Improved Identification of Membrane Proteins by MALDI-TOF MS/MS Using Vacuum Sublimated Matrix Spots on an Ultraphobic Chip Surface

Integral membrane proteins are notoriously difficult to identify and analyze by mass spectrometry because of their low abundance and limited number of trypsin cleavage sites. Our strategy to address this problem is based on a novel technology for MALDI-MS peptide sample preparation that increases the success rate of membrane protein identification by increasing the sensitivity of the MALDI-TOF system. For this, we used sample plates with predeposited matrix spots of CHCA crystals prepared by vacuum sublimation onto an extremely low wettable (ultraphobic) surface. In experiments using standard peptides, an up to 10-fold gain of sensitivity was found for on-chip preparations compared with classical dried-droplet preparations on a steel target. In order to assess the performance of the chips with membrane proteins, three model proteins (bacteriorhodopsin, subunit IV(a) of ATP synthase, and the cp47 subunit from photosystem II) were analyzed. To mimic realistic analysis conditions, purified proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE and digested with trypsin. The digest MALDI samples were prepared either by dried-droplet technique on steel plates using CHCA as matrix, or applied directly onto the matrix spots of the chip surface. Significantly higher signal-to-noise ratios were observed for all of the spectra resulting from on-chip preparations of different peptides.In a second series of experiments, the membrane proteome of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 was investigated by AIEC/SDS-PAGE in combination with MALDI-TOF MS/MS. As in the first experiments, Coomassie-stained SDS-PAGE bands were digested and the two different preparation methods were compared. For preparations on the Mass·Spec·Turbo Chip, 43 of 60 proteins were identified, whereas only 30 proteins were reliably identified after classical sample preparation. Comparison of the obtained Mascot scores, which reflect the confidence level of the protein identifications, revealed that for 70% of the identified proteins, higher scores were obtained by on-chip sample preparation. Typically, this gain was a consequence of higher sequence coverage due to increased sensitivity.     

Toward the complete membrane proteome: high coverage of integral membrane proteins through transmembrane peptide detection

To attain a comprehensive membrane proteome of two strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum (l-lysine-producing and the characterized model strains), both sample pretreatment and analysis methods were optimized. Isolated bacterial membranes were digested with trypsin/cyanogen bromide or trypsin/chymotrypsin, and a complementary protein set was identified using the multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT). Besides a distinct number of cytosolic or membrane-associated proteins, the combined data analysis from both digests yielded 326 integral membrane proteins ( approximately 50% of all predicted) covering membrane proteins both with small and large numbers of transmembrane helices. Also membrane proteins with a high GRAVY score were identified, and basic and acidic membrane proteins were evenly represented. A significant increase in hydrophobic peptides with distinctly higher sequence coverage of transmembrane regions was achieved by trypsin/chymotrypsin digestion in an organic solvent. The percentage of identified membrane proteins increased with protein size, yielding 80% of all membrane proteins above 60 kDa. Most prominently, almost all constituents of the respiratory chain and a high number of ATP-binding cassette transport systems were identified. This newly developed protocol is suitable for the quantitative comparison of membrane proteomes and will be especially useful for applications such as monitoring protein expression under different growth and fermentation conditions in bacteria such as C. glutamicum. Moreover with more than 50% coverage of all predicted membrane proteins (including the non-expressed species) this improved method has the potential for a close-to-complete coverage of membrane proteomes in general.     

Analysis of the adenovirus type 5 proteome by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry methods

We compared detection sensitivity and protein sequence coverage of the adenovirus type 5 proteome achievable by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectroscopy (LC/MS/MS) using three sample preparation and clean up methods. Tryptic digestion was performed on either purified viral proteins or whole virus, and followed by shotgun sequencing using tandem mass spectrometry for peptide identification. We used a recombinant adenovirus type 5 as a test system. The methods included separation of adenoviral proteins by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography followed by tryptic digestion and analysis by LC/MS/MS. Alternatively, the purified whole virus was digested with trypsin and the peptides separated either by one-dimensional (reversed-phase) or by two-dimensional (cation exchange and reversed-phase) chromatography and analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 11 protein species were identified from 154 peptides. All of the major viral proteins were found. In addition, two minor proteins, the 23 kDa viral protease and the late L1 protein, were identified for the first time by chromatography based assays. The 23 kDa viral protease, present at only 10 copies per virus, and representing 0.2% of the protein content of the virus, was detected by the 2D LC/MS/MS analysis of the whole virus digest from a sample containing only 70 fmols of the protein. This demonstrates the high sensitivity and selectivity of the method. The 2D LC/MS/MS analysis of the whole virus digest was also able to detect all viral proteins with copy numbers at or above 10/virus particle, with broad coverage of the amino acid sequences. Coverage ranged from 2 to 54%, a majority between 20 and 35%, suggesting the possibility of using this analysis to assess the purity of the virus preparations. This broad coverage may also provide a useful approach to identify posttranslational modifications on the structural proteins of the adenovirus.     

Multistep mass tagging coupled with 2D LC-MS--an approach to increasing the number of identified proteins.

Identification of large numbers of proteins from complex biological samples is a continuing challenge in the area of quantitative proteomics. We introduce here a simple and reliable multistep mass tagging technique using our recently developed solid phase mass tagging reagents. When coupled with two-dimensional liquid chromatography/nano-electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (2D-LC/nano-ESI-MS), this method allows enhanced protein identification when tested on samples from prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources. The proteome of Escherichia coli D21 grown to either mid-exponential or stationary phase, and the membrane proteome from established breast cancer cell lines BT474 and MCF7 were used as model systems in these experiments. In both experiments, the numbers of total identified proteins are at least twice the numbers identified from a single tagging cycle. The sample complexity can be effectively reduced with corresponding increases in protein identification using the multistep method. The strategy described here represents a potentially powerful technique for large-scale qualitative and quantitative proteome research.     

Evaluation of prefractionation methods as a preparatory step for multidimensional based chromatography of serum proteins

Prefractionations of proteins prior to their proteolysis, chromatography, and MS/MS analyses help reduce complexity and increase the yield of protein identifications. A number of methods were evaluated here for prefractionating serum samples distributed to the participating laboratories as part of the human Plasma Proteome Project. These methods include strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography, slicing of SDS-PAGE gel bands, and liquid-phase IEF of the proteins. The fractionated proteins were trypsinized and the resulting peptides were resolved and analyzed by multidimensional protein identification technology coupled to IT MS/MS. The MS/MS spectra were clustered, combined, and searched against the IPI protein databank using Pep-Miner. The identification results were evaluated for the efficacy of the different prefractionation methodologies to identify larger numbers of proteins at higher confidence and to achieve the best coverage of the proteins with the identified peptides. Prefractionation based on SCX resulted in the largest number of identified proteins, followed by gel slices and then the liquid-phase IEF. An important observation was that each of the methods revealed a set of unique proteins, some identified with high confidence. Therefore, for comprehensive identification of the serum proteins, several different prefractionation approaches should be used in parallel.     

Evaluation of two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis for proteomic expression analysis of a model breast cancer cell system

The technique of fluorescent two-dimensional (2D) difference gel electrophoresis for differential protein expression analysis has been evaluated using a model breast cancer cell system of ErbB-2 overexpression. Labeling of paired cell lysate samples with N-hydroxy succinimidyl ester-derivatives of fluorescent Cy3 and Cy5 dyes for separation on the same 2D gel enabled quantitative, sensitive, and reproducible differential expression analysis of the cell lines. SyproRuby staining was shown to be a highly sensitive and 2D difference gel electrophoresis-compatible method for post-electrophoretic visualization of proteins, which could then be picked and identified by matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectroscopy. Indeed, from these experiments, we have identified multiple proteins that are likely to be involved in ErbB-2-mediated transformation. A triple dye labeling methodology was used to identify proteins differentially expressed in the cell system over a time course of growth factor stimulation. A Cy2-labeled pool of samples was used as a standard with all Cy3- and Cy5-labeled sample pairs to facilitate cross-gel quantitative analysis. DeCyder (Amersham Biosciences, Inc.) software was used to distinguish clear statistical differences in protein expression over time and between the cell lines.     

Sub-proteome differential display: single gel comparison by 2D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

Two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry (MS) have been used in comparative proteomics but inherent problems of the 2D electrophoresis technique lead to difficulties when comparing two samples. We describe a method (sub-proteome differential display) for comparing the proteins from two sources simultaneously. Proteins from one source are mixed with radiolabelled proteins from a second source in a ratio of 100:1. These combined proteomes are fractionated simultaneously using column chromatographic methods, followed by analysis of the pre-fractionated proteomes (designated sub-proteomes) using 2D gel electrophoresis. Silver staining and (35)S autoradiography of a single gel allows precise discrimination between members of each sub-proteome, using commonly available computer software. This is followed by MS identification of individual proteins. We have demonstrated the utility of the technology by identifying the product of a transfected gene and several proteins expressed differentially between two renal carcinoma proteomes. The procedure has the capacity to enrich proteins prior to 2D electrophoresis and provides a simple, inexpensive approach to compare proteomes. The single gel approach eliminates differences that might arise if separate proteome fractionations or 2D gels are employed.     

小鼠晶体蛋白质组的双向电泳和质谱鉴定研究

目的应用双向电泳和质谱技术研究5周龄小鼠晶体蛋白质组。方法提取小鼠晶体总蛋白,进行固相pH梯度（IPG）等电聚焦双向电泳,胶体考马斯亮蓝R-250染色,使用PDQuest7．30图像分析软件分析电泳图像。选择主要蛋白点胶上酶解,应用基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时间／飞行时间（MALDI—TOF／TOF）仪器进行串联质谱（MS／MS）鉴定。结果上样量为882μg和190μg时,分别检测370±41蛋白点（n=3）和57±5个蛋白点（n=3）。高上样量能够较好地分离晶体低丰度蛋白,如念珠状纤维结构蛋白BFSP;低上样量可很好地分离高丰度蛋白-晶体蛋白（包括αA、αB;βA1～βA4;βB1～βB3;γA～γF和γS等）。质谱鉴定得到1种细胞骨架蛋白和16种高丰度晶体蛋白。结论双向电泳和质谱技术有效考察了晶体总蛋白质,为分析白内障形成过程中蛋白质的表达改变提供了新的方法和途径。     

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis: recent advances in sample preparation, detection and quantitation

A strength of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) is its ability to resolve and investigate the abundance of several thousand proteins in a single sample. This enables identification of the major proteins in a tissue or subcellular fraction by mass spectrometric methods. In addition, 2D PAGE can be used to compare quantities of proteins in related samples, such as those from altered environments or from mutant and wild type, thus allowing the response of classes of proteins to be determined. Those proteins showing a correlated difference in expression may participate in related processes, and this subsequently helps to define protein function. Although there are many limitations of the 2D gel technology that mean it will never be comprehensive in protein coverage, its use for the identification of relatively abundant proteins is now widespread. However, there are still surprisingly few examples of quantitative analysis of changes in protein abundance. In this review we highlight recent advances towards true quantitative analysis of 2D gels that will lead to better prediction of protein function. Despite the development of promising alternatives, 2D PAGE is likely to remain in extensive use for the foreseeable future, because the technology is now simple and readily available to many laboratories.     

Comparative Analysis of Label-Free and 8-Plex iTRAQ Approach for Quantitative Tissue Proteomic Analysis

High resolution proteomics approaches have been successfully utilized for the comprehensive characterization of the cell proteome. However, in the case of quantitative proteomics an open question still remains, which quantification strategy is best suited for identification of biologically relevant changes, especially in clinical specimens. In this study, a thorough comparison of a label-free approach (intensity-based) and 8-plex iTRAQ was conducted as applied to the analysis of tumor tissue samples from non-muscle invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancer. For the latter, two acquisition strategies were tested including analysis of unfractionated and fractioned iTRAQ-labeled peptides. To reduce variability, aliquots of the same protein extract were used as starting material, whereas to obtain representative results per method further sample processing and MS analysis were conducted according to routinely applied protocols. Considering only multiple-peptide identifications, LC-MS/MS analysis resulted in the identification of 910, 1092 and 332 proteins by label-free, fractionated and unfractionated iTRAQ, respectively. The label-free strategy provided higher protein sequence coverage compared to both iTRAQ experiments. Even though pre-fraction of the iTRAQ labeled peptides allowed for a higher number of identifications, this was not accompanied by a respective increase in the number of differentially expressed changes detected. Validity of the proteomics output related to protein identification and differential expression was determined by comparison to existing data in the field (Protein Atlas and published data on the disease). All methods predicted changes which to a large extent agreed with published data, with label-free providing a higher number of significant changes than iTRAQ. Conclusively, both label-free and iTRAQ (when combined to peptide fractionation) provide high proteome coverage and apparently valid predictions in terms of differential expression, nevertheless label-free provides higher sequence coverage and ultimately detects a higher number of differentially expressed proteins. The risk for receiving false associations still exists, particularly when analyzing highly heterogeneous biological samples, raising the need for the analysis of higher sample numbers and/or application of adjustment for multiple testing.     

Proteomics for Protein Expression Profiling in Neuroscience

As the technology of proteomics moves from a theoretical approach to a practical reality, neuroscientists will have to determine the most appropriate applications for this technology. Neuroscientists will have to surmount difficulties particular to their research, such as limited sample amounts, heterogeneous cellular compositions in samples, and the fact that many proteins of interest are rare, hydrophobic proteins. This review examines protein isolation and protein fractionation and separation using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry proteomic methods. Methods for quantifying relative protein expression between samples (e.g., 2-DIGE, and ICAT) are also described. The coverage of the proteome, ability to detect membrane proteins, resource requirements, and quantitative reliability of different approaches is also discussed. Although there are many challenges in proteomic neuroscience, this field promises many rewards in the future.     

Differential radioactive proteomic analysis of microdissected renal cell carcinoma tissue by 54 cm isoelectric focusing in serial immobilized pH gradient gels

We present a proof of principle study, using laser microdissection and pressure catapulting (LMPC) of two clinical tissue samples, each containing approximately 3.8 microg renal cell carcinoma protein and 3.8 microg normal kidney protein respectively from one patient. The study involved separate radio-iodination of each sample with both (125)I and (131)I, dual inverse replicate sample loading to high resolution 54 cm "daisy chain" serial immobilized pH gradient isoelectric focusing (IPG-IEF) 2D-PAGE gels, co-electrophoretic separation of cross-labeled proteins from different samples, and precision multiplex differential radioactive imaging to obtain signals specific for each sample coelectrophoresed within single gels but labeled with different isotopes of iodine, providing extremely precise intra-gel estimates of the abundance ratio for protein spots from both samples. Twelve multiplexed analytical radioactive SDS-gels from 4 serial IPG-IEF gels provided 24 individual radioactive images for a comprehensive analytical protein multiplex quantification study. A further 12 SDS gels containing (125)I-labeled sample were coelectrophoresed with preparative protein amounts obtained from whole tissue sections for the mass spectrometric identification of comigrating proteins. This consumed <40% of the (125)I-labeled sample, and <20% of the (131)I-labeled sample from the respective original 3.8 microg samples. Twenty-nine proteins were identified by mass spectrometry with PMF scores >70 that were >2-fold differentially abundant between the samples and t-test probabilities <0.05. We conclude that this combination of technologies provides excellent quality protein multiplex data for the differential abundance analysis of large numbers of proteins from extremely small samples, and is applicable to a broad range of clinical and related applications.     

High-pH reversed-phase chromatography with fraction concatenation for 2D proteomic analysis

Orthogonal high-resolution separations are critical for attaining improved analytical dynamic range and protein coverage in proteomic measurements. High-pH reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), followed by fraction concatenation, affords better peptide analysis than conventional strong cation-exchange chromatography applied for 2D proteomic analysis. For example, concatenated high-pH RPLC increased identification of peptides (by 1.8-fold) and proteins (by 1.6-fold) in shotgun proteomics analyses of a digested human protein sample. Additional advantages of high-pH RPLC with fraction concatenation include improved protein sequence coverage, simplified sample processing and reduced sample losses, making this an attractive alternative to strong cation-exchange chromatography in conjunction with second-dimension low-pH RPLC for 2D proteomics analyses.     

MALDI/MS peptide mass fingerprinting for proteome analysis: identification of hydrophobic proteins attached to eucaryote keratinocyte cytoplasmic membrane using different matrices in concert

BACKGROUND: MALDI-TOF-MS has become an important analytical tool in the identification of proteins and evaluation of their role in biological processes. A typical protocol consists of sample purification, separation of proteins by 2D-PAGE, enzymatic digestion and identification of proteins by peptide mass fingerprint. Unfortunately, this approach is not appropriate for the identification of membrane or low or high pI proteins. An alternative technique uses 1D-PAGE, which results in a mixture of proteins in each gel band. The direct analysis of the proteolytic digestion of this mixture is often problematic because of poor peptide detection and consequent poor sequence coverage in databases. Sequence coverage can be improved through the combination of several matrices. RESULTS: The aim of this study was to trust the MALDI analysis of complex biological samples, in order to identify proteins that interact with the membrane network of keratinocytes. Peptides obtained from protein trypsin digestions may have either hydrophobic or hydrophilic sections, in which case, the direct analysis of such a mixture by MALDI does not allow desorbing of all peptides. In this work, MALDI/MS experiments were thus performed using four different matrices in concert. The data were analysed with three algorithms in order to test each of them. We observed that the use of at least two matrices in concert leads to a twofold increase of the coverage of each protein. Considering data obtained in this study, we recommend the use of HCCA in concert with the SA matrix in order to obtain a good coverage of hydrophilic proteins, and DHB in concert with the SA matrix to obtain a good coverage of hydrophobic proteins. CONCLUSION: In this work, experiments were performed directly on complex biological samples, in order to see systematic comparison between different matrices for real-life samples and to show a correlation that will be applicable to similar studies. When 1D gel is needed, each band may contain a great number of proteins, each present in small amounts. To improve the proteins coverage, we have performed experiments with some matrices in concert. These experiments enabled reliable identification of proteins, without the use of Nanospray MS/MS experiments.     

Qualitative and quantitative comparison of brand name and generic protein pharmaceuticals using isotope tags for relative and absolute quantification and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The capability of iTRAQ (isotope tags for relative and absolute quantification) reagents coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS) as a qualitative and quantitative technique for the analysis of complicated protein pharmaceutical mixtures was evaluated. Mixtures of Somavert and Miacalcin with a small amount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an impurity were analyzed. Both Somavert and Miacalcin were qualitatively identified, and BSA was detected at levels as low as 0.8 mol%. Genotropin and Somavert were compared in a single experiment, and all of the distinct amino acid residues from the two proteins were readily identified. Four somatropin drug products (Genotropin, Norditropin, Jintropin, and Omnitrope) were compared using the iTRAQ/MALDI-MS method to determine the similarity between their primary structures and quantify the amount of protein in each product. All four product samples were well labeled and successfully compared when a filtration cleanup step preceded iTRAQ labeling. The quantitative accuracy of the iTRAQ method was evaluated. In all cases, the accuracy of experimentally determined protein ratios was higher than 90%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 10%. The iTRAQ and global internal standard technology (GIST) methods were compared, and the iTRAQ method provided both higher sequence coverage and enhanced signal intensity.     

Comparison of 2-D LC and 3-D LC with post- and pre-tryptic-digestion SEC fractionation for proteome analysis of normal human liver tissue

The current "shotgun" proteomic analysis, strong cation exchange-RPLC-MS/MS system, is a widely used method for proteome research. Currently, it is not suitable for complicated protein sample analysis, like mammal tissues or cells. To increase the protein identification confidence and number, an additional separation dimension for sample fractionation is necessary to be coupled prior to current multi-dimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT). In this work, SEC was elaborately selected and applied for sample prefractionation in consideration of its non-bias against sample and variety of choice of mobile phases. The analysis of the global lysate of normal human liver tissue sample provided by the China Human Liver Proteome Project, were performed to compare the proteome coverage, sequence coverage (peptide per protein identification) and protein identification efficiency in MudPIT, 3-D LC-MS/MS identification strategy with preproteolytic and postproteolytic fractionation. It was demonstrated that 3-D LC-MS/MS utilizing protein level fractionation was the most effective method. A MASCOT search using the MS/MS results acquired by QSTAR(XL) identified 1622 proteins from 3-D LC-MS/MS identification approaches. A primary analysis on molecular weight, pI and grand average hydrophobicity value distribution of the identified proteins in different approaches was made to further evaluate the 3-D LC-MS/MS analysis strategy.     

双向凝胶电泳中三种蛋白质检测方法的比较

高通量双向电泳是蛋白质组学的核心 ,双向电泳凝胶上蛋白质点的检测方法应具有灵敏度高、线性范围宽和兼容质谱鉴定等优点 .采用差异凝胶电泳 (differencegelelectrophoresis ,DIGE)技术以Cy3(1 (5 carboxypentyl) 1′ propylindocarbocyaninehalideN hydroxysuccinimidylester)和Cy5 (1 (5 carboxypentyl) 1′ methylindodicarbocyaninehalideN hydroxysuccinimidylester)荧光分别标记正常和TNF α处理细胞的蛋白质 ,用Cy2 (3 (4 carboxymethyl)phenylmethyl) 3′ ethyloxacarbocyaninehalideN hydroxysuccinimidylester)荧光标记正常和TNF α处理细胞蛋白质的等量混合样品作为内标 ,混合 3种荧光标记的蛋白质后 ,在同一等电聚焦胶条进行聚焦 ,然后在聚丙烯酰胺凝胶上进行第二向电泳 ,用 3种波长的激光激发扫描得到凝胶图象 ,DIGE中多个样品在同一条件下电泳 ,因而匹配率高 ,且引入内标使蛋白质点的检测与定量更为准确 .DIGE技术与质谱相结合 ,实现了高通量和相对准确定量 .与硝酸银和考马斯亮蓝染色结果相比较 ,DIGE技术具有灵敏度高、线性范围宽和不影响后续质谱鉴定等优点     

Data analysis strategy for maximizing high-confidence protein identifications in complex proteomes such as human tumor secretomes and human serum

Detection of biologically interesting, low-abundance proteins in complex proteomes such as serum typically requires extensive fractionation and high-performance mass spectrometers. Processing of the resulting large data sets involves trade-offs between confidence of identification and depth of protein coverage; that is, higher stringency filters preferentially reduce the number of low-abundance proteins identified. In the current study, an alternative database search and results filtering strategies were evaluated using test samples ranging from purified proteins to ovarian tumor secretomes and human serum to maximize peptide and protein coverage. Full and partial tryptic searches were compared because substantial numbers of partial tryptic peptides were observed in all samples, and the proportion of partial tryptic peptides was particularly high for serum. When data filters that yielded similar false discovery rates (FDR) were used, full tryptic searches detected far fewer peptides than partial tryptic searches. In contrast to the common practice of using full tryptic specificity and a narrow precursor mass tolerance, more proteins and peptides could be confidently identified using a partial tryptic database search with a 100 ppm precursor mass tolerance followed by filtering of results using 10 ppm mass error and full tryptic boundaries.     

Development and evaluation of a micro- and nanoscale proteomic sample preparation method

Challenges associated with the efficient and effective preparation of micro- and nanoscale (micro- and nanogram) clinical specimens for proteomic applications include the unmitigated sample losses that occur during the processing steps. Herein, we describe a simple "single-tube" preparation protocol appropriate for small proteomic samples using the organic cosolvent, trifluoroethanol (TFE) that circumvents the loss of sample by facilitating both protein extraction and protein denaturation without requiring a separate cleanup step. The performance of the TFE-based method was initially evaluated by comparisons to traditional detergent-based methods on relatively large scale sample processing using human breast cancer cells and mouse brain tissue. The results demonstrated that the TFE-based protocol provided comparable results to the traditional detergent-based protocols for larger, conventionally sized proteomic samples (>100 microg protein content), based on both sample recovery and numbers of peptide/protein identifications. The effectiveness of this protocol for micro- and nanoscale sample processing was then evaluated for the extraction of proteins/peptides and shown effective for small mouse brain tissue samples (approximately 30 microg total protein content) and also for samples of approximately 5000 MCF-7 human breast cancer cells (approximately 500 ng total protein content), where the detergent-based methods were ineffective due to losses during cleanup and transfer steps.     

Enhanced sequence coverage of proteins in human cerebrospinal fluid using multiple enzymatic digestion and linear ion trap LC-MS/MS.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) provides a ready access into the health state of the central nervous system, and alterations in some CSF proteins have been documented in brain disease. However, the complete variety of proteins is not known and methods to identify protein components are still being developed. The goal of this study was to examine the sequence coverage obtained from human CSF digests produced with different proteases. Enzymatic digests of CSF proteins were obtained with arginine-C endopeptidase (ArgC), glutamic acid endopeptidase (GluC), chymotrypsin, trypsin and their combinations, and then examined using reverse phase chromatography and a Finnigan LTQ linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Peptide sequences were identified with BioWorks 3.1 and sequence coverage calculated for the 38 most confidently identified proteins. Trypsin and GluC yielded greater coverage than chymotrypsin, while ArgC had the least sequence coverage. Protein sequence coverage was affected only slightly over four orders of magnitude dynamic range of abundance. Combining the peptides derived from different proteases further increased the coverage. Maximal sequence coverage was achieved by combining digest results from both GluC and trypsin. These results have implications for future studies to identify CSF proteins and their post-translational modifications.