Discovery of mouse spleen signaling responses to anthrax using label-free quantitative phosphoproteomics via mass spectrometry

Reading and Writing the Ubiquitin Code Using Genetic Code Expansion

Deciphering ubiquitin proteoform signaling and its role in disease has been a long-standing challenge in the field. The effects of ubiquitin modifications, its relation to ubiquitin-related machineries, and its signaling output has been particularly limited by its reconstitution and means of characterization. Advances in genetic code expansion have contributed towards addressing these challenges by precision incorporation of unnatural amino acids through site selective codon suppression. This review discusses recent advances in studying the 'writers', 'readers', and 'erasers' of the ubiquitin code using genetic code expansion. Highlighting strategies towards genetically encoded protein ubiquitination, ubiquitin phosphorylation, acylation, and finally surveying ubiquitin interactions, we strive to bring attention to this unique approach towards addressing a widespread proteoform problem.

EnsMOD: A Software Program for Omics Sample Outlier Detection

Detection of omics sample outliers is important for preventing erroneous biological conclusions, developing robust experimental protocols, and discovering rare biological states. Two recent publications describe robust algorithms for detecting transcriptomic sample outliers, but neither algorithm had been incorporated into a software tool for scientists. Here we describe Ensemble Methods for Outlier Detection (EnsMOD) which incorporates both algorithms. EnsMOD calculates how closely the quantitation variation follows a normal distribution, plots the density curves of each sample to visualize anomalies, performs hierarchical cluster analyses to calculate how closely the samples cluster with each other, and performs robust principal component analyses to statistically test if any sample is an outlier. The probabilistic threshold parameters can be easily adjusted to tighten or loosen the outlier detection stringency. EnsMOD can be used to analyze any omics dataset with normally distributed variance. Here it was used to analyze a simulated proteomics dataset, a multiomic (proteome and transcriptome) dataset, a single-cell proteomics dataset, and a phosphoproteomics dataset. EnsMOD successfully identified all of the simulated outliers, and subsequent removal of a detected outlier improved data quality for downstream statistical analyses.

Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis reveals differential whey phosphoproteins of bovine milk during lactation

Whey proteins in bovine milk, as the most widely used nutritional components for infant formulae, have been paid more attention. However, the phosphorylation of proteins in bovine whey during lactation has not been thoroughly researched. In this study, a total of 185 phosphorylation sites on 72 phosphoproteins were identified in bovine whey during lactation. 45 differentially expressed whey phosphoproteins (DEWPPs) in colostrum and mature milk were focused on by bioinformatics approaches. Gene Ontology annotation indicated that blood coagulation, extractive space, and protein binding played a key role in bovine milk. The critical pathway of DEWPPs was related to the immune system according to KEGG analysis. Our study investigated the biological functions of whey proteins from a phosphorylation perspective for the first time. The results elucidate and increase our knowledge of differentially phosphorylation sites and phosphoproteins in bovine whey during lactation. Additionally, the data might offer fresh insight into the development of whey protein nutrition.

Identification and Quantitation of Novel ABI3 Isoforms Relative to Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics and Neuropathology

Elucidating the actions of genetic polymorphisms associated with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may provide novel insights into underlying mechanisms. Two polymorphisms have implicated ABI3 as a modulator of AD risk. Here, we sought to identify ABI3 isoforms expressed in human AD and non-AD brain, quantify the more abundant isoforms as a function of AD genetics and neuropathology, and provide an initial in vitro characterization of the proteins produced by these novel isoforms. We report that ABI3 expression is increased with AD neuropathology but not associated with AD genetics. Single-cell RNAseq of APP/PS1 mice showed that Abi3 is primarily expressed by microglia, including disease-associated microglia. In human brain, several novel ABI3 isoforms were identified, including isoforms with partial or complete loss of exon 6. Expression of these isoforms correlated tightly with total ABI3 expression but were not influenced by AD genetics. Lastly, we performed an initial characterization of these isoforms in transfected cells and found that, while full-length ABI3 was expressed in a dispersed punctate fashion within the cytosol, isoforms lacking most or all of exon six tended to form extensive protein aggregates. In summary, ABI3 expression is restricted to microglia, is increased with Alzheimer’s neuropathology, and includes several isoforms that display a variable tendency to aggregate when expressed in vitro.

Label-free quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of renal biopsy tissues in membranous nephropathy

PURPOSE

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. However, the underlying mechanisms of its occurrence and development are not completely clear. Thus, it is essential to explore the mechanisms.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Here, we employed label-free quantification and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis techniques to investigate the proteomic and phosphoproteomic alterations in renal biopsy tissues of MN patients. Samples were collected from 16 MN patients and 10 controls. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to validate the hub phosphoprotein.

RESULTS

We focused on the changes in the phosphoproteome in MN group versus control group (CG). Totally, 1704 phosphoproteins containing 3241 phosphosites were identified and quantified. The phosphorylation levels of 216 phosphoproteins containing 297 phosphosites were differentially regulated in stage II MN group versus CG, and 333 phosphoproteins containing 461 phosphosites were differentially phosphorylated in stage III MN group versus CG. In each comparison, several differential phosphoproteins were factors, kinases and receptors involved in cellular processes, biological regulation and other biological processes. The subcellular location of most of the differential phosphoproteins was the nucleus. Protein-protein interaction analysis showed that the connections among the differential phosphoproteins were extremely complex, and several signalling pathways probably associated with MN were identified. The hub phosphoprotein was validated by IHC.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This investigation can provide direct insight into the global phosphorylation events in MN group versus CG and may help to shed light on the potential pathogenic mechanisms of MN.

Multiple Imputation Approaches Applied to the Missing Value Problem in Bottom-Up Proteomics

Analysis of differential abundance in proteomics data sets requires careful application of missing value imputation. Missing abundance values widely vary when performing comparisons across different sample treatments. For example, one would expect a consistent rate of “missing at random” (MAR) across batches of samples and varying rates of “missing not at random” (MNAR) depending on the inherent difference in sample treatments within the study. The missing value imputation strategy must thus be selected that best accounts for both MAR and MNAR simultaneously. Several important issues must be considered when deciding the appropriate missing value imputation strategy: (1) when it is appropriate to impute data; (2) how to choose a method that reflects the combinatorial manner of MAR and MNAR that occurs in an experiment. This paper provides an evaluation of missing value imputation strategies used in proteomics and presents a case for the use of hybrid left-censored missing value imputation approaches that can handle the MNAR problem common to proteomics data.

Post-Translational Modification and Natural Mutation of TRPC Channels

Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) channels are homologues of Drosophila TRP channel first cloned in mammalian cells. TRPC family consists of seven members which are nonselective cation channels with a high Ca²⁺ permeability and are activated by a wide spectrum of stimuli. These channels are ubiquitously expressed in different tissues and organs in mammals and exert a variety of physiological functions. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) including phosphorylation, N-glycosylation, disulfide bond formation, ubiquitination, S-nitrosylation, S-glutathionylation, and acetylation play important roles in the modulation of channel gating, subcellular trafficking, protein-protein interaction, recycling, and protein architecture. PTMs also contribute to the polymodal activation of TRPCs and their subtle regulation in diverse physiological contexts and in pathological situations. Owing to their roles in the motor coordination and regulation of kidney podocyte structure, mutations of TRPCs have been implicated in diseases like cerebellar ataxia (moonwalker mice) and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The aim of this review is to comprehensively integrate all reported PTMs of TRPCs, to discuss their physiological/pathophysiological roles if available, and to summarize diseases linked to the natural mutations of TRPCs.

CYC27 Synthetic Derivative of Bromophenol from Red Alga Rhodomela confervoides: Anti-Diabetic Effects of Sensitizing Insulin Signaling Pathways and Modulating RNA Splicing-Associated RBPs

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) lie at the center of posttranscriptional regulation and the dysregulation of RBPs contributes to diabetes. Therefore, the modulation of RBPs is anticipated to become a potential therapeutic approach to diabetes. CYC27 is a synthetic derivative of marine bromophenol BDB, which is isolated from red alga Rhodomela confervoides. In this study, we found that CYC27 significantly lowered the blood glucose levels of diabetic BKS db mice. Moreover, CYC27 effectively ameliorated dyslipidemia in BKS db mice by reducing their total serum cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels. Furthermore, CYC27 was an insulin-sensitizing agent with increased insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of insulin receptors and relevant downstream factors. Finally, to systemically study the mechanisms of CYC27, label-free quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis was performed to investigate global changes in phosphorylation. Enriched GO annotation showed that most regulated phosphoproteins were related to RNA splicing and RNA processing. Enriched KEGG analysis showed that a spliceosome-associated pathway was the predominant pathway after CYC27 treatment. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed that CYC27 modulated the process of mRNA splicing via phosphorylation of the relevant RBPs, including upregulated Cstf3 and Srrt. Our results suggested that CYC27 treatment exerted promising anti-diabetic effects by sensitizing the insulin signaling pathways and modulating RNA splicing-associated RBPs.

Model system based proteomics to understand the host response during bacterial infections

Infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens pose a major concern to public health and, thus, greater attention must be given to providing insightful knowledge on host-pathogen interactions. There are several theories addressing the dynamics of complex mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions. The availability of an ample number of universally accepted model systems, including vertebrates, invertebrates, and mammalian cells, provides in-depth transcriptomics data to evaluate these complex mechanisms during host-pathogen interactions. Recent model system based proteomic studies have addressed the issues related to human diseases by establishing the protein profile of model animals that closely resemble the environment. As a result, model system based proteomics has been widely accepted as a powerful and effective approach to understand the highly complex host-pathogen interfaces at their protein levels. This review offers a snapshot of the contributions of selective model systems on host-bacterial pathogen interactions through proteomic approaches.

Identification of novel Ack1-interacting proteins and Ack1 phosphorylated sites in mouse brain by mass spectrometry

Ack1 (activated Cdc42-associated tyrosine kinase) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that is highly expressed in brain. This kinase contains several protein-protein interaction domains and its action is partially regulated by phosphorylation. As a first step to address the neuronal functions of Ack1, here we screened mouse brain samples to identify proteins that interact with this kinase. Using mass spectrometry analysis, we identified new putative partners for Ack1 including cytoskeletal proteins such as Drebrin or MAP4; adhesion regulators such as NCAM1 and neurabin-2; and synapse mediators such as SynGAP, GRIN1 and GRIN3. In addition, we confirmed that Ack1 and CAMKII both co-immunoprecipitate and co-localize in neurons. We also identified that adult and P5 samples contained the phosphorylated residues Thr 104 and Ser 825, and only P5 samples contained phosphorylated Ser 722, a site linked to cancer and interleukin signaling when phosphorylated. All these findings support the notion that Ack1 could be involved in neuronal plasticity.

Multi-omics Comparative Analysis Reveals Multiple Layers of Host Signaling Pathway Regulation by the Gut Microbiota

Multiple host pathways were affected by its adaptation to the microbiota. We have found significant transcriptome-proteome discordance caused by the microbiota. This discovery leads to the definite conclusion that transcript-level analysis is not sufficient to predict protein levels and their influence on the function of many specific cellular pathways, so only analysis of combinations of the quantitative data determined at different levels will lead to a complete understanding of the complex relationships between the host and the microbiota. Therefore, our results demonstrate the importance of using an integrative approach to study host-microbiota interaction at the molecular level.

The bodies of mammals are hosts to vast microbial communities composed of trillions of bacteria from thousands of species, whose effects on health and development have begun to be appreciated only recently. In this investigation, an integrated analysis combining proteomics and transcriptomics was used to quantitatively compare the terminal ilia from conventional and germfree mice. Female and male mice responded similarly to the microbiota, but C57BL/10A mice responded more strongly than BALB/c mice at both the transcriptome and proteome levels. The microbiota primarily caused upregulation of immunological pathways and downregulation of metabolic pathways in the conventional mice. Many of the affected pathways were altered only at either the transcriptome or proteome level. Of the pathways that were affected at both levels, most were affected concordantly. The discordant pathways were not principally involved in the immune system but instead were related to metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, protein translation, transport, and turnover. To broaden the discovery of affected host pathways, a meta-analysis was performed using intestinal transcriptomics data from previously published studies of germfree versus conventional mice with diverse microbiota populations. Similar transcript-level responses to the microbiota were found, and many additional affected host pathways were discovered.

IMPORTANCE Multiple host pathways were affected by its adaptation to the microbiota. We have found significant transcriptome-proteome discordance caused by the microbiota. This discovery leads to the definite conclusion that transcript-level analysis is not sufficient to predict protein levels and their influence on the function of many specific cellular pathways, so only analysis of combinations of the quantitative data determined at different levels will lead to a complete understanding of the complex relationships between the host and the microbiota. Therefore, our results demonstrate the importance of using an integrative approach to study host-microbiota interaction at the molecular level.

Constitutive and activation-dependent phosphorylation of lymphocyte phosphatase-associated phosphoprotein (LPAP)

Lymphocyte phosphatase-associated phosphoprotein (LPAP) is a small transmembrane protein expressed exclusively in lymphocytes. LPAP is a component of a supramolecular complex composed of the phosphatase CD45, the co-receptor CD4, and the kinase Lck. In contrast to its immunologically important partners, the function of LPAP is unknown. We hypothesized that the biological role of LPAP may be determined by analyzing LPAP phosphorylation. In the present study, we identified LPAP phosphorylation sites by site-directed mutagenesis, phospho-specific antibodies, and protein immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry analysis. Our results confirmed previous reports that Ser-99, Ser-153, and Ser-163 are phosphorylated, as well as provided evidence for the phosphorylation of Ser-172. Using various SDS-PAGE techniques, we detected and quantified a set of LPAP phosphoforms that were assigned to a combination of particular phosphorylation events. The phosphorylation of LPAP appears to be a tightly regulated process. Our results support the model: following phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or TCR/CD3 activation of T cells, LPAP is rapidly dephosphorylated at Ser-99 and Ser-172 and slowly phosphorylated at Ser-163. Ser-153 exhibited a high basal level of phosphorylation in both resting and activated cells. Therefore, we suggest that LPAP may function as a co-regulator of T-cell signaling.

ABI3, a component of the WAVE2 complex, is potentially regulated by PI3K/AKT pathway

We previously reported that ABI3 expression is lost in follicular thyroid carcinomas and its restoration significantly inhibited cell growth, invasiveness, migration, and reduced tumor growth in vivo. The mechanistic basis by which ABI3 exerts its tumor suppressive effects is not fully understood. In this study, we show that ABI3 is a phosphoprotein. Using proteomic array analysis, we showed that ABI3 modulated distinct cancer-related pathways in thyroid cancer cells. The KEA analysis found that PI3K substrates were enriched and forced expression of ABI3 markedly decreased the phosphorylation of AKT and the downstream-targeted protein pGSK3β. We next used immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry to identify ABI3-interacting proteins that may be involved in modulating/integrating signaling pathways. We identified 37 ABI3 partners, including several components of the canonical WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) such as WAVE2/CYF1P1/NAP1, suggesting that ABI3 function might be regulated through WRC. Both, pharmacological inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway and mutation at residue S342 of ABI3, which is predicted to be phosphorylated by AKT, provided evidences that the non-phosphorylated form of ABI3 is preferentially present in the WRC protein complex. Collectively, our findings suggest that ABI3 might be a downstream mediator of the PI3K/AKT pathway that might disrupt WRC via ABI3 phosphorylation.

Label-free quantitative phosphoproteomic profiling of cellular response induced by an insect cytokine paralytic peptide

Paralytic peptide (PP) participates in diverse physiological processes as an insect cytokine, such as immunity control, paralysis induction, regulation of cell morphology and proliferation. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying those physiological activities, we systematically investigated the global phosphorylation events in fat body of silkworm larvae induced by PP through label-free quantitative phosphoproteomics. 2534 phosphosites were finally identified, of which the phosphorylation level of 620 phosphosites on 244 proteins was significantly up-regulated and 67 phosphosites on 43 proteins was down-regulated. Among those proteins, 13 were protein kinases (PKs), 13 were transcription factors (TFs) across 10 families and 17 were metabolism related enzymes. Meanwhile, Motif-X analysis of the phosphorylation sites showed that 16 motifs are significantly enriched, including 8 novel phosphorylation motifs. In addition, KEGG and functional interacting network analysis revealed that phosphorylation cascades play the crucial regulation roles in PP-dependent signaling pathways, and highlighted the potential central position of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in them. These analyses provide direct insights into the molecule mechanisms of cellular response induced by PP.

SIGNIFICANCE

PP as an insect cytokine participated in diverse functions including immunity control paralysis induction, regulation of cell morphology and proliferation. In this study, we performed firstly a label-free quantitative phosphoproteomics analysis. We found some new phosphorylation targets of PP-stimulation. Meanwhile, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and functional networks revealed that phosphorylation cascades play the crucial regulation roles in PP-dependent signaling pathways. In addition, the potential central position of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) was highlighted in PP-dependent signaling pathways. We think our findings may help us gain a systematic understanding of the cytokine-dependent response regulation in insects.

Synthesis of Isomeric Phosphoubiquitin Chains Reveals that Phosphorylation Controls Deubiquitinase Activity and Specificity

Ubiquitin is post-translationally modified by phosphorylation at several sites, but the consequences of these modifications are largely unknown. Here, we synthesize multi-milligram quantities of ubiquitin phosphorylated at serine 20, serine 57, and serine 65 via genetic code expansion. We use these phosphoubiquitins for the enzymatic assembly of 20 isomeric phosphoubiquitin dimers, with different sites of isopeptide linkage and/or phosphorylation. We discover that phosphorylation of serine 20 on ubiquitin converts UBE3C from a dual-specificity E3 ligase into a ligase that primarily synthesizes K48 chains. We profile the activity of 31 deubiquitinases on the isomeric phosphoubiquitin dimers in 837 reactions, and we discover that phosphorylation at distinct sites in ubiquitin can activate or repress cleavage of a particular linkage by deubiquitinases and that phosphorylation at a single site in ubiquitin can control the specificity of deubiquitinases for distinct ubiquitin linkages.

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Milligram quantities of ubiquitin phosphorylated at Ser 20, 57, or 65 are purified

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Twenty isomeric phosphoubiquitin dimers are assembled and purified

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UBE3C chain synthesis specificity is controlled by Ser 20 ubiquitin phosphorylation

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Phosphorylation of ubiquitin controls deubiquitinase activity and linkage specificity

Expanding the ubiquitin code through post-translational modification

Ubiquitylation is among the most prevalent post-translational modifications (PTMs) and regulates numerous cellular functions. Interestingly, ubiquitin (Ub) can be itself modified by other PTMs, including acetylation and phosphorylation. Acetylation of Ub on K6 and K48 represses the formation and elongation of Ub chains. Phosphorylation of Ub happens on multiple sites, S57 and S65 being the most frequently modified in yeast and mammalian cells, respectively. In mammals, the PINK1 kinase activates ubiquitin ligase Parkin by phosphorylating S65 of Ub and of the Parkin Ubl domain, which in turn promotes the amplification of autophagy signals necessary for the removal of damaged mitochondria. Similarly, TBK1 phosphorylates the autophagy receptors OPTN and p62 to initiate feedback and feedforward programs for Ub-dependent removal of protein aggregates, mitochondria and pathogens (such as Salmonella and Mycobacterium tuberculosis). The impact of PINK1-mediated phosphorylation of Ub and TBK1-dependent phosphorylation of autophagy receptors (OPTN and p62) has been recently linked to the development of Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, respectively. Hence, the post-translational modification of Ub and its receptors can efficiently expand the Ub code and modulate its functions in health and disease.

Label-free quantitative phosphoproteomics with novel pairwise abundance normalization reveals synergistic RAS and CIP2A signaling

Hyperactivated RAS drives progression of many human malignancies. However, oncogenic activity of RAS is dependent on simultaneous inactivation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity. Although PP2A is known to regulate some of the RAS effector pathways, it has not been systematically assessed how these proteins functionally interact. Here we have analyzed phosphoproteomes regulated by either RAS or PP2A, by phosphopeptide enrichment followed by mass-spectrometry-based label-free quantification. To allow data normalization in situations where depletion of RAS or PP2A inhibitor CIP2A causes a large uni-directional change in the phosphopeptide abundance, we developed a novel normalization strategy, named pairwise normalization. This normalization is based on adjusting phosphopeptide abundances measured before and after the enrichment. The superior performance of the pairwise normalization was verified by various independent methods. Additionally, we demonstrate how the selected normalization method influences the downstream analyses and interpretation of pathway activities. Consequently, bioinformatics analysis of RAS and CIP2A regulated phosphoproteomes revealed a significant overlap in their functional pathways. This is most likely biologically meaningful as we observed a synergistic survival effect between CIP2A and RAS expression as well as KRAS activating mutations in TCGA pan-cancer data set, and synergistic relationship between CIP2A and KRAS depletion in colony growth assays.

Whole proteome analysis of mouse lymph nodes in cutaneous anthrax

This study aimed to characterize a soluble proteome of popliteal lymph nodes during lymphadenitis induced by intradermal injection of Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores in mice using tandem LC-MS/MS and reverse-phase protein microarray with antibodies specific to epitopes of phosphorylated proteins. More than 380 proteins were detected in the normal intra-nodal lymph, while the infectious process resulted in the profound changes in the protein abundances and appearance of 297 unique proteins. These proteins belong to an array of processes reflecting response to wounding, inflammation and perturbations of hemostasis, innate immune response, coagulation and fibrinolysis, regulation of body fluid levels and vascular disturbance among others. Comparison of lymph and serum revealed 83 common proteins. Also, using 71 antibodies specific to total and phosphorylated forms of proteins we carried initial characterization of circulating lymph phosphoproteome which brought additional information regarding signaling pathways operating in the lymphatics. The results demonstrate that the proteome of intra-nodal lymph serves as a sensitive sentinel of the processes occurring within the lymph nodes during infection. The acute innate response of the lymph nodes to anthrax is accompanied by cellular damage and inflammation with a large number of up- and down-regulated proteins many of which are distinct from those detected in serum. MS data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001342.

Regulation of cardiac proteasomes by ubiquitination, SUMOylation, and beyond

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the major intracellular degradation system, and its proper function is critical to the health and function of cardiac cells. Alterations in cardiac proteasomes have been linked to several pathological phenotypes, including cardiomyopathies, ischemia-reperfusion injury, heart failure, and hypertrophy. Defects in proteasome-dependent cellular protein homeostasis can be causal for the initiation and progression of certain cardiovascular diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that the UPS can specifically target proteins that govern pathological signaling pathways for degradation, thus altering downstream effectors and disease outcomes. Alterations in UPS-substrate interactions in disease occur, in part, due to direct modifications of 19S, 11S or 20S proteasome subunits. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are one facet of this proteasomal regulation, with over 400 known phosphorylation sites, over 500 ubiquitination sites and 83 internal lysine acetylation sites, as well as multiple sites for caspase cleavage, glycosylation (such as O-GlcNAc modification), methylation, nitrosylation, oxidation, and SUMOylation. Changes in cardiac proteasome PTMs, which occur in ischemia and cardiomyopathies, are associated with changes in proteasome activity and proteasome assembly; however several features of this regulation remain to be explored. In this review, we focus on how some of the less common PTMs affect proteasome function and alter cellular protein homeostasis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Protein Quality Control, the Ubiquitin Proteasome System, and Autophagy".

Phosphoproteomic analyses reveal that galectin-1 augments the dynamics of B-cell receptor signaling

B-cell activation is important for mounting humoral immune responses and antibody production. Galectin-1 has multiple regulatory functions in immune cells. However, the effects of galectin-1 modulation and the mechanisms underlying the coordination of B-cell activation are unclear. To address this issue, we applied label-free quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis to investigate the dynamics of galectin-1-induced signaling in comparison with that following anti-IgM treatment. A total of 3247 phosphorylation sites on 1245 proteins were quantified, and 70-80% of the 856 responsive phosphoproteins were commonly activated during various biological functions. The similarity between galectin-1- and anti-IgM-elicited B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathways was also revealed. Additionally, the mapping of the 149 BCR-responsive phosphorylation sites provided complementary knowledge of BCR signaling. Compared to anti-IgM induction, the phosphoproteomic profiling of BCR signaling, along with validation by western blot analysis and pharmacological inhibitors, revealed that the activation of Syk, Btk, and PI3K may be dominant in galectin-1-mediated activation. We further demonstrated that the proliferation of antigen-primed B cells was diminished in the absence of galectin-1 in an animal model. Together, these findings provided evidence for a new role and insight into the mechanism of how galectin-1 augments the strength of the immunological synapse by modulating BCR signaling.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The current study revealed the first systematic phosphorylation-mediated signaling network and its dynamics in B cell activation. The comparative phosphoproteomic analysis on the dynamics of galectin-1 induced activation profiles not only showed that exogenously added galectin-1 augmented B-cell activation but also revealed its relatively enhanced activation in PI3K pathway. Together with proliferation assay, we further delineated that galectin-1 is important for B-cell proliferation in response to antigen challenge. Our phosphoproteomic study reveals a new role for galectin-1 in augmenting the strength of immunological synapse by modulating BCR signaling.

Casein kinase 1ε promotes cell proliferation by regulating mRNA translation

Deregulation of translation initiation factors contributes to many pathogenic conditions, including cancer. Here, we report the definition of a novel regulatory pathway for translational initiation with possible therapeutic import in cancer. Specifically, we found that casein kinase 1ε (CK1ε) is highly expressed in breast tumors and plays a critical role in cancer cell proliferation by controlling mRNA translation. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E, an essential component of the translation initiation complex eIF4F, is downregulated by binding the negative-acting factor 4E-BP1. We found that genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of CK1ε attenuated 4E-BP1 phosphorylation, thereby increasing 4E-BP1 binding to eIF4E and inhibiting mRNA translation. Mechanistic investigations showed that CK1ε interacted with and phosphorylated 4E-BP1 at two novel sites T41 and T50, which were essential for 4E-BP1 inactivation along with increased mRNA translation and cell proliferation. In summary, our work identified CK1ε as a pivotal regulator of mRNA translation and cell proliferation that acts by inhibiting 4E-BP1 function. As CK1ε is highly expressed in breast tumors, these findings offer an initial rationale to explore CK1ε blockade as a therapeutic strategy to treat cancers driven by deregulated mRNA translation.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics: existing capabilities and future directions

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is emerging as a broadly effective means for identification, characterization, and quantification of proteins that are integral components of the processes essential for life. Characterization of proteins at the proteome and sub-proteome (e.g., the phosphoproteome, proteoglycome, or degradome/peptidome) levels provides a foundation for understanding fundamental aspects of biology. Emerging technologies such as ion mobility separations coupled with MS and microchip-based-proteome measurements combined with MS instrumentation and chromatographic separation techniques, such as nanoscale reversed phase liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, show great promise for both broad undirected and targeted highly sensitive measurements. MS-based proteomics increasingly contribute to our understanding of the dynamics, interactions, and roles that proteins and peptides play, advancing our understanding of biology on a systems wide level for a wide range of applications including investigations of microbial communities, bioremediation, and human health.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics: existing capabilities and future directions

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is emerging as a broadly effective means for identification, characterization, and quantification of proteins that are integral components of the processes essential for life. Characterization of proteins at the proteome and sub-proteome (e.g., the phosphoproteome, proteoglycome, or degradome/peptidome) levels provides a foundation for understanding fundamental aspects of biology. Emerging technologies such as ion mobility separations coupled with MS and microchip-based-proteome measurements combined with MS instrumentation and chromatographic separation techniques, such as nanoscale reversed phase liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, show great promise for both broad undirected and targeted highly sensitive measurements. MS-based proteomics increasingly contribute to our understanding of the dynamics, interactions, and roles that proteins and peptides play, advancing our understanding of biology on a systems wide level for a wide range of applications including investigations of microbial communities, bioremediation, and human health.

Regulation of lipid metabolism by Dicer revealed through SILAC mice

Dicer is a ribonuclease whose major role is to generate mature microRNAs, although additional functions have been proposed. Deletion of Dicer leads to embryonic lethality in mice. To study the role of Dicer in adults, we generated mice in which administration of tamoxifen induces deletion of Dicer. Surprisingly, disruption of Dicer in adult mice induced lipid accumulation in the small intestine. To dissect the underlying mechanisms, we carried out miRNA, mRNA, and proteomic profiling of the small intestine. The proteomic analysis was done using mice metabolically labeled with heavy lysine (SILAC mice) for an in vivo readout. We identified 646 proteins, of which 80 were up-regulated >2-fold and 75 were down-regulated. Consistent with the accumulation of lipids, Dicer disruption caused a marked decrease of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, long-chain fatty acyl-CoA ligase 5, fatty acid binding protein, and very-long-chain fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, among others. We validated these results using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) experiments by targeting proteotypic peptides. Our data reveal a previously unappreciated role of Dicer in lipid metabolism. These studies demonstrate that a systems biology approach by integrating mouse models, metabolic labeling, gene expression profiling, and quantitative proteomics can be a powerful tool for understanding complex biological systems.

Online nanoflow multidimensional fractionation for high efficiency phosphopeptide analysis

Despite intense, continued interest in global analyses of signaling cascades through mass spectrometry-based studies, the large-scale, systematic production of phosphoproteomics data has been hampered in-part by inefficient fractionation strategies subsequent to phosphopeptide enrichment. Here we explore two novel multidimensional fractionation strategies for analysis of phosphopeptides. In the first technique we utilize aliphatic ion pairing agents to improve retention of phosphopeptides at high pH in the first dimension of a two-dimensional RP-RP. The second approach is based on the addition of strong anion exchange as the second dimension in a three-dimensional reversed phase (RP)-strong anion exchange (SAX)-RP configuration. Both techniques provide for automated, online data acquisition, with the 3-D platform providing the highest performance both in terms of separation peak capacity and the number of unique phosphopeptide sequences identified per μg of cell lysate consumed. Our integrated RP-SAX-RP platform provides several analytical figures of merit, including: (1) orthogonal separation mechanisms in each dimension; (2) high separation peak capacity (3) efficient retention of singly- and multiply-phosphorylated peptides; (4) compatibility with automated, online LC-MS analysis. We demonstrate the reproducibility of RP-SAX-RP and apply it to the analysis of phosphopeptides derived from multiple biological contexts, including an in vitro model of acute myeloid leukemia in addition to primary polyclonal CD8(+) T-cells activated in vivo through bacterial infection and then purified from a single mouse.

Quantitative analysis of phosphorylation-based protein signaling networks in the immune system by mass spectrometry

Dynamic modification of cell proteins with phosphate is one of the key regulators of the cellular response to external stimuli. Phosphorylation-based signaling networks mediate cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, and their dysregulation is the basis of multiple diseases. However, the transient nature of the regulatory protein phosphorylation and low site occupancy mean that only a fraction of the protein is phosphorylated at a given time, and it is a challenge to measure the degree and dynamics of phosphorylation using traditional biochemical means. Technological advances in the field of mass spectrometry (MS) made it possible to generate large sets of phosphoproteomics data, probing the phosphoproteome with great depth, sensitivity, and accuracy. Therefore, quantitative phosphoproteomics emerged as one of the essential components of the systems biology approach for profiling of complex biological networks. Nowadays, the challenge lies in validation of the information and in its integration into the comprehensive models of cell decision processes. This article reviews the role of phosphoproteomics in systems biology, the MS-based approach, and technical details of the methods. Recent examples of quantitative measurements and methodologies as well as applications to the studies of the immune system and infectious diseases are presented and discussed.