1
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Jordan JS, Lee KJ, Williams ER. Overcoming aggregation with laser heated nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry: thermal stability and pathways for loss of bicarbonate from carbonic anhydrase II. Analyst 2024; 149:2281-2290. [PMID: 38497240 DOI: 10.1039/d4an00229f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Variable temperature electrospray mass spectrometry is useful for multiplexed measurements of the thermal stabilities of biomolecules, but the ionization process can be disrupted by aggregation-prone proteins/complexes that have irreversible unfolding transitions. Resistively heating solutions containing a mixture of bovine carbonic anhydrase II (BCAII), a CO2 fixing enzyme involved in many biochemical pathways, and cytochrome c leads to complete loss of carbonic anhydrase signal and a significant reduction in cytochrome c signal above ∼72 °C due to aggregation. In contrast, when the tips of borosilicate glass nanoelectrospray emitters are heated with a laser, complete thermal denaturation curves for both proteins are obtained in <1 minute. The simultaneous measurements of the melting temperature of BCAII and BCAII bound to bicarbonate reveal that the bicarbonate stabilizes the folded form of this protein by ∼6.4 °C. Moreover, the temperature dependences of different bicarbonate loss pathways are obtained. Although protein analytes are directly heated by the laser for only 140 ms, heat conduction further up the emitter leads to a total analyte heating time of ∼41 s. Pulsed laser heating experiments could reduce this time to ∼0.5 s for protein aggregation that occurs on a faster time scale. Laser heating provides a powerful method for studying the detailed mechanisms of cofactor/ligand loss with increasing temperature and promises a new tool for studying the effect of ligands, drugs, growth conditions, buffer additives, or other treatments on the stabilities of aggregation-prone biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S Jordan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720-1460, USA.
| | - Katherine J Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720-1460, USA.
| | - Evan R Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720-1460, USA.
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2
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Ng YK, Konermann L. Mechanism of Protein Aggregation Inhibition by Arginine: Blockage of Anionic Side Chains Favors Unproductive Encounter Complexes. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:8394-8406. [PMID: 38477601 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Aggregation refers to the assembly of proteins into nonphysiological higher order structures. While amyloid has been studied extensively, much less is known about amorphous aggregation, a process that interferes with protein expression and storage. Free arginine (Arg+) is a widely used aggregation inhibitor, but its mechanism remains elusive. Focusing on myoglobin (Mb), we recently applied atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for gaining detailed insights into amorphous aggregation (Ng J. Phys. Chem. B 2021, 125, 13099). Building on that approach, the current work for the first time demonstrates that MD simulations can directly elucidate aggregation inhibition mechanisms. Comparative simulations with and without Arg+ reproduced the experimental finding that Arg+ significantly decreased the Mb aggregation propensity. Our data reveal that, without Arg+, protein-protein encounter complexes readily form salt bridges and hydrophobic contacts, culminating in firmly linked dimeric aggregation nuclei. Arg+ promotes the dissociation of encounter complexes. These "unproductive" encounter complexes are favored because Arg+ binding to D- and E- lowers the tendency of these anionic residues to form interprotein salt bridges. Side chain blockage is mediated largely by the guanidinium group of Arg+, which binds carboxylates through H-bond-reinforced ionic contacts. Our MD data revealed Arg+ self-association into a dynamic quasi-infinite network, but we found no evidence that this self-association is important for protein aggregation inhibition. Instead, aggregation inhibition by Arg+ is similar to that mediated by free guanidinium ions. The computational strategy used here should be suitable for the rational design of aggregation inhibitors with enhanced potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuen Ki Ng
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Lars Konermann
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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3
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Wu R, Metternich JB, Kamenik AS, Tiwari P, Harrison JA, Kessen D, Akay H, Benzenberg LR, Chan TWD, Riniker S, Zenobi R. Determining the gas-phase structures of α-helical peptides from shape, microsolvation, and intramolecular distance data. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2913. [PMID: 37217470 PMCID: PMC10203302 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38463-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass spectrometry is a powerful technique for the structural and functional characterization of biomolecules. However, it remains challenging to accurately gauge the gas-phase structure of biomolecular ions and assess to what extent native-like structures are maintained. Here we propose a synergistic approach which utilizes Förster resonance energy transfer and two types of ion mobility spectrometry (i.e., traveling wave and differential) to provide multiple constraints (i.e., shape and intramolecular distance) for structure-refinement of gas-phase ions. We add microsolvation calculations to assess the interaction sites and energies between the biomolecular ions and gaseous additives. This combined strategy is employed to distinguish conformers and understand the gas-phase structures of two isomeric α-helical peptides that might differ in helicity. Our work allows more stringent structural characterization of biologically relevant molecules (e.g., peptide drugs) and large biomolecular ions than using only a single structural methodology in the gas phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ri Wu
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonas B Metternich
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna S Kamenik
- Laboratorium für Physikalische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Prince Tiwari
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Julian A Harrison
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dennis Kessen
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
- University of Münster, MEET Battery Research Center, Corrensstrasse 46, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Hasan Akay
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas R Benzenberg
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - T-W Dominic Chan
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Sereina Riniker
- Laboratorium für Physikalische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Renato Zenobi
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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4
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Reid DJ, Thibert S, Zhou M. Dissecting the structural heterogeneity of proteins by native mass spectrometry. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4612. [PMID: 36851867 PMCID: PMC10031758 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
A single gene yields many forms of proteins via combinations of post-transcriptional/post-translational modifications. Proteins also fold into higher-order structures and interact with other molecules. The combined molecular diversity leads to the heterogeneity of proteins that manifests as distinct phenotypes. Structural biology has generated vast amounts of data, effectively enabling accurate structural prediction by computational methods. However, structures are often obtained heterologously under homogeneous states in vitro. The lack of native heterogeneity under cellular context creates challenges in precisely connecting the structural data to phenotypes. Mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics methods can profile proteome composition of complex biological samples. Most MS methods follow the "bottom-up" approach, which denatures and digests proteins into short peptide fragments for ease of detection. Coupled with chemical biology approaches, higher-order structures can be probed via incorporation of covalent labels on native proteins that are maintained at the peptide level. Alternatively, native MS follows the "top-down" approach and directly analyzes intact proteins under nondenaturing conditions. Various tandem MS activation methods can dissect the intact proteins for in-depth structural elucidation. Herein, we review recent native MS applications for characterizing heterogeneous samples, including proteins binding to mixtures of ligands, homo/hetero-complexes with varying stoichiometry, intrinsically disordered proteins with dynamic conformations, glycoprotein complexes with mixed modification states, and active membrane protein complexes in near-native membrane environments. We summarize the benefits, challenges, and ongoing developments in native MS, with the hope to demonstrate an emerging technology that complements other tools by filling the knowledge gaps in understanding molecular heterogeneity of proteins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deseree J Reid
- Chemical and Biological Signature Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Stephanie Thibert
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Mowei Zhou
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
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5
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Jordan JS, Williams ER. Laser Heating Nanoelectrospray Emitters for Fast Protein Melting Measurements with Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2022; 94:16894-16900. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S. Jordan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Evan R. Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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6
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Vallejo DD, Rojas Ramírez C, Parson KF, Han Y, Gadkari VV, Ruotolo BT. Mass Spectrometry Methods for Measuring Protein Stability. Chem Rev 2022; 122:7690-7719. [PMID: 35316030 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mass spectrometry is a central technology in the life sciences, providing our most comprehensive account of the molecular inventory of the cell. In parallel with developments in mass spectrometry technologies targeting such assessments of cellular composition, mass spectrometry tools have emerged as versatile probes of biomolecular stability. In this review, we cover recent advancements in this branch of mass spectrometry that target proteins, a centrally important class of macromolecules that accounts for most biochemical functions and drug targets. Our efforts cover tools such as hydrogen-deuterium exchange, chemical cross-linking, ion mobility, collision induced unfolding, and other techniques capable of stability assessments on a proteomic scale. In addition, we focus on a range of application areas where mass spectrometry-driven protein stability measurements have made notable impacts, including studies of membrane proteins, heat shock proteins, amyloidogenic proteins, and biotherapeutics. We conclude by briefly discussing the future of this vibrant and fast-moving area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Vallejo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Carolina Rojas Ramírez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Kristine F Parson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Yilin Han
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Varun V Gadkari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Brandon T Ruotolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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7
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Muneeruddin K, Kaltashov IA, Wang G. Characterizing Soluble Protein Aggregates Using Native Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Temperature-Controlled Electrospray Ionization and Size-Excl usion Chromatography. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:455-468. [PMID: 35089574 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of soluble protein aggregates provides valuable information for revealing mechanisms of protein aggregation process and assessing the activity and safety of protein therapeutics. However, the noncovalent interaction, the transient nature and higher degree of structural heterogeneity of the soluble aggregation system hinders precise characterization at the molecular level. Here, we describe methods using native mass spectrometry coupled with temperature-control electrospray ionization and size-exclusion chromatography to monitor the aggregation process and profile the aggregates in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaja Muneeruddin
- The Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
| | - Igor A Kaltashov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Guanbo Wang
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Institute for Cell Analysis, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
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8
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Alexander Harrison J, Pruška A, Oganesyan I, Bittner P, Zenobi R. Temperature-Controlled Electrospray Ionization: Recent Progress and Applications. Chemistry 2021; 27:18015-18028. [PMID: 34632657 PMCID: PMC9298390 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202102474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Native electrospray ionization (ESI) and nanoelectrospray ionization (nESI) allow researchers to analyze intact biomolecules and their complexes by mass spectrometry (MS). The data acquired using these soft ionization techniques provide a snapshot of a given biomolecules structure in solution. Over the last thirty years, several nESI and ESI sources capable of controlling spray solution temperature have been developed. These sources can be used to elucidate the thermodynamics of a given analyte, as well as provide structural information that cannot be readily obtained by other, more commonly used techniques. This review highlights how the field of temperature-controlled mass spectrometry has developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Alexander Harrison
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adam Pruška
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Irina Oganesyan
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Bittner
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Renato Zenobi
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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Ng YK, Tajoddin NN, Scrosati PM, Konermann L. Mechanism of Thermal Protein Aggregation: Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulations on the High-Temperature Behavior of Myoglobin. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:13099-13110. [PMID: 34808050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c07210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Proteins that encounter unfavorable solvent conditions are prone to aggregation, a phenomenon that remains poorly understood. This work focuses on myoglobin (Mb) as a model protein. Upon heating, Mb produces amorphous aggregates. Thermal unfolding experiments at low concentration (where aggregation is negligible), along with centrifugation assays, imply that Mb aggregation proceeds via globally unfolded conformers. This contrasts studies on other proteins that emphasized the role of partially folded structures as aggregate precursors. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to gain insights into the mechanism by which heat-unfolded Mb molecules associate with one another. A prerequisite for these simulations was the development of a method for generating monomeric starting structures. Periodic boundary condition artifacts necessitated the implementation of a partially immobilized water layer lining the walls of the simulation box. Aggregation simulations were performed at 370 K to track the assembly of monomeric Mb into pentameric species. Binding events were preceded by multiple unsuccessful encounters. Even after association, protein-protein contacts remained in flux. Binding was mediated by hydrophobic contacts, along with salt bridges that involved hydrophobically embedded Lys residues. Overall, this work illustrates that atomistic MD simulations are well suited for garnering insights into protein aggregation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuen Ki Ng
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Nastaran N Tajoddin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Pablo M Scrosati
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Lars Konermann
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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10
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Largy E, König A, Ghosh A, Ghosh D, Benabou S, Rosu F, Gabelica V. Mass Spectrometry of Nucleic Acid Noncovalent Complexes. Chem Rev 2021; 122:7720-7839. [PMID: 34587741 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acids have been among the first targets for antitumor drugs and antibiotics. With the unveiling of new biological roles in regulation of gene expression, specific DNA and RNA structures have become very attractive targets, especially when the corresponding proteins are undruggable. Biophysical assays to assess target structure as well as ligand binding stoichiometry, affinity, specificity, and binding modes are part of the drug development process. Mass spectrometry offers unique advantages as a biophysical method owing to its ability to distinguish each stoichiometry present in a mixture. In addition, advanced mass spectrometry approaches (reactive probing, fragmentation techniques, ion mobility spectrometry, ion spectroscopy) provide more detailed information on the complexes. Here, we review the fundamentals of mass spectrometry and all its particularities when studying noncovalent nucleic acid structures, and then review what has been learned thanks to mass spectrometry on nucleic acid structures, self-assemblies (e.g., duplexes or G-quadruplexes), and their complexes with ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Largy
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECB, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Alexander König
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECB, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Anirban Ghosh
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECB, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Debasmita Ghosh
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECB, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Sanae Benabou
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECB, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Frédéric Rosu
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, IECB, UMS 3033, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Valérie Gabelica
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECB, F-33600 Pessac, France
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11
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Raab SA, El-Baba TJ, Laganowsky A, Russell DH, Valentine SJ, Clemmer DE. Protons Are Fast and Smart; Proteins Are Slow and Dumb: On the Relationship of Electrospray Ionization Charge States and Conformations. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2021; 32:1553-1561. [PMID: 34151568 PMCID: PMC9003666 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.1c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We present simple considerations of how differences in time scales of motions of protons, the lightest and fastest chemical moiety, and the much longer time scales associated with the dynamics of proteins, among the heaviest and slowest analytes, may allow many protein conformations from solution to be kinetically trapped during the process of electrospraying protein solutions into the gas phase. In solution, the quantum nature of protons leads them to change locations by tunneling, an instantaneous process; moreover, the Grotthuss mechanism suggests that these small particles can respond nearly instantaneously to the dynamic motions of proteins that occur on much longer time scales. A conformational change is accompanied by favorable or unfavorable variations in the free energy of the system, providing the impetus for solvent ↔ protein proton exchange. Thus, as thermal distributions of protein conformations interconvert, protonation states rapidly respond, as specific acidic and basic sites are exposed or protected. In the vacuum of the mass spectrometer, protons become immobilized in locations that are specific to the protein conformations from which they were incorporated. In this way, conformational states from solution are preserved upon electrospraying them into the gas phase. These ideas are consistent with the exquisite sensitivity of electrospray mass spectra to small changes of the local environment that alter protein structure in solution. We might remember this approximation for the protonation of proteins in solution with the colloquial expression-protons are fast and smart; proteins are slow and dumb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon A Raab
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - David H Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Stephen J Valentine
- Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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12
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El-Baba TJ, Raab SA, Buckley RP, Brown CJ, Lutomski CA, Henderson LW, Woodall DW, Shen J, Trinidad JC, Niu H, Jarrold MF, Russell DH, Laganowsky A, Clemmer DE. Thermal Analysis of a Mixture of Ribosomal Proteins by vT-ESI-MS: Toward a Parallel Approach for Characterizing the Stabilitome. Anal Chem 2021; 93:8484-8492. [PMID: 34101419 PMCID: PMC8546744 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The thermal stabilities of endogenous, intact proteins and protein assemblies in complex mixtures were characterized in parallel by means of variable-temperature electrospray ionization coupled to mass spectrometry (vT-ESI-MS). The method is demonstrated by directly measuring the melting transitions of seven proteins from a mixture of proteins derived from ribosomes. A proof-of-concept measurement of a fraction of an Escherichia coli lysate is provided to extend this approach to characterize the thermal stability of a proteome. As the solution temperature is increased, proteins and protein complexes undergo structural and organizational transitions; for each species, the folded ↔ unfolded and assembled ↔ disassembled populations are monitored based on changes in vT-ESI-MS charge state distributions and masses. The robustness of the approach illustrates a step toward the proteome-wide characterization of thermal stabilities and structural transitions-the stabilitome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Shannon A Raab
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Rachel P Buckley
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Christopher J Brown
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Corinne A Lutomski
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Lucas W Henderson
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Daniel W Woodall
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Jiangchuan Shen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Jonathan C Trinidad
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Hengyao Niu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Martin F Jarrold
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - David H Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
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13
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Yan B, Bunch J. Probing Folded Proteins and Intact Protein Complexes by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2021; 32:690-699. [PMID: 33605725 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.0c00417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Native mass spectrometry (MS) enables the study of intact proteins as well as noncovalent protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes in their biological state. In this work, we present the application of a Waters desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) source with a prototype spray emitter for rapid surface measurements of folded and native protein structures. A comparison of DESI spray solvent shows that adding 50% methanol to 200 mM ammonium acetate solution does not reduce its performance in preserving folded protein structures. Instead, improved signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio is obtained, and less adducted peaks are detected by using this uncommon native MS solvent system. The standard DESI design with an inlet tube allows optimization of sampling temperature conditions to improve desolvation and therefore S/N ratio. Furthermore, tuning the inlet temperature enables the control and study of unfolding behavior of proteins from surface samples. The optimized condition for native DESI has been applied to several selected proteins and protein complexes with the molecular weight ranging from 8.6 to 66.4 kDa. Ions of folded proteins with narrow charge state distribution (CSD), or peaks showing noncovalent-bond-assembled intact protein complexes, are observed in the spectra. Evidence for the structural refolding of denatured proteins and protein complexes sampled with native solvent highlights the need for care when interpreting DESI native MS data, particularly for proteins with stable native structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Yan
- National Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry Imaging, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Josephine Bunch
- National Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry Imaging, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, U.K
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14
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Woodall DW, Henderson LW, Raab SA, Honma K, Clemmer DE. Understanding the Thermal Denaturation of Myoglobin with IMS-MS: Evidence for Multiple Stable Structures and Trapped Pre-equilibrium States. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2021; 32:64-72. [PMID: 32539412 PMCID: PMC7790998 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.0c00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Thermal denaturation of holomyoglobin (hMb) in solution (10 mM ammonium acetate at pH = 4.5, 6.8, and 9.0) was monitored by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry (MS) techniques to characterize the stability and investigate structural changes involved in unfolding. We utilize two experimental approaches to induce thermal denaturation: a variable-temperature electrospray ionization (vT-ESI) source that heats the bulk solution in the ESI emitter, and a variable-power 10.6 μm CO2 laser that rapidly heats nanodroplets produced by ESI. These two approaches sample different time scales of the denaturation process; long time scales (seconds to minutes) where the system is at equilibrium using the vT-ESI approach and shorter time scales (μs) by rapid droplet heating in which the system is in a pre-equilibrium state. Increasing the solution temperature (from 28 to 95 °C in the vT-ESI experiments) shifts the charge state distribution from low charge states ([M + 7H]7+ to [M + 9H]9+) to more highly charged species. This is accompanied by loss of the heme group to yield the apomyoglobin (aMb) species, indicating that the protein has unfolded. Monitoring the formation of aMb and the shift in average charge states of aMb and hMb with solution temperature allows for relative quantitation of their individual stabilities, highlighting the stabilizing effects of heme binding. We compare the degree of unfolding induced by heating the bulk solution (using vT-ESI) to the laser droplet heating approach and find that the rapid nature of the laser heating approach allows for transient pre-equilibrium states to be sampled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Woodall
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Lucas W Henderson
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Shannon A Raab
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Kenji Honma
- Graduate School of Material Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kohto, Kamigori, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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15
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Raab SA, El-Baba TJ, Woodall DW, Liu W, Liu Y, Baird Z, Hales DA, Laganowsky A, Russell DH, Clemmer DE. Evidence for Many Unique Solution Structures for Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2: A Thermodynamic Perspective Derived from vT-ESI-IMS-MS Measurements. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:17372-17383. [PMID: 32866376 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c05365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 (CI-2) is a classic model for two-state cooperative protein folding and is one of the most extensively studied systems. Alan Fersht, a pioneer in the field of structural biology, has studied the wild-type (wt) and over 100 mutant forms of CI-2 with traditional analytical and biochemical techniques. Here, we examine wt CI-2 and three mutant forms (A16G, K11A, L32A) to demonstrate the utility of variable-temperature (vT) electrospray ionization (ESI) paired with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry (MS) to map the free energy folding landscape. As the solution temperature is increased, the abundance of each of the six ESI charge states for wt CI-2 and each mutant is found to vary independently. These results require that at least six unique types of CI-2 solution conformers are present. Ion mobility analysis reveals that within each charge state there are additional conformers having distinct solution temperature profiles. A model of the data at ∼30 different temperatures for all four systems suggests the presence of 41 unique CI-2 solution conformations. A thermodynamic analysis of this system yields values of ΔCp as well as ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS for each state at every temperature studied. Detailed energy landscapes derived from these data provide a rare glimpse into Anfinsen's thermodynamic hypothesis and the process of thermal denaturation, normally thought of as a cooperative two-state transition involving the native state and unstructured denatured species. Specifically, as the temperature is varied, the entropies and enthalpies of different conformers undergo dramatic changes in magnitude and relative order to maintain the delicate balance associated with equilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon A Raab
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Daniel W Woodall
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Wen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Zane Baird
- Baxter Healthcare Corporation, 927 South Curry Pike, Bloomington, Indiana 47403, United States
| | - David A Hales
- Department of Chemistry, Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas 72032, United States
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - David H Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
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16
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Jeanne Dit Fouque K, Fernandez-Lima F. Following Structural Changes by Thermal Denaturation Using Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:6257-6265. [PMID: 32560586 PMCID: PMC8341290 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c04276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The behavior of biomolecules as a function of the solution temperature is often crucial to assessing their biological activity and function. While heat-induced changes of biomolecules are traditionally monitored using optical spectroscopy methods, their conformational changes and unfolding transitions remain challenging to interpret. In the present work, the structural transitions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in native conditions (100 mM aqueous ammonium acetate) were investigated as a function of the starting solution temperature (T ∼ 23-70 °C) using a temperature-controlled nanoelectrospray ionization source (nESI) coupled to a trapped ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) instrument. The charge state distribution of the monomeric BSA changed from a native-like, narrow charge state ([M + 12H]12+ to [M + 16H]16+ at ∼23 °C) and narrow mobility distribution toward an unfolded-like, broad charge state (up to [M + 46H]46+ at ∼70 °C) and broad mobility distribution. Inspection of the average charge state and collision cross section (CCS) distribution suggested a two-state unfolding transition with a melting temperature Tm ∼ 56 ± 1 °C; however, the inspection of the CCS profiles at the charge state level as a function of the solution temperature showcases at least six structural transitions (T1-T7). If the starting solution concentration is slightly increased (from 2 to 25 μM), this method can detect nonspecific BSA dimers and trimers which dissociate early (Td ∼ 34 ± 1 °C) and may disturb the melting curve of the BSA monomer. In a single experiment, this technology provides a detailed view of the solution, protein structural landscape (mobility vs solution temperature vs relative intensity for each charge state).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Jeanne Dit Fouque
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
| | - Francisco Fernandez-Lima
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
- Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
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17
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Woodall DW, Brown CJ, Raab SA, El-Baba TJ, Laganowsky A, Russell DH, Clemmer DE. Melting of Hemoglobin in Native Solutions as measured by IMS-MS. Anal Chem 2020; 92:3440-3446. [PMID: 31990187 PMCID: PMC7480357 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Thermally induced structural transitions of the quaternary structure of the hemoglobin tetramer (human) in aqueous solution (150 mM ammonium acetate) were investigated using a variable temperature electrospray ionization (vt-ESI) technique in combination with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry (MS) measurements. At low solution temperatures (28 to ∼40 °C), a heterotetrameric (α2β2) complex is the most abundant species that is observed. When the solution temperature is increased, this assembly dissociates into heterodimers (holo αβ forms) before ultimately forming insoluble aggregates at higher temperatures (>60 °C). In addition to the holo αβ forms, a small population of αβ dimers containing only a single heme ligand and having a dioxidation modification mapping to the β subunit are observed. The oxidized heterodimers are less stable than the unmodified holo-heterodimer. The Cys93 residue of the β subunit is the primary site of dioxidation. The close proximity of this post translational modification to both the αβ subunit interface and the heme binding site suggests that this modification is coupled to the loss of the heme and decreased protein stability. Changes in the charge state and collision cross sections of these species indicate that the tetramers and dimers favor less compact structures at elevated temperatures (prior to temperatures where dissociation dominates).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Woodall
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Christopher J Brown
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Shannon A Raab
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry , Texas A & M University , College Station , Texas 77843 , United States
| | - David H Russell
- Department of Chemistry , Texas A & M University , College Station , Texas 77843 , United States
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
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18
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Kaltashov IA, Bobst CE, Pawlowski J, Wang G. Mass spectrometry-based methods in characterization of the higher order structure of protein therapeutics. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2020; 184:113169. [PMID: 32092629 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Higher order structure of protein therapeutics is an important quality attribute, which dictates both potency and safety. While modern experimental biophysics offers an impressive arsenal of state-of-the-art tools that can be used for the characterization of higher order structure, many of them are poorly suited for the characterization of biopharmaceutical products. As a result, these analyses were traditionally carried out using classical techniques that provide relatively low information content. Over the past decade, mass spectrometry made a dramatic debut in this field, enabling the characterization of higher order structure of biopharmaceuticals as complex as monoclonal antibodies at a level of detail that was previously unattainable. At present, mass spectrometry is an integral part of the analytical toolbox across the industry, which is critical not only for quality control efforts, but also for discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor A Kaltashov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Cedric E Bobst
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jake Pawlowski
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Guanbo Wang
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, PR China
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19
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Marchand A, Czar MF, Eggel EN, Kaeslin J, Zenobi R. Studying biomolecular folding and binding using temperature-jump mass spectrometry. Nat Commun 2020; 11:566. [PMID: 31992698 PMCID: PMC6987177 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14179-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterizing folding and complex formation of biomolecules provides a view into their thermodynamics, kinetics and folding pathways. Deciphering kinetic intermediates is particularly important because they can often be targeted by drugs. The key advantage of native mass spectrometry over conventional methods that monitor a single observable is its ability to identify and quantify coexisting species. Here, we show the design of a temperature-jump electrospray source for mass spectrometry that allows one to perform fast kinetics experiments (0.16-32 s) at different temperatures (10-90 °C). The setup allows recording of both folding and unfolding kinetics by using temperature jumps from high to low, and low to high, temperatures. Six biological systems, ranging from peptides to proteins to DNA complexes, exemplify the use of this device. Using temperature-dependent experiments, the folding and unfolding of a DNA triplex are studied, providing detailed information on its thermodynamics and kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Marchand
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin F Czar
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elija N Eggel
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Kaeslin
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Renato Zenobi
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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20
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Morris CB, Poland JC, May JC, McLean JA. Fundamentals of Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Biomolecules. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2084:1-31. [PMID: 31729651 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0030-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) combines complementary size- and mass-selective separations into a single analytical platform. This chapter provides context for both the instrumental arrangements and key application areas that are commonly encountered in bioanalytical settings. New advances in these high-throughput strategies are described with description of complementary informatics tools to effectively utilize these data-intensive measurements. Rapid separations such as these are especially important in systems, synthetic, and chemical biology in which many small molecules are transient and correspond to various biological classes for integrated omics measurements. This chapter highlights the fundamentals of IM-MS and its applications toward biomolecular separations and discusses methods currently being used in the fields of proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb B Morris
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Technology, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James C Poland
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Technology, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jody C May
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Technology, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John A McLean
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Technology, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. .,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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21
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Brown CJ, Woodall DW, El-Baba TJ, Clemmer DE. Characterizing Thermal Transitions of IgG with Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2019; 30:2438-2445. [PMID: 31363989 PMCID: PMC6866664 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-019-02292-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Variable temperature electrospray ionization (ESI) is coupled with mass spectrometry techniques in order to investigate structural transitions of monoclonal antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) in a 100-mM ammonium acetate (pH 7.0) solution from 26 to 70 °C. At 26 °C, the mass spectrum for intact IgG shows six charge states + 22 to + 26. Upon increasing the solution temperature, the fraction of low-charge states decreases and new, higher-charge state ions are observed. Upon analysis, it appears that heating the solution aids in desolvation of the intact IgG precursor. Above ~ 50 °C, a cleavage event between the light and heavy chains is observed. An analysis of the kinetics for these processes at different temperatures yields transition state thermochemistry of ΔH‡ = 95 ± 10 kJ mol-1, ΔS‡ = 8 ± 1 J mol-1 K-1, and ΔG‡ = 92 ± 11 kJ mol-1. The mechanism for light chain dissociation appears to involve disulfide bond scrambling that ultimately results in a non-native Cys199-Cys217 disulfide bond in the light chain product. Above ~ 70 °C, we are unable to produce a stable ESI signal. The loss of signal is ascribed to aggregation that is primarily associated with the remaining portion of the antibody after having lost the light chain. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Brown
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA
| | - Daniel W Woodall
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA
| | - Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA.
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22
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El-Baba TJ, Clemmer DE. Solution thermochemistry of concanavalin A tetramer conformers measured by variable-temperature ESI-IMS-MS. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY 2019; 443:93-100. [PMID: 32226278 PMCID: PMC7100878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijms.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Variable-temperature nano-electrospray ionization coupled with ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry is used to investigate the thermal denaturation of the tetrameric protein concanavalin A. As the solution temperature is increased, changes in mass spectra and collision cross section distributions provide evidence for discrete structural changes that occur at temperatures that are ~40 to 50 degrees below the temperature required for tetramer dissociation. The subtle structural changes are associated with four distinct tetramer conformations with unique melting temperatures. Gibbs-Helmholtz analysis of the free energies determined with respect to the most abundant "native" state yields heat capacities of ΔCp = 1.6 ± 0.3, -2.2 ± 0.4, and -2.9 ± 1.6 kJ·K-1·mol-1, and temperature dependent enthalpies and entropies for the three non-native conformations. Analysis of the thermochemistry indicates that the high-temperature products are entropically stable until the threshold for tetramer dissociation, and changes in heat capacity are consistent with increases in solvation of polar residues. Our findings suggest these high-temperature non-native states result from an increase in disorder at surface exposed regions. Such studies provide valuable insight towards the structural details of non-native states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington IN, 47401 USA
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington IN, 47401 USA
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23
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Woodall DW, El-Baba TJ, Fuller DR, Liu W, Brown CJ, Laganowsky A, Russell DH, Clemmer DE. Variable-Temperature ESI-IMS-MS Analysis of Myohemerythrin Reveals Ligand Losses, Unfolding, and a Non-Native Disulfide Bond. Anal Chem 2019; 91:6808-6814. [PMID: 31038926 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b00981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Variable-temperature electrospray ionization combined with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry (MS) techniques are used to monitor structural transitions of the protein myohemerythrin from peanut worm in aqueous ammonium acetate solutions from ∼15 to 92 °C. At physiological temperatures, myohemerythrin favors a four-helix bundle motif and has a diiron oxo cofactor that binds oxygen. As the solution temperature is increased from ∼15 to 35 °C, some bound oxygen dissociates; at ∼66 °C, the cofactor dissociates to produce populations of both folded and unfolded apoprotein. At higher temperatures (∼85 °C and above), the IMS-MS spectrum indicates that the folded apoprotein dominates, and provides evidence for stabilization of the structure by formation of a non-native disulfide bond. In total, we find evidence for 18 unique forms of myohemerythrin as well as information about the structures and stabilities of these states. The high-fidelity of IMS-MS techniques provides a means of examining the stabilities of individual components of complex mixtures that are inaccessible by traditional calorimetric and spectroscopic methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Woodall
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Daniel R Fuller
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Wen Liu
- Department of Chemistry , Texas A&M University , College Station , Texas 77843 , United States
| | - Christopher J Brown
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry , Texas A&M University , College Station , Texas 77843 , United States
| | - David H Russell
- Department of Chemistry , Texas A&M University , College Station , Texas 77843 , United States
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
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24
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Marchand A, Rosu F, Zenobi R, Gabelica V. Thermal Denaturation of DNA G-Quadruplexes and Their Complexes with Ligands: Thermodynamic Analysis of the Multiple States Revealed by Mass Spectrometry. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:12553-12565. [PMID: 30183275 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b07302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Designing ligands targeting G-quadruplex nucleic acid structures and affecting cellular processes is complicated because there are multiple target sequences and some are polymorphic. Further, structure alone does not reveal the driving forces for ligand binding. To know why a ligand binds, the thermodynamics of binding must be characterized. Electrospray mass spectrometry enables one to detect and quantify each specific stoichiometry (number of strands, cations, and ligands) and thus to simultaneously determine the equilibrium constants for each complex. Using a temperature-controlled nanoelectrospray source, we determined the temperature dependence of the equilibrium constants, and thus the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the formation of each stoichiometry. Enthalpy drives the formation of each quartet-K+-quartet unit, whereas entropy drives the formation of quartet-K+-triplet units. Consequently, slip-stranded structures can become more abundant as the temperature increases. In the presence of ligands (Phen-DC3, TrisQ, TMPyP4, Cu-ttpy), we observed that, even when only a 1:1 (ligand/quadruplex) complex is observed at room temperature, new states are populated at intermediate temperatures, including 2:1 complexes. In most cases, ligand-G4-quadruplex binding is entropically driven, and we discuss that this may have resulted from biases when ranking ligand potency using melting experiments. Other thermodynamic profiles could be linked to topology changes in terms of number of G-quartets (reflected in the number of specific K+ ions in the complex). The thermodynamics of ligand binding to each form, one ligand at a time, provides unprecedented detail on the interplay between ligand binding and topology changes in terms of number of G-quartets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Marchand
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences , ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Rosu
- Université de Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, IECB, F-33600 Pessac , France
| | - Renato Zenobi
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences , ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Valérie Gabelica
- Université de Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, IECB, F-33600 Pessac , France
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25
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Metwally H, Duez Q, Konermann L. Chain Ejection Model for Electrospray Ionization of Unfolded Proteins: Evidence from Atomistic Simulations and Ion Mobility Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2018; 90:10069-10077. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Haidy Metwally
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Quentin Duez
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
- Organic Synthesis and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Mons, Place du Parc, 23, Mons 7000, Belgium
| | - Lars Konermann
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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26
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Fuller DR, Conant CR, El-Baba TJ, Brown CJ, Woodall DW, Russell DH, Clemmer DE. Conformationally Regulated Peptide Bond Cleavage in Bradykinin. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:9357-9360. [PMID: 30028131 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b04751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ion mobility and mass spectrometry techniques are used to investigate the stabilities of different conformations of bradykinin (BK, Arg1-Pro2-Pro3-Gly4-Phe5-Ser6-Pro7-Phe8-Arg9). At elevated solution temperatures, we observe a slow protonation reaction, i.e., [BK+2H]2++H+ → [BK+3H]3+, that is regulated by trans → cis isomerization of Arg1-Pro2, resulting in the Arg1- cis-Pro2- cis-Pro3-Gly4-Phe5-Ser6- cis-Pro7-Phe8-Arg9 (all- cis) configuration. Once formed, the all- cis [BK+3H]3+ spontaneously cleaves the bond between Pro2-Pro3 with perfect specificity, a bond that is biologically resistant to cleavage by any human enzyme. Temperature-dependent kinetics studies reveal details about the intrinsic peptide processing mechanism. We propose that nonenzymatic cleavage at Pro2-Pro3 occurs through multiple intermediates and is regulated by trans → cis isomerization of Arg1-Pro2. From this mechanism, we can extract transition state thermochemistry: Δ G‡ = 94.8 ± 0.2 kJ·mol-1, Δ H‡ = 79.8 ± 0.2 kJ·mol-1, and Δ S‡ = -50.4 ± 1.7 J·mol-1·K-1 for the trans → cis protonation event; and, Δ G‡ = 94.1 ± 9.2 kJ·mol-1, Δ H‡ = 107.3 ± 9.2 kJ·mol-1, and Δ S‡ = 44.4 ± 5.1 J·mol-1·K-1 for bond cleavage. Biological resistance to the most favored intrinsic processing pathway prevents formation of Pro3-Gly4-Phe5-Ser6- cis-Pro7-Phe8-Arg9 that is approximately an order of magnitude more antigenic than BK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Fuller
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Christopher R Conant
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Christopher J Brown
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Daniel W Woodall
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - David H Russell
- Department of Chemistry , Texas A&M University , College Station , Texas 77842 , United States
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
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How can native mass spectrometry contribute to characterization of biomacromolecular higher-order structure and interactions? Methods 2018; 144:3-13. [PMID: 29704661 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Native mass spectrometry (MS) is an emerging approach for characterizing biomacromolecular structure and interactions under physiologically relevant conditions. In native MS measurement, intact macromolecules or macromolecular complexes are directly ionized from a non-denaturing solvent, and key noncovalent interactions that hold the complexes together can be preserved for MS analysis in the gas phase. This technique provides unique multi-level structural information such as conformational changes, stoichiometry, topology and dynamics, complementing conventional biophysical techniques. Despite the maturation of native MS and greatly expanded range of applications in recent decades, further dissemination is needed to make the community aware of such a technique. In this review, we attempt to provide an overview of the current body of knowledge regarding major aspects of native MS and explain how such technique contributes to the characterization of biomacromolecular higher-order structure and interactions.
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28
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El-Baba TJ, Fuller DR, Woodall DW, Raab SA, Conant CR, Dilger JM, Toker Y, Williams ER, Russell DH, Clemmer DE. Melting proteins confined in nanodroplets with 10.6 μm light provides clues about early steps of denaturation. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:3270-3273. [PMID: 29536995 PMCID: PMC5871606 DOI: 10.1039/c7cc09829d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitin confined within nanodroplets was irradiated with a variable-power CO2 laser. Mass spectrometry analysis shows evidence for a protein "melting"-like transition within droplets prior to solvent evaporation and ion formation. Ion mobility spectrometry reveals that structures associated with early steps of denaturation are trapped because of short droplet lifetimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana, 47401, USA.
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29
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Wang G, Bondarenko PV, Kaltashov IA. Multi-step conformational transitions in heat-treated protein therapeutics can be monitored in real time with temperature-controlled electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Analyst 2018; 143:670-677. [PMID: 29303166 DOI: 10.1039/c7an01655g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Heat-induced conformational transitions are frequently used to probe the free energy landscapes of proteins. However, the extraction of information from thermal denaturation profiles pertaining to non-native protein conformations remains challenging due to their transient nature and significant conformational heterogeneity. Previously we developed a temperature-controlled electrospray ionization (ESI) source that allowed unfolding and association of biopolymers to be monitored by mass spectrometry (MS) in real time as a function of temperature. The scope of this technique is now extended to systems that undergo multi-step denaturation upon heat stress, as well as relatively small-scale conformational changes that are precursors to protein aggregation. The behavior of two therapeutic proteins (human antithrombin and an IgG1 monoclonal antibody) under heat-stress conditions is monitored in real time, providing evidence that relatively small-scale conformational changes in each system lead to protein oligomerization, followed by aggregation. Temperature-controlled ESI MS is particularly useful for the studies of heat-stressed multi-domain proteins such as IgG, where it allows distinct transitions to be observed. The ability of native temperature-controlled ESI MS to monitor both the conformational changes and oligomerization/degradation with high selectivity complements the classic calorimetric methods, lending itself as a powerful experimental tool for the thermostability studies of protein therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanbo Wang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Pavel V Bondarenko
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Igor A Kaltashov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
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30
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Zhao F, Matt SM, Bu J, Rehrauer OG, Ben-Amotz D, McLuckey SA. Joule Heating and Thermal Denaturation of Proteins in Nano-ESI Theta Tips. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2017; 28:2001-2010. [PMID: 28699064 PMCID: PMC5693742 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-017-1732-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Electro-osmotically induced Joule heating in theta tips and its effect on protein denaturation were investigated. Myoglobin, equine cytochrome c, bovine cytochrome c, and carbonic anhydrase II solutions were subjected to electro-osmosis in a theta tip and all of the proteins were denatured during the process. The extent of protein denaturation was found to increase with the applied square wave voltage and electrolyte concentration. The solution temperature at the end of a theta tip was measured directly by Raman spectroscopy and shown to increase with the square wave voltage, thereby demonstrating the effect of Joule heating through an independent method. The electro-osmosis of a solution comprised of myoglobin, bovine cytochrome c, and ubiquitin demonstrated that the magnitude of Joule heating that causes protein denaturation is positively correlated with protein melting temperature. This allows for a quick determination of a protein's relative thermal stability. This work establishes a fast, novel method for protein conformation manipulation prior to MS analysis and provides a temperature-controllable platform for the study of processes that take place in solution with direct coupling to mass spectrometry. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2084, USA
| | - Sarah M Matt
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2084, USA
| | - Jiexun Bu
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2084, USA
| | - Owen G Rehrauer
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2084, USA
| | - Dor Ben-Amotz
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2084, USA
| | - Scott A McLuckey
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2084, USA.
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31
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Laszlo KJ, Buckner JH, Munger EB, Bush MF. Native-Like and Denatured Cytochrome c Ions Yield Cation-to-Anion Proton Transfer Reaction Products with Similar Collision Cross-Sections. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2017; 28:1382-1391. [PMID: 28224394 PMCID: PMC5555649 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-017-1620-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between structures of protein ions, their charge states, and their original structures prior to ionization remains challenging to decouple. Here, we use cation-to-anion proton transfer reactions (CAPTR) to reduce the charge states of cytochrome c ions in the gas phase, and ion mobility to probe their structures. Ions were formed using a new temperature-controlled nanoelectrospray ionization source at 25 °C. Characterization of this source demonstrates that the temperature of the liquid sample is decoupled from that of the atmospheric pressure interface, which is heated during CAPTR experiments. Ionization from denaturing conditions yields 18+ to 8+ ions, which were each isolated and reacted with monoanions to generate all CAPTR products with charge states of at least 3+. The highest, intermediate, and lowest charge-state products exhibit collision cross-section distributions that are unimodal, multimodal, and unimodal, respectively. These distributions depend strongly on the charge state of the product, although those for the intermediate charge-state products also depend on that of the precursor. The distributions of the 3+ products are all similar, with averages that are less than half that of the 18+ precursor ions. Ionization of cytochrome c from native-like conditions yields 7+ and 6+ ions. The 3+ CAPTR products from these precursors have slightly more compact collision cross-section distributions that are indistinguishable from those for the 3+ CAPTR products from denaturing conditions. More broadly, these results indicate that the collision cross-sections of ions of this single domain protein depend strongly on charge state for charge states greater than ~4. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth J Laszlo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA
| | - John H Buckner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton College, One North College Street, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA
| | - Eleanor B Munger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA
| | - Matthew F Bush
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA.
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32
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Mortensen DN, Williams ER. Ultrafast (1 μs) Mixing and Fast Protein Folding in Nanodrops Monitored by Mass Spectrometry. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:3453-60. [PMID: 26902747 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b13081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The use of theta-glass emitters and mass spectrometry to monitor reactions that occur as fast as one μs is demonstrated. Acidified aqueous solutions containing unfolded proteins are mixed with aqueous ammonium acetate solutions to increase the solution pH and induce protein folding during nanoelectrospray ionization. Protein charge-state distributions show the extent to which folding occurs, and reaction times are obtained from known protein folding time constants. Shorter reaction times are obtained by decreasing the solution flow rate, and reaction times between 1.0 and 22 μs are obtained using flow rates between 48 and 2880 pL/s, respectively. Remarkably similar reaction times are obtained for three different proteins (Trp-cage, myoglobin, and cytochrome c) with folding time constants that differ by more than an order of magnitude (4.1, 7, and 57 μs, respectively), indicating that the reaction times obtained using rapid mixing from theta-glass emitters are independent of protein identity. A folding time constant of 2.2 μs is obtained for the formation of a β-hairpin structure of renin substrate tetradecapeptide, which is the fastest folding event measured using a rapid mixing technique. The 1.0 μs reaction time obtained here is about an order of magnitude lower than the shortest reaction time probed using a conventional mixer (8 μs). Moreover, this fast reaction time is obtained with a 48 pL/s flow rate, which is 2000-times less than the flow rate required to obtained the 8 μs reaction time using a conventional mixer. These results indicate that rapid mixing with theta-glass emitters can be used to access significantly faster reaction times while consuming substantially less sample than in conventional mixing apparatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Mortensen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California , Berkeley, California 94720-1460, United States
| | - Evan R Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of California , Berkeley, California 94720-1460, United States
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33
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Muneeruddin K, Nazzaro M, Kaltashov IA. Characterization of intact protein conjugates and biopharmaceuticals using ion-exchange chromatography with online detection by native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and top-down tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 2015; 87:10138-45. [PMID: 26360183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b02982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of biopharmaceutical products is a challenging task, which needs to be carried out at several different levels (including both primary structure and conformation). An additional difficulty frequently arises due to the structural heterogeneity inherent to many protein-based therapeutics (e.g., extensive glycosylation or "designer" modifications such as chemical conjugation) or introduced postproduction as a result of stress (e.g., oxidation and deamidation). A combination of ion-exchange chromatography (IXC) with online detection by native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) allows characterization of complex and heterogeneous therapeutic proteins and protein conjugates to be accomplished at a variety of levels without compromising their conformational integrity. The IXC/ESI MS measurements allow protein conjugates to be profiled by analyzing conjugation stoichiometry and the presence of multiple positional isomers, as well as to establish the effect of chemical modifications on the conformational integrity of each species. While mass profiling alone is not sufficient for identification of nonenzymatic post-translational modifications (PTMs) that result in a very small mass change of the eluting species (e.g., deamidation), this task can be completed using online top-down structural analysis, as demonstrated using stressed interferon-β as an example. The wealth of information that can be provided by IXC/native ESI MS and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) on protein-based therapeutics will undoubtedly make it a very valuable addition to the experimental toolbox of biopharmaceutical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaja Muneeruddin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Mark Nazzaro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Igor A Kaltashov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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34
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Muneeruddin K, Thomas JJ, Salinas PA, Kaltashov IA. Characterization of small protein aggregates and oligomers using size exclusion chromatography with online detection by native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 2014; 86:10692-9. [PMID: 25310183 DOI: 10.1021/ac502590h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Self-association of proteins is important in a variety of processes ranging from acquisition of native quaternary structure (where the association is tightly controlled and proceeds in a highly ordered fashion) to aggregation and amyloidosis. The latter is frequently accompanied (or indeed triggered) by the loss of the native structure, but a clear understanding of the complex relationship between conformational changes and protein self-association/aggregation remains elusive due to the great difficulty in characterizing these complex and frequently heterogeneous species. In this study, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used in combination with online detection by native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) to characterize a commercial protein sample (serum albumin) that forms small aggregates. Although noncovalent dimers and trimers of this protein are readily detected by native ESI MS alone, combination of SEC and ESI MS allows a distinction to be made between the oligomers present in solution and those formed during the ESI process (artifacts of ESI MS). Additionally, native ESI MS detection allows a partial loss of conformation integrity to be detected across all albumin species present in solution. Finally, ESI MS detection allows these analyses to be carried out readily even in the presence of other abundant proteins coeluting with albumin. Native ESI MS as an online detection method for SEC also enables meaningful characterization of species representing different quaternary organization of a recombinant glycoprotein human arylsulfatase A even when their rapid interconversion prevents their separation on the SEC time scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaja Muneeruddin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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35
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Kaltashov IA, Bobst CE, Abzalimov RR. Mass spectrometry-based methods to study protein architecture and dynamics. Protein Sci 2013; 22:530-44. [PMID: 23436701 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mass spectrometry is now an indispensable tool in the armamentarium of molecular biophysics, where it is used for tasks ranging from protein sequencing and mapping of post-translational modifications to studies of higher order structure, conformational dynamics, and interactions of proteins with small molecule ligands and other biopolymers. This mini-review highlights several popular mass spectrometry-based tools that are now commonly used for structural studies of proteins beyond their covalent structure with a particular emphasis on hydrogen exchange and direct electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor A Kaltashov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
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36
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Abzalimov RR, Bobst CE, Salinas PA, Savickas P, Thomas JJ, Kaltashov IA. Studies of pH-Dependent Self-Association of a Recombinant Form of Arylsulfatase A with Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Size-Exclusion Chromatography. Anal Chem 2013; 85:1591-6. [DOI: 10.1021/ac302829k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rinat R. Abzalimov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts,
United States
| | - Cedric E. Bobst
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts,
United States
| | - Paul A. Salinas
- Pharmaceutical
and Analytical
Development, Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Lexington, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Philip Savickas
- Pharmaceutical
and Analytical
Development, Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Lexington, Massachusetts, United States
| | - John J. Thomas
- Pharmaceutical
and Analytical
Development, Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Lexington, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Igor A. Kaltashov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts,
United States
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37
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Flick TG, Williams ER. Supercharging with trivalent metal ions in native mass spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2012; 23:1885-95. [PMID: 22948901 PMCID: PMC3474886 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-012-0463-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Revised: 07/29/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Addition of 1.0 mM LaCl(3) to aqueous ammonium acetate solutions containing proteins in their folded native forms can result in a significant increase in the molecular ion charging obtained with electrospray ionization as a result of cation adduction. In combination with m-nitrobenzyl alcohol, molecular ion charge states that are greater than the number of basic sites in the protein can be produced from these native solutions, even for lysozyme, which is conformationally constrained by four intramolecular disulfide bonds. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicates that the conformation of ubiquitin is not measurably affected with up to 1.0 M LaCl(3), but ion mobility data indicate that the high charge states that are formed when 1.0 mM LaCl(3) is present are more unfolded than the low charge states formed without this reagent. These and other results indicate that the increased charging is a result of La(3+) preferentially adducting onto compact or more native-like conformers during ESI and the gas-phase ions subsequently unfolding as a result of increased Coulomb repulsion. Electron capture dissociation of these high charge-state ions formed from these native solutions results in comparable sequence coverage to that obtained for ions formed from denaturing solutions without supercharging reagents, making this method a potentially powerful tool for obtaining structural information in native mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tawnya G Flick
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1460, USA
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38
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El-Hawiet A, Kitova EN, Klassen JS. Quantifying Carbohydrate–Protein Interactions by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis. Biochemistry 2012; 51:4244-53. [DOI: 10.1021/bi300436x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amr El-Hawiet
- Alberta Glycomics Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G
2G2
| | - Elena N. Kitova
- Alberta Glycomics Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G
2G2
| | - John S. Klassen
- Alberta Glycomics Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G
2G2
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39
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Kitova EN, El-Hawiet A, Schnier PD, Klassen JS. Reliable determinations of protein-ligand interactions by direct ESI-MS measurements. Are we there yet? JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2012; 23:431-41. [PMID: 22270873 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-011-0311-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2011] [Revised: 11/25/2011] [Accepted: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The association-dissociation of noncovalent interactions between protein and ligands, such as other proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, DNA, or small molecules, are critical events in many biological processes. The discovery and characterization of these interactions is essential to a complete understanding of biochemical reactions and pathways and to the design of novel therapeutic agents that may be used to treat a variety of diseases and infections. Over the last 20 y, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has emerged as a versatile tool for the identification and quantification of protein-ligand interactions in vitro. Here, we describe the implementation of the direct ESI-MS assay for the determination of protein-ligand binding stoichiometry and affinity. Additionally, we outline common sources of error encountered with these measurements and various strategies to overcome them. Finally, we comment on some of the outstanding challenges associated with the implementation of the assay and highlight new areas where direct ESI-MS measurements are expected to make significant contributions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena N Kitova
- Alberta Glycomics Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2G2
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40
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Wang G, Johnson AJ, Kaltashov IA. Evaluation of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry as a tool for characterization of small soluble protein aggregates. Anal Chem 2012; 84:1718-24. [PMID: 22240037 DOI: 10.1021/ac203017x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein aggregation continues to attract significant interest in many areas of biology and medicine not only due to its pivotal role in the etiology of conformational diseases (such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's) but also due to its importance in the biopharmaceutical sector, where aggregation of protein therapeutics exerts a deleterious effect on their efficacy and safety. Despite the tremendous success of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) in a large number of studies of noncovalent protein interactions, application of this technique to study aggregation processes has been very limited so far, and lower resolution techniques, such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and analytical ultracentrifugation, remain the default tools in characterizing small soluble protein aggregates. In this work we used heat-stressed human antithrombin III (AT), a 58 kDa glycoprotein, to compare SEC and ESI MS as a means to probe composition of the complex mixture of soluble oligomeric species generated by heat-induced aggregation. SEC allows several oligomeric species to be observed and collected, followed by their identification with ESI MS. The same oligomeric species can be also directly observed in the ESI MS of the unfractionated sample of the heat-stressed AT. The abundance distribution of these small soluble aggregates in ESI MS and SEC cannot be compared directly, since the ESI signal is linked to the molar concentration of the analyte in solution, whereas the UV absorption detection in SEC reports weight concentration. However, once the appropriate corrections are made, the abundance of the small aggregates derived from ESI MS becomes remarkably close to that calculated based on SEC data, suggesting that ESI MS may be directly applied for semiquantitative characterization of soluble protein aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanbo Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
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41
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Kaltashov IA, Bobst CE, Abzalimov RR, Wang G, Baykal B, Wang S. Advances and challenges in analytical characterization of biotechnology products: mass spectrometry-based approaches to study properties and behavior of protein therapeutics. Biotechnol Adv 2012; 30:210-22. [PMID: 21619926 PMCID: PMC3176981 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2011] [Revised: 04/13/2011] [Accepted: 05/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Biopharmaceuticals are a unique class of medicines due to their extreme structural complexity. The structure of these therapeutic proteins is critically important for their efficacy and safety, and the ability to characterize it at various levels (from sequence to conformation) is critical not only at the quality control stage, but also throughout the discovery and design stages. Biological mass spectrometry (MS) offers a variety of approaches to study structure and behavior of complex protein drugs and has already become a default tool for characterizing the covalent structure of protein therapeutics, including sequence and post-translational modifications. Recently, MS-based methods have also begun enjoying a dramatic growth in popularity as a means to provide information on higher order structure and dynamics of biotechnology products. In particular, hydrogen/deuterium exchange MS and charge state distribution analysis of protein ions in electrospray ionization (ESI) MS offer a convenient way to assess the integrity of protein conformation. Native ESI MS also allows the interactions of protein drugs with their therapeutic targets and other physiological partners to be monitored using simple model systems. MS-based methods are also applied to study pharmacokinetics of biopharmaceutical products, where they begin to rival traditional immunoassays. MS already provides valuable support to all stages of development of biopharmaceuticals, from discovery to post-approval monitoring, and its impact on the field of biopharmaceutical analysis will undoubtedly continue to grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor A Kaltashov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
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42
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Pan J, Han J, Borchers CH, Konermann L. Conformer-specific hydrogen exchange analysis of Aβ(1-42) oligomers by top-down electron capture dissociation mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 2011; 83:5386-93. [PMID: 21635007 DOI: 10.1021/ac200906v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein structural studies are particularly challenging under conditions in which several conformational species (e.g., monomers and aggregated forms) coexist in solution. Most spectroscopic techniques provide population-averaged data. Hence, it is usually not possible to obtain detailed structural information on individual protein species in heterogeneous samples. The current work employs an experimental strategy that addresses this issue. Solution-phase hydrogen exchange (HX) is used in combination with tandem mass spectrometry. Electrosprayed intact ions exhibiting specific HX mass shifts are selected in the gas phase, followed by electron capture dissociation. The resulting fragment ion deuteration pattern provides amide hydrogen bonding information in a conformer-specific and spatially resolved fashion. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by applying it to neurotoxic Aβ(1-42) oligomers that coexist with disordered monomers in solution. The findings of this study point to similarities between oligomers and mature amyloid fibrils with regard to the Aβ(1-42) backbone organization. Specifically, fibrils and oligomers appear to share a β-loop-β secondary structure motif. The spatial resolution obtained with the "top-down" approach used here exceeds that of earlier proteolysis-based HX data on Aβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxi Pan
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 Canada
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