An approach to remove albumin for the proteomic analysis of low abundance biomarkers in human serum

Proteomic technologies are being used to discover and identify disease-associated biomarkers. The application of these technologies in the search for potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers in the serum of patients has been limited by the presence of highly abundant albumin and immunoglobulins that constitute approximately 60-97% of the total serum proteins. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether treatment of human serum with Affi-Gel Blue alone or in combination with Protein A (Aurum serum protein mini kit, Bio-Rad) before two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis removed high abundance proteins to allow the visualization of low abundant proteins. Serum samples were treated with either Affi-Gel Blue or Aurum kit and then subjected to 2-DE using 11 cm, pH 4-7 isoelectric focussing strips for the first dimension and 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for second dimension. Protein spots were visualized using a fluorescent protein dye (SYPRO Ruby, Bio-Rad). Comparison between treatment methods showed significant removal of albumin by both Affi-Gel Blue and Aurum kit and considerable differences in the protein profile of the gels after each treatment. Direct comparison between treatments revealed twenty-eight protein spots unique to Affi-Gel Blue while only two spots were unique after Aurum kit treatment. Unique spots in Affi-Gel Blue and Aurum kit treated serum were not visualized in untreated serum. Sixteen hours of Affi-Gel Blue treatment resulted in enhanced visualization of fifty-three protein spots by two-fold, thirty-one by five-fold, twelve by ten-fold and six by twenty-fold. In parallel after Aurum kit treatment two-, five-, ten- and twenty-fold enhancements of thirty, thirteen, eight and five protein spots, respectively, were observed. The pattern of increased visualization of protein spots with both treatment methods was similar. In conclusion, treatment of serum samples with Affi-Gel Blue or Aurum kit before 2-DE analysis can be used to remove high abundance proteins in order to increase the detection sensitivity of proteins present in low abundance.     

Two-dimensional electrophoretic profiling of normal human kidney glomerulus proteome and construction of an extensible markup language (XML)-based database

To contribute to physiology and pathophysiology of the glomerulus of human kidney, we have launched a proteomic study of human glomerulus, and compiled a profile of proteins expressed in the glomerulus of normal human kidney by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and identification with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and/or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Kidney cortices with normal appearance were obtained from patients under surgical nephrectomy due to renal tumor, and glomeruli were highly purified by a standard sieving method followed by picking-up under a phase-contrast microscope. The glomerular proteins were separated by 2-DE with 24 cm immobilized pH gradient strips in the 3-10 range in the first dimension and 26 x 20 cm sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels of 12.5% in the second dimension. Gels were silver-stained, and valid spots were processed for identification through an integrated robotic system that consisted of a spot picker, an in-gel digester, and a MALDI-TOF MS and / or a LC-MS/MS. From 2-DE gel images of glomeruli of four subjects with no apparent pathologic manifestations, a synthetic gel image of normal glomerular proteins was created. The synthetic gel image contained 1713 valid spots, of which 1559 spots were commonly observed in the respective 2-DE gels. Among the 1559 spots, 347 protein spots, representing 212 proteins, have so far been identified, and used for the construction of an extensible markup language (XML)-based database. The database is deposited on a web site (http://www.sw.nec.co.jp/bio/rd/hgldb/index.html) in a form accessible to researchers to contribute to proteomic studies of human glomerulus in health and disease.     

Improvement of plant protein solubilization and 2-DE gel resolution through optimization of the concentration of Tris in the solubilization buffer

It is important to solubilize acetone-precipitated proteins before isoelectric focusing (IEF) to achieve high resolution 2-DE gels. To resolve the maximum possible number of plant protein spots, we developed an improved solubilization buffer for plant proteins. We demonstrated that the resolution of 2-DE gels increased dramatically as the concentration of Tris-base increased, with maximum solubilization obtained at 200 mM Tris-base (Ly200T). The Ly200T buffer was more effective than the commonly used solubilization buffer containing 40 mM Tris at solubilizing acetone-precipitated plant proteins. Use of the Ly200T buffer to solubilize proteins resulted in an increase in intensity of approximately 30% of plant protein spots in the larger-than-40 kDa region of the gel. The Ly200T buffer also improved the resolution of abundant and basic proteins. Thus, the Ly200T buffer can be used to achieve greater resolution of protein spots in plant proteomics research.     

缺铁逆境胁迫下水稻叶片蛋白的双向电泳及其蛋白质组图谱分析

水稻幼苗经缺铁胁迫诱导分别处理1、3、5天后,用酚法和TCA/丙酮法提取叶片中的可溶性蛋白进行双向电泳分析,从而研究在缺铁条件下叶片中蛋白表达的动态变化规律.结果显示1.不同pH IPG胶条分离蛋白的效果不同.用pH3-10的IPG胶条进行双向电泳,经考马斯亮蓝染色后,可在胶面上检测到大约450个蛋白点,其中约有89%的蛋白是酸性蛋白.如果用pH4-7的IPG胶条进行双向电泳,则可检测到大约600个蛋白点,其中有29个蛋白是上调表达,1个蛋白是下调表达,5个蛋白是诱导特异表达.2.不同方法提取的可溶性蛋白质量不同.TCA法简单易操作,似乎对于碱性蛋白的抽提效果更好,在2-DE图像上,减性端显示的蛋白点多;但此方法所得蛋白的再溶性差.酚法提取的蛋白再溶性好,所抽提的蛋白量较大,纯度较高.     

The holm oak leaf proteome: analytical and biological variability in the protein expression level assessed by 2-DE and protein identification tandem mass spectrometry de novo sequencing and sequence similarity searching

As a first approach in establishing the holm oak leaf proteome, we have optimised a protocol for this plant and tissue which includes the following steps: trichloroacetic acid-acetone extraction, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) on pH 5 to 8 linear gradient immobilised pH gradient strips as the first dimension, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis on 13% polyacrylamide gels as the second one. Proteins were detected by Coomassie staining. Gel images were recorded and digitalized, and the protein spots quantified by using a linear regression equation of protein quantity on spot volume obtained against standard proteins. Analytical variance was calculated for one-hundred protein spots from three replicate 2-DE gels of the same protein extract. Biological variance was determined for the same protein spots from independent tissue extracts corresponding to leaves from different trees, or the same tree at different orientations or sampling times during a day. Values of 26% for the analytical variance and 58.6% for the biological variance among independent trees were obtained. These values provide a quantified and statistical basis for the evaluation of protein expression changes in comparative proteomic investigations with this species. A representative set of the major proteins, covering the isoelectric point range of 5 to 8 and the relative molecular mass(r) range of 14 to 78 kDa, were subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Due to the absence of Quercus DNA or protein sequence databases, a method based on the procedure reported by Liska and Shevchenko including de novo sequencing and BLAST similarity searching against other plant species databases was used for protein identification. Out of 43 analysed spots, 35 were positively identified. The identified proteins mainly corresponded to enzymes involved in photosynthesis and energetic metabolism, with a significant number corresponding to RubisCO.     

Polar electrophoresis: shape of two-dimensional maps is as important as size

The performance of two-dimensional electrophoresis in conventional gels in Cartesian coordinates (2-DE) vs. polar coordinates (2-PE) is here evaluated. Although 2-DE is performed in much longer Immobiline gels in the first dimension (17 cm) vs. barely 7-cm in 2-PE, an equivalent resolving power is found. Moreover, due to the possibility of running up to seven Immobiline strips in the radial gel format, the reproducibility of spot position is seen to be higher, this resulting in a 20% higher matching efficiency. As an extra bonus, strings of "isobaric" spots (i.e. polypeptides of identical mass with different pI values) are more resolved in the radial gel format, especially in the 10 to 30 kDa region, where the gel area fans out leaving extra space for spot resolution. In conclusion, this novel gel format in the second dimension of 2D gels is seen as an important improvement of this technique, still one of the most popular in proteome analysis.     

Proteome profile of human urine with two-dimensional liquid phase fractionation

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography separation (2-DL), based on chromatofocusing for first dimension and hydrophobicity for second, can be used as a complementary method to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). A platform now available, ProteomeLab PF 2D provided by Beckman Coulter, (Fullerton, CA, USA), assembles these methods in automation. This system was applied to resolve large numbers of urine proteins. Reproducibility and sensitivity in protein resolution were evaluated in this study using urines collected from male blood donors. About 1000 peaks were detected at a pH range of 4.0-8.5 by applying 1 mg of proteins. Furthermore, the same fractions showing peaks with high absorbance intensities in second dimension were collected and subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight/mass spectrometry analysis for identification. The results showed that the 2-DL provides high reproducibility of two-dimensional protein map, and lends fractions to subsequent mass spectrometry analysis without the further need for extraction or solubilization of samples as required for spots excised from 2-DE gels. In addition, this system also allows to separate particularly proteins with 40-9 kDa molecular weight.     

枸杞花药蛋白质组双向电泳体系的建立及应用

采用改良TCA丙酮沉淀结合Tris-HCl法提取枸杞花药蛋白质,对蛋白质裂解液成分、IPG胶条的pH范围、上样量及染色方法进行了探索.结果表明:(1)采用17 cm胶条、400 μg的上样量、含有2 mol/L硫脲的裂解液,硝酸银染色,可得到重复性好、质量高的枸杞花药蛋白2-DE图谱,枸杞花药蛋白主要集中在pH 4～7范围.(2)采用该体系分析了‘宁杞1号’和‘宁杞5号’四分体时期花药蛋白,并利用PDQuest 8.0软件在pH 4～7的2DE图谱上检测到500多个蛋白点,其中差异表达量大于2倍的蛋白有25个.     

Toward a high resolution 2-DE profile of the normal human liver proteome using ultra-zoom gels

The human liver is the largest organ in the body and has many important physiological functions. A global analysis of human liver proteins is essential for a better understanding of the molecular basis of the normal functions of the liver and of its diseases. As part of the Human Liver Proteome Project (HLPP), the goal of the present study was to visualize and detect as many proteins as possible in normal human livers using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). We have constructed a reference map of the proteins of human normal liver that can be used for the comprehensive analysis of the human liver proteome and other related research. To improve the resolution and enhance the detection of low abundance proteins, we developed and optimized narrow pH range ultra-zoom 2-DE gels. High resolution patterns of human liver in pH gradients 4.5–5.5, 5–6, 5.5–6.7, 6–9 and 6–11 are presented. To improve the poor resolution in the alkaline pH range of 2-DE gels, we optimized the isoelectric focusing protocol by including sample application using cup loading at the anode and incorporating 1.2% hydroxyethyl disulfide, 15% 2-propanol and 5% glycerol in the rehydration buffer. Using the optimized protocol, we obtained reproducibly better resolution in both analytical and preparative 2-DE gels. Compared with the 2386 and 1878 protein spots resolved in the wide range 3–10 and 4–7 pH gradients respectively, we obtained 5481 protein spots from the multiple (overlapping) narrow pH range ultra-zoom gels in the range of pH 4.5–9. The visualized reference map of normal human liver proteins presented in this paper will be valuable for comparative proteomic research of the liver proteome.     

Influence of gel dimensions on resolution and sample throughput on two-dimensional gels

To achieve high throughput and economical format of 2-D PAGE, comparison between gel size and resolution was conducted on human breast carcinoma cell line (MCF-7/AZ) proteins. SDS gel length showed a weaker influence of separation length on resolution in the second dimension, and there was little benefit of separation distances greater than 15 to 19 cm. IPG strip separation distances were very important with dramatic increase in resolution of longer gels compared with smaller gels, and maximal resolution was obtained using 18- and 24-cm IPG strips. Loading optimal amount of proteins on 2-D gels can also increase the number of detected spots. Therefore, taken together, compromise 2-D gels are crucial for higher capacity and higher throughput.     

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis pattern (pH 6-11) and identification of water-soluble barley seed and malt proteins by mass spectrometry

A protocol was established for two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) of barley seed and malt proteins in the pH range of 6-11. Proteins extracted from flour in a low-salt buffer were focused after cup-loading onto IPG strips. Successful separation in the second dimension was achieved using gradient gels in a horizontal SDS-PAGE system. Silver staining of gels visualized around 380 (seed) and 500 (malt) spots. Thirty-seven different proteins from seeds were identified in 60 spots, among these 46 were visualized also in the malt 2-D pattern. Proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting and by tandem MS sequencing after in-gel digestion by trypsin. In addition, the N-terminal sequence of 10 different proteins from 11 spots was determined after electroblotting to a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. Five identified proteins (in 9 spots) are involved in glycolysis, 12 in defence against pathogens (21 spots), 4 in storage, folding, and synthesis of proteins, and in nitrogen metabolism (5 spots), 6 in carbohydrate metabolism (11 spots), and 4 in stress and detoxification (9 spots). Six proteins (7 spots) were not grouped in these categories, and 3 were not ascribed a function. The presented 2-D patterns and identifications will be used to describe proteome differences between cultivars and changes during malting.     

产热凝胶土壤杆菌ATCC31749蛋白质组双向电泳图谱的构建

建立了热凝胶生产茵土壤杆茵茵体总蛋白的蛋白质提取方法和双向电泳方案,确定了使用蛋白质裂解液(7 mol/L尿素,2 mol/L硫脲,1%ASB-14去垢剂,40 mmol/L Tris,0.001%溴酚蓝,1 mmol/L EDTA,1%TBP和1%两性电解质)结合超声破碎法来提取茵体总蛋白的方案为最佳,选择17 cm...     

Entamoeba histolytica: analysis of the trophozoite proteome by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

The Entamoeba histolytica genome project carried out at TIGR and the Sanger Institute has produced a near-complete set of deduced open reading frame sequences. These data provide strong support for the identification of signals from proteomic analyses such as two-dimensional electrophoresis by protein sequencing and/or mass spectrometric methods. To carry out an initial investigation of the E. histolytica proteome, appropriate sample preparation and silver staining protocols were adapted. After preparation of protein extracts from E. histolytica HM-1:IMSS trophozoites, solubilized proteins were separated in the first dimension in IPG (immobilized pH gradient) strips depending on their pI and subsequently in the second dimension according to their molecular weight by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Of the more than 1500 protein spots visualized, several landmark spots were isolated from the gels and identified by either tryptic cleavage and subsequent MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry or by protein sequencing.     

Optimization of the first dimension for separation by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of basic proteins from human brain tissue

A major cause of poor resolution in the alkaline pH range of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) gels is unsatisfactory separation of basic proteins in the first dimension. We have compared methods for the separation of basic proteins in the isoelectric focusing dimension of human brain proteins. The combined use of anodic cup-loading and the hydroxyethyldisulphide containing solution (DeStreak) produced better resolution in both analytical and micropreparative protein loaded 2-DE gels than the other methods investigated.     

The whereabouts of transmembrane proteins from rat brain synaptosomes during two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Little is known about what happens to transmembrane proteins (TMP) in 2-DE. In order to obtain more insight into the whereabouts of these proteins we prepared membrane-enriched synaptosomes from rat frontal cortex and washed them with 7 M urea or Na(2)CO(3). From each preparation, 200 microg protein was loaded on 2-DE gels covering the 4-7 and 6-11 pH ranges, respectively. MALDI-MS/MS analysis detected only 3 TMP among 421 identified spots. However, when the samples had been washed with Na(2)CO(3), only few well-focused spots remained detectable on the gel covering the pH 6-11 range. Instead, a heavily ruthenium-stained smear became visible at the upper edge of the gel at the location where the samples had been applied by cup loading. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that this smear contained 38 unfocused TMP with up to 12 transmembrane helices. After transfer to the second dimension, no major areas of protein staining were left on the IPG strips. This indicates that after extraction and denaturation the TMP may form high-molecular aggregates, due to their "hydrophobic interactions". These aggregates enter the IPG strips, but do not focus regularly. They are then transferred onto the 2-DE-gels, where they remain caught at the upper edge.     

Two-dimensional electrophoresis protein profile of the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea is a phytopathogenic fungi causing disease in a number of important crops. It is considered a very complex species in which different populations seem to be adapted to different hosts. In order to characterize fungal virulence factors, a proteomic research was started. A protocol for protein extraction from mycelium tissue, with protein separation by 2-DE and MS analysis, was optimised as a first approach to defining the B. cinerea proteome. Around 400 spots were detected in 2-DE CBB-stained gels, covering the 5.4-7.7 pH and 14-85 kDa ranges. The averages of analytical and biological coefficients of variance for 64 independent spots were 16.1% and 37.5%, respectively. Twenty-two protein spots were identified by MALDI-TOF or ESI IT MS/MS, with some of them corresponding to forms of malate dehydrogenase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Two more spots matched a cyclophilin and a protein with an unknown function.     

Exploitation of specific properties of trifluoroethanol for extraction and separation of membrane proteins

Hydrophobic proteins are difficult to analyze by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) because of their intrinsic tendency to self-aggregate during the first dimension (isoelectric focusing, IEF) or the equilibration steps. This aggregation renders their redissolution for the second dimension uncertain and results in the reduction of the number and intensity of protein spots, and in undesirable vertical and horizontal streaks across gels. Trifluoroethanol (TFE) is traditionally used at high concentration to solubilize peptides and proteins for NMR studies. Depending upon its concentration, TFE strongly affects the three-dimensional structure of proteins. We report here a phase separation system based on TFE/CHCl(3), which is able to extract a number of intrinsic membrane proteins. The addition of TFE in the in-gel sample rehydration buffer to improve membrane protein IEF separation is also presented. The procedure using urea, thiourea, and sulfobetaine as chaotropic agents was modified by the addition of TFE and removing of sulfobetaine at an optimized concentration in the solubilization medium used for the first dimension. When using membrane fractions isolated from Escherichia coli, the intensity and the number of spots detected from 2-DE gels that used TFE in the solubilization medium were significantly increased. The majority of the proteins identified using peptide mass fingerprinting and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) were intrinsic membrane proteins, proteins of beta barrel structure or transmembrane proteins.     

Protein/RNA coextraction and small two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for proteomic/gene expression analysis of renal cancer biopsies

A small amount of bioptic tissue ( approximately 5-10mg of fresh tissue) usually does not contain enough material to extract protein and RNA separately, to obtain preparative two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), and to identify a large number of separated proteins by MS. We tested a method, on small renal cancer specimens, for the coextraction of protein and RNA coupled with 2-DE and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) or quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) analysis. We coextracted 0.28+/-0.05mg of proteins and 2.5+/-0.33microg of RNA for each 10mg of renal carcinoma tissue. Small and large 2-DE gels were compared: they showed a similar number of spots, and it was possible to match each other; using small format gels, one-fifth of the protein amount was required to identify, by Q-TOF analysis, the same number of proteins identifiable in large-format gel using MALDI-TOF analysis. Quality of RNA coextracted with the proteins was tested by real-time PCR on a set of housekeeping genes. They were quantified with high amplification efficiency and specificity. In conclusion, using 5 to 10mg of fresh tissue, it was possible to perform comprehensive parallel proteomic and genomic analysis by high-resolution, small-format 2-DE gels, allowing approximately 300 proteins identification and 1000 genes expression analysis.     

Detection of protein-protein interactions and a group of immunoglobulin G-associated minor proteins in human plasma by nondenaturing and denaturing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

The dissociation of noncovalently associated protein-protein complexes in human plasma was examined by comparing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) patterns obtained in two different electrophoretic conditions. A type I 2-DE pattern was obtained running nondenaturing isoelectric focusing (IEF) followed by nondenaturing gel electrophoresis and a type II 2-DE pattern was nondenaturing IEF followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Micro-sized gels (internal diameter(id) 1.3 x 35 mm polyacrylamide IEF gels and 38 x 38 x 1 mm polyacryamide slab gels) were used to follow the dissociation processes of major plasma proteins. Larger gel sizes (id 3.4 x 160 mm agarose IEF gels and 160 x 120 x 2.8 mm polyacrylamide slab gels) were used to detect minor plasma proteins dissociated from major proteins. About 110 spots, which have not been detected on type I (nondenaturing) 2-D gels, newly appeared on type II large-sized 2-D gels at molecular masses smaller than 67 kDa. Some of these spots had been analyzed and identified, but about 70 minor spots (isoelectric point 5.5-7.5 and relative molecular mass 8-45 kDa) were detected for the first time by applying large volumes of human plasma samples to the large type II 2-D gels. These minor spots could be concentrated on type II 2-D gels by enriching the immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction under nondenaturing conditions, and they disappeared when IgG was removed from the fraction. These results strongly suggest that many of the minor spots newly detected were bound to IgG in physiological conditions.