ reagent-based quantitative proteomic analysis on a linear ion trap mass spectrometer

For proteomic analysis using tandem mass spectrometry, linear ion trap instruments provide unsurpassed sensitivity but unreliably detect low mass peptide fragments, precluding their use with iTRAQ reagent-labeled samples. Although the popular LTQ linear ion trap supports analyzing iTRAQ reagent-labeled peptides via pulsed Q dissociation, PQD, its effectiveness remains questionable. Using a standard mixture, we found careful tuning of relative collision energy necessary for fragmenting iTRAQ reagent-labeled peptides, and increasing microscan acquisition and repeat count improves quantification but identifies somewhat fewer peptides. We developed software to calculate abundance ratios via summing reporter ion intensities across spectra matching to each protein, thereby providing maximized accuracy. Testing found that results closely corresponded between analysis using optimized LTQ-PQD settings plus our software and using a Qstar instrument. Thus, we demonstrate the effectiveness of LTQ-PQD analyzing iTRAQ reagent-labeled peptides, and provide guidelines for successful quantitative proteomic studies.

Interrogation of MS/MS search data with an pI Filter algorithm to increase protein identification success

In high-throughput proteomics, the bottom-up approach has become a widely used method for the identification of proteins that is based on tryptic peptide MS/MS analysis. Separation methodologies that use IEF of tryptic peptides have recently been introduced and provide an extra dimension of peptide separation. In addition to its great fractionation capability, tryptic peptide prefractionation by IEF can also increase the protein identification success. The pI information of the peptide gained can be successfully used in a post-database search filtering step. We introduce a filtering algorithm that is based on the comparison of the experimental and theoretical pI's to validate peptide identifications by MS/MS data search engines.

Advances in proteomic workflows for systems biology

Mass spectrometry, specifically the analysis of complex peptide mixtures by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (shotgun proteomics) has been at the centre of proteomics research for the past decade. To overcome some of the fundamental limitations of the approach, including its limited sensitivity and high degree of redundancy, new proteomic workflows are being developed. Among these, targeting methods in which specific peptides are selectively isolated, identified and quantified are particularly promising. Here we summarize recent incremental advances in shotgun proteomic methods and outline emerging targeted workflows. The development of the target-driven approaches with their ability to detect and quantify identical, non-redundant sets of proteins in multiple repeat analyses will be crucially important for the application of proteomics to biomarker discovery and validation, and to systems biology research.

Autofocusing and ESI-MS analysis of protein digests in a miniaturized multicompartment electrolyzer

Free-solution IEF of protein digests was studied in a newly introduced MicroRotofortrade mark multicompartment electrolyzer. The fractionation was performed in a cylindrical separation chamber divided into ten compartments with or without the addition of carrier ampholytes. In the case of autofocusing mode of operation, the tryptic digest itself served as the mixture of ampholytes leading to the separation of the peptides with well-defined pI's. The focusing process was monitored visually using colored pI markers. The resulting fractions from both modes of the separation were analyzed by CE and electrospray-TOF mass spectrometer using electrospray tips microfabricated in polyimide. Additional experiments, aiming at visualization of the mass flux within the focusing compartments were performed using isotachophoretic migration of color cationic tracers. The study considered the autofocusing of both the peptides with well-defined narrow pI's as well as those showing negligible net charge in a broader pH range. Although not all peptides in the protein digests have well-defined pI's the autofocusing process can preseparate many of them leading to higher S/N in the ESI-MS signals and improved protein sequence coverage.

Phosphopeptide enrichment by IEF

In our efforts to improve the identification of phosphopeptides by MS we have used peptide IEF on IPG strips. Phosphopeptides derived from trypsin digests of single proteins as well as complex cellular protein mixtures can be enriched by IEF and recovered in excellent yields at the acidic end of an IPG strip. IPG peptide fractionation in combination with MS/MS analysis has allowed us to identify phosphopeptides from tryptic digests of a cellular protein extract.

Automation of nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for proteome analysis by using a strong cation exchange trap column

An approach was developed to automate sample introduction for nanoflow LC-MS/MS (microLC-MS/MS) analysis using a strong cation exchange (SCX) trap column. The system consisted of a 100 microm id x 2 cm SCX trap column and a 75 microm id x 12 cm C18 RP analytical column. During the sample loading step, the flow passing through the SCX trap column was directed to waste for loading a large volume of sample at high flow rate. Then the peptides bound on the SCX trap column were eluted onto the RP analytical column by a high salt buffer followed by RP chromatographic separation of the peptides at nanoliter flow rate. It was observed that higher performance of separation could be achieved with the system using SCX trap column than with the system using C18 trap column. The high proteomic coverage using this approach was demonstrated in the analysis of tryptic digest of BSA and yeast cell lysate. In addition, this system was also applied to two-dimensional separation of tryptic digest of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 for large scale proteome analysis. This system was fully automated and required minimum changes on current microLC-MS/MS system. This system represented a promising platform for routine proteome analysis.

Selective enrichment and fractionation of phosphopeptides from peptide mixtures by isoelectric focusing after methyl esterification

We have developed a new strategy to enrich and fractionate phosphopeptides from peptide mixtures based on the difference in their isoelectric points (pIs) after methyl esterification. After isoelectric focusing (IEF) of a methylated tryptic digest of a mixture of alpha-S-casein and beta-casein, phosphopeptides were selectively enriched at acidic and neutral pHs while nonphosphopeptides left the focusing gel because their pIs are higher than the upper limit of the immobilized pH gradient. We wrote a web-based program, pIMethylation, to predict the pIs for peptides with and without methyl esterification. Theoretical calculations using pIMethylation indicated that methylated phosphopeptides and non-phosphopeptides can be grouped on the basis of the number of phosphate groups and basic residues in each peptide. Our IEF results were consistent with theoretical pIs of methylated peptides calculated by pIMethylation. We also showed that 2,6-dihydroxy-acetophenone is superior to 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid as a matrix for MALDI Q-TOF MS of methylated phosphopeptides in both positive and negative ion modes.

Carbonylation of adipose proteins in obesity and insulin resistance: identification of adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein as a cellular target of 4-hydroxynonenal

Obesity is a state of mild inflammation correlated with increased oxidative stress. In general, pro-oxidative conditions lead to production of reactive aldehydes such as trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) and trans-4-oxo-2-nonenal implicated in the development of a variety of metabolic diseases. To investigate protein modification by 4-HNE as a consequence of obesity and its potential relationship to the development of insulin resistance, proteomics technologies were utilized to identify aldehyde-modified proteins in adipose tissue. Adipose proteins from lean insulin-sensitive and obese insulin-resistant C57Bl/6J mice were incubated with biotin hydrazide and detected using horseradish peroxidase-conjugated streptavidin. High carbohydrate, high fat feeding of mice resulted in a approximately 2-3-fold increase in total adipose protein carbonylation. Consistent with an increase in oxidative stress in obesity, the abundance of glutathione S-transferase A4 (GSTA4), a key enzyme responsible for metabolizing 4-HNE, was decreased approximately 3-4-fold in adipose tissue of obese mice. To identify specific carbonylated proteins, biotin hydrazide-modified adipose proteins from obese mice were captured using avidin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, proteolytically digested, and subjected to LC-ESI MS/MS. Interestingly enzymes involved in cellular stress response, lipotoxicity, and insulin signaling such as glutathione S-transferase M1, peroxiredoxin 1, glutathione peroxidase 1, eukaryotic elongation factor 1alpha-1 (eEF1alpha1), and filamin A were identified. The adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, a protein implicated in the regulation of insulin resistance, was found to be carbonylated in vivo with 4-HNE. In vitro modification of adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein with 4-HNE was mapped to Cys-117, occurred equivalently using either the R or S enantiomer of 4-HNE, and reduced the affinity of the protein for fatty acids approximately 10-fold. These results indicate that obesity is accompanied by an increase in the carbonylation of a number of adipose-regulatory proteins that may serve as a mechanistic link between increased oxidative stress and the development of insulin resistance.

Peptide retention prediction applied to proteomic data analysis

A retention prediction model was developed for peptides separated in reversed-phase chromatography. The model was utilized to identify and exclude the false positive (FP) peptide identifications obtained via database search. The selected database included human proteins, as well as decoy sequences of random proteins. The FP peptide detection rate was defined either as number of retention time outliers, or random decoy sequence identifications. The FP rate for various MASCOT scores was calculated. The peptides identified in one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) experiments were validated by prediction models. Multi-dimensional LC was based on two orthogonal reversed-phase chromatography modes; prediction models were successfully applied for data filtering in both separation dimensions.

Gel-free mass spectrometry-based high throughput proteomics: Tools for studying biological response of proteins and proteomes

Revolutionary advances in biological mass spectrometry (MS) have provided a basic tool to make possible comprehensive proteomic analysis. Traditionally, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis has been used as a separation method coupled with MS to facilitate analysis of complex protein mixtures. Despite the utility of this method, the many challenges of comprehensive proteomic analysis has motivated the development of gel-free MS-based strategies to obtain information not accessible using two-dimensional gel separations. These advanced strategies have enabled researchers to dig deeper into complex proteomes, gaining insights into the composition, quantitative response, covalent modifications and macromolecular interactions of proteins that collectively drive cellular function. This review describes the current state of gel-free, high throughput proteomic strategies using MS, including (i) the separation approaches commonly used for complex mixture analysis; (ii) strategies for large-scale quantitative analysis; (iii) analysis of post-translational modifications; and (iv) recent advances and future directions. The use of these strategies to make new discoveries at the proteome level into the effects of disease or other cellular perturbations is discussed in a variety of contexts, providing information on the potential of these tools in electromagnetic field research.

A catalogue of human saliva proteins identified by free flow electrophoresis-based peptide separation and tandem mass spectrometry

Human saliva has great potential for clinical disease diagnostics. Constructing a comprehensive catalogue of saliva proteins using proteomic approaches is a necessary first step to identifying potential protein biomarkers of disease. However, because of the challenge presented in cataloguing saliva proteins with widely varying abundance, new proteomic approaches are needed. To this end, we used a newly developed approach coupling peptide separation using free flow electrophoresis with linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry to identify proteins in whole human saliva. We identified 437 proteins with high confidence (false positive rate below 1%), producing the largest catalogue of proteins from a single saliva sample to date and providing new information on the composition and potential diagnostic utility of this fluid. The statistically validated, transparently presented, and annotated dataset provides a model for presenting large scale proteomic data of this type, which should facilitate better dissemination and easier comparisons of proteomic datasets from future studies in saliva.