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Yen HY, Abramsson ML, Agasid MT, Lama D, Gault J, Liko I, Kaldmäe M, Saluri M, Qureshi AA, Suades A, Drew D, Degiacomi MT, Marklund EG, Allison TM, Robinson CV, Landreh M. Electrospray ionization of native membrane proteins proceeds via a charge equilibration step. RSC Adv 2022; 12:9671-9680. [PMID: 35424940 PMCID: PMC8972943 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra01282k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is increasingly applied to study the structures and interactions of membrane protein complexes. However, the charging mechanism is complicated by the presence of detergent micelles during ionization. Here, we show that the final charge of membrane proteins can be predicted by their molecular weight when released from the non-charge reducing saccharide detergents. Our data indicate that PEG detergents lower the charge depending on the number of detergent molecules in the surrounding micelle, whereas fos-choline detergents may additionally participate in ion–ion reactions after desolvation. The supercharging reagent sulfolane, on the other hand, has no discernible effect on the charge of detergent-free membrane proteins. Taking our observations into the context of protein-detergent interactions in the gas phase, we propose a charge equilibration model for the generation of native-like membrane protein ions. During ionization of the protein-detergent complex, the ESI charges are distributed between detergent and protein according to proton affinity of the detergent, number of detergent molecules, and surface area of the protein. Charge equilibration influenced by detergents determines the final charge state of membrane proteins. This process likely contributes to maintaining a native-like fold after detergent release and can be harnessed to stabilize particularly labile membrane protein complexes in the gas phase. The electrospray ionization mechanism contributes to preserving the structures and interactions of membrane protein complexes in native mass spectrometry.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Yung Yen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QZ UK .,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica 128, Academia Road Sec. 2, Nankang Taipei 115 Taiwan
| | - Mia L Abramsson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet Tomtebodavägen 23A 17165 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Mark T Agasid
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QZ UK
| | - Dilraj Lama
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet Tomtebodavägen 23A 17165 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Joseph Gault
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QZ UK
| | - Idlir Liko
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QZ UK
| | - Margit Kaldmäe
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet Tomtebodavägen 23A 17165 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Mihkel Saluri
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet Tomtebodavägen 23A 17165 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Abdul Aziz Qureshi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QZ UK .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University 10691 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Albert Suades
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University 10691 Stockholm Sweden
| | - David Drew
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University 10691 Stockholm Sweden
| | | | - Erik G Marklund
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University Box 576 75123 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Timothy M Allison
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
| | - Carol V Robinson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QZ UK
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet Tomtebodavägen 23A 17165 Stockholm Sweden
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Abramsson ML, Sahin C, Hopper JTS, Branca RMM, Danielsson J, Xu M, Chandler SA, Österlund N, Ilag LL, Leppert A, Costeira-Paulo J, Lang L, Teilum K, Laganowsky A, Benesch JLP, Oliveberg M, Robinson CV, Marklund EG, Allison TM, Winther JR, Landreh M. Charge Engineering Reveals the Roles of Ionizable Side Chains in Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry. JACS Au 2021; 1:2385-2393. [PMID: 34977906 PMCID: PMC8717373 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In solution, the charge of a protein is intricately linked to its stability, but electrospray ionization distorts this connection, potentially limiting the ability of native mass spectrometry to inform about protein structure and dynamics. How the behavior of intact proteins in the gas phase depends on the presence and distribution of ionizable surface residues has been difficult to answer because multiple chargeable sites are present in virtually all proteins. Turning to protein engineering, we show that ionizable side chains are completely dispensable for charging under native conditions, but if present, they are preferential protonation sites. The absence of ionizable side chains results in identical charge state distributions under native-like and denaturing conditions, while coexisting conformers can be distinguished using ion mobility separation. An excess of ionizable side chains, on the other hand, effectively modulates protein ion stability. In fact, moving a single ionizable group can dramatically alter the gas-phase conformation of a protein ion. We conclude that although the sum of the charges is governed solely by Coulombic terms, their locations affect the stability of the protein in the gas phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia L. Abramsson
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23A, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cagla Sahin
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23A, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
- Linderstrøm-Lang
Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes vej 5, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonathan T. S. Hopper
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K.
| | - Rui M. M. Branca
- Department
of Oncology-Pathology, Science for Life
Laboratory and Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jens Danielsson
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm
University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mingming Xu
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm
University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shane A. Chandler
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K.
| | - Nicklas Österlund
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm
University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leopold L. Ilag
- Department
of Material and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Axel Leppert
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, Neo, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Joana Costeira-Paulo
- Department
of Chemistry−BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lisa Lang
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm
University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kaare Teilum
- Linderstrøm-Lang
Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes vej 5, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department
of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Justin L. P. Benesch
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K.
| | - Mikael Oliveberg
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm
University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carol V. Robinson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K.
| | - Erik G. Marklund
- Department
of Chemistry−BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Timothy M. Allison
- Biomolecular
Interaction Centre, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Jakob R. Winther
- Linderstrøm-Lang
Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes vej 5, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23A, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
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