Combinatorial Use of Electrostatic Repulsion-Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (ERLIC) and Strong Cation Exchange (SCX) Chromatography for In-Depth Phosphoproteome Analysis

In large-scale phosphoproteomics studies, fractionation by strong cation exchange (SCX) or electrostatic repulsion-hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC) is commonly used to reduce sample complexity, fractionate phosphopeptides from their unmodified counterparts, and increase the dynamic range for phosphopeptide identification. However, these procedures do not succeed to separate, both singly and multiply phosphorylated peptides due to their inverse physicochemical characteristics. Hence, depending on the chosen method only one of the two peptide classes can be efficiently separated. Here, we present a novel strategy based on the combinatorial separation of singly and multiply phosphorylated peptides by SCX and ERLIC for in-depth phosphoproteome analysis. In SCX, mostly singly phosphorylated peptides are retained and fractionated while not-retained multiply phosphorylated peptides are fractionated in a subsequent ERLIC approach (SCX-ERLIC). In ERLIC, multiply phosphorylated peptides are fractionated, while not-retained singly phosphorylated peptides are separated by SCX (ERLIC-SCX). Compared to single step fractionations by SCX, the combinatorial strategies, SCX-ERLIC and ERLIC-SCX, yield up to 48% more phosphopeptide identifications as well as a strong increase in the number of detected multiphosphorylated peptides. Phosphopeptides identified in two subsequent, complementary fractionations had little overlap (5%) indicating that ERLIC and SCX are orthogonal methods ideally suited for in-depth phosphoproteome studies.     

Fe3+ immobilized metal affinity chromatography with silica monolithic capillary column for phosphoproteome analysis

Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a commonly used technique for phosphoproteome analysis due to its high affinity for adsorption of phosphopeptides. Miniaturization of IMAC column is essential for the analysis of a small amount of sample. Nanoscale IMAC column was prepared by chemical modification of silica monolith with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) followed by the immobilization of Fe3+ ion inside the capillary. It was demonstrated that Fe3+-IDA silica monolithic IMAC capillary column could specifically capture the phosphopeptides from tryptic digest of alpha-casein with analysis by MALDI-TOF MS. The silica monolithic IMAC capillary column was manually coupled with nanoflow RPLC/nanospray ESI mass spectrometer (muRPLC-nanoESI MS) for phosphoproteome analysis. The system was validated by analysis of standard phosphoproteins and then it was applied to the analysis of protein phosphorylation in mouse liver lysate. Besides MS/MS spectra, MS/MS/MS spectra were also collected for neutral loss peak. After database search and manual validation with conservative criteria, 29 singly phosphorylated peptides were identified by analyzing a tryptic digest of only 12 mug mouse liver lysate. The results demonstrated that the silica monolithic IMAC capillary column coupled with muRPLC-nanoESI MS was very suitable for the phosphoproteome analysis of minute sample.     

Comparison of ERLIC-TiO2, HILIC-TiO2, and SCX-TiO2 for global phosphoproteomics approaches

Reversible phosphorylations play a critical role in most biological pathways. Hence, in signaling studies great effort has been put into identification of a maximum number of phosphosites per experiment. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based phosphoproteomics approaches have been proven to be an ideal analytical method for mapping of phosphosites. However, because of sample complexity, fractionation of phosphopeptides prior to MS analysis is a crucial step. In the current study, we compare the chromatographic strategies electrostatic repulsion-hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC), hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC), and strong cation exchange chromatography (SCX) for their fractionation behavior of phosphopeptides. In addition, we investigate the use of repetitive TiO(2)-based enrichment steps for a maximum identification of phosphopeptides. On the basis of our results, SCX yields the highest number of identified phosphopeptides, whereas ERLIC is optimal for the identification of multiphosphorylated peptides. Consecutive incubations of fractions and flow-through by TiO(2) beads enrich qualitatively different sets of phosphopeptides, increasing the number of identified phosphopeptides per analysis.     

IMAC/TiO(2) enrich for peptide modifications other than phosphorylation: implications for chromatographic choice and database searching in phosphoproteomics

Protein regulation by reversible phosphorylation is fundamental in nature, and large-scale phosphoproteomic analyses are becoming routine in proteomics laboratories. These analyses utilise phosphopeptide separation and enrichment techniques linked to LC-MS/MS. Herein, we report that IMAC and TiO(2) also enrich for non-phosphorylated modified peptides such as acetylated, deamidated and carbamylated peptides. Urea and digestion conditions commonly used in phosphoproteomic workflows are the likely sources of the induced modifications (deamidation and carbamylation) and can easily modify phosphopeptides. Including these variable modifications in database searches increased the total number of identified phosphopeptides by 15%. We also show that strong cation exchange fractionation provides poor resolution of phosphopeptides and actually enriches these alternatively modified peptides. By switching to reverse-phase chromatography, we show a significant improvement in the number of identified phosphopeptides. We recommend that the users of phosphopeptide enrichment strategies avoid using urea as a denaturant and that careful consideration is given to chromatographic conditions and the types of variable modifications used in database searches. Thus, the capacity of IMAC and TiO(2) to enrich phosphopeptides bearing modifications other than phosphorylation is a previously unappreciated property of these chromatographies with practical implications for the field of phosphoproteomics.     

Changes in the Gallus gallus proteome induced by Marek's disease virus

Marek's disease virus (MDV) is a highly oncogenic avian herpesvirus. We have used a modified MudPIT analysis to examine the effect of MDV infection on the chicken proteome. We identified 3561 unique nonphosphorylated peptides, representing 1460 chicken proteins, in a mock-infected sample versus 4240 unique nonphosphorylated peptides, representing 1676 proteins, in an MDV-infected sample. Of these unique peptides, 59.1% from the mock- and 49.6% from the MDV-infected samples were detected in both samples, and for the represented proteins, 69.1% from the mock- and 60.2% from the MDV-infected samples were common to both samples. In terms of phosphorylation, 357 and 506 phosphopeptides, representing 342 and 483 proteins, were detected in the mock- and MDV-infected samples, respectively. At the phosphopeptide level, 10.1% from the mock- and 7.1% from the MDV-infected samples overlapped, and for the represented phosphoproteins, 12.0% from the mock- and 8.5% from the MDV-infected samples were common to both samples. There were no significant differences in the hydropathicity values and number of transmembrane domains of the identified protein sets. Subtle differences were observed for subcellular localizations of the identified proteins. These results suggest that MDV infection may alter host cell biochemistry by perturbing the host's proteomic composition.     

Immobilized metal affinity chromatography revisited: pH/acid control toward high selectivity in phosphoproteomics

Despite recent advances in instrumentation and analytical strategies for identification and quantitation of protein phosphorylation, a highly specific enrichment protocol is still a challenge in large-scale studies. Here, we report a simple pH/acid control method that addresses the poor specificity seriously criticized in IMAC. Detailed evaluation of the capture and release mechanism in IMAC revealed that pH, buffer and salt yield a complex interplay in enrichment of phosphopeptides, yet they play individual roles in recovery and specificity. A revised one-step IMAC method with low sample loss and high specificity can be rationally designed by controlling salt, pH and the structure and concentration of organic acid. Without methyl esterification, the one-step IMAC enrichment with single LC-MS/MS identified 386 phosphoproteins in 550 mug of non-small-cell lung cancer cell lysate with 96% specificity. Additional fractionation by SDS-PAGE from 4 mg of cell lysate revealed the comprehensive proteome map, identifying 2747 phosphorylation sites from 2360 nondegenerate phosphopeptides and 1219 phosphoproteins with a false discovery rate of 0.63%. To our knowledge, this pH/acid-controlled IMAC procedure provides higher specificity than any other one-step IMAC purification procedure. Furthermore, the simple and reproducible IMAC protocol can be adapted to other solid supports, fully automated or manual, for large-scale identification of the vastly under-explored phosphoproteome.     

Novel Fe3O4@TiO2 core-shell microspheres for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides in phosphoproteome analysis

Due to the dynamic nature and low stoichiometry of protein phosphorylation, enrichment of phosphorylated peptides from proteolytic mixtures is often necessary prior to their characterization by mass spectrometry. Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a popular way to enrich phosphopeptides; however, conventional IMAC lacks enough specificity for efficient phosphoproteome analysis. In this study, novel Fe 3O 4@TiO 2 microspheres with well-defined core-shell structure were prepared and developed for highly specific purification of phosphopeptides from complex peptide mixtures. The enrichment conditions were optimized using tryptic digests of beta-casein, and the high specificity of the Fe 3O 4@TiO 2 core-shell microspheres was demonstrated by effectively enriching phosphopeptides from the digest mixture of alpha-casein and beta-casein, as well as a five-protein mixture containing nonphosphoproteins (bovine serum albumin (BSA), myoglobin, cytochrome c) and phosphoproteins (ovalbumin and beta-casein). The Fe 3O 4@TiO 2 core-shell microspheres were further successfully applied for the nano-LC-MS/MS analysis of rat liver phosphoproteome, which resulted in identification of 56 phosphopeptides (65 phosphorylation sites) in mouse liver lysate in a single run, indicating the excellent performance of the Fe 3O 4@TiO 2 core-shell microspheres.     

Nanoprobe-based immobilized metal affinity chromatography for sensitive and complementary enrichment of multiply phosphorylated peptides

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP, <100 nm) have rapidly evolved as sensitive affinity probes for phosphopeptide enrichment. By taking advantage of the easy magnetic separation and flexible surface modification of the MNP, we developed a surface‐blocked, nanoprobe‐based immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (NB‐IMAC) method for the enhanced purification of multiply phosphorylated peptides. The NB‐IMAC method allowed rapid and specific one‐step enrichment by blocking the surface of titanium (IV) ion‐charged nitrilotriacetic acid‐conjugated MNP (Ti⁴⁺‐NTA‐PEG@MNP) with low molecular weight polyethylene glycol. The MNP demonstrated highly sensitive and unbiased extraction of both mono‐ and multiply phosphorylated peptides from diluted β‐casein (2×10^?10 M). Without chemical derivation or fractionation, 1283 phosphopeptides were identified from 400 μg of Raji B cells with 80% purification specificity. We also showed the first systematic comparison on the particle size effect between nano‐sclae IMAC and micro‐scale IMAC. Inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) analysis revealed that MNP had a 4.6‐fold higher capacity for metal ions per unit weight than did the magnetic micro‐sized particle (MMP, 2–10 μm), resulting in the identification of more phosphopeptides as well as a higher percentage of multiply phosphorylated peptides (31%) at the proteome scale. Furthermore, NB‐IMAC complements chromatography‐based IMAC and TiO₂ methods because <13% of mono‐ and 12% of multiply phosphorylated peptide identifications overlapped among the 2700 phosphopeptides identified by the three methods. Notably, the number of multiply phosphorylated peptides was enriched twofold and threefold by NB‐IMAC relative to micro‐scale IMAC and TiO₂, respectively. NB‐IMAC is an innovative material for increasing the identification coverage in phosphoproteomics.     

Catch me if you can: mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics and quantification strategies

Phosphorylation of proteins is one of the most prominent PTMs and for instance a key regulator of signal transduction. In order to improve our understanding of cellular phosphorylation events, considerable effort has been devoted to improving the analysis of phosphorylation by MS-based proteomics. Different enrichment strategies for phosphorylated peptides/proteins, such as immunoaffinity chromatography (IMAC) or titanium dioxide, have been established and constantly optimized for subsequent MS analysis. Concurrently, specific MS techniques were developed for more confident identification and phosphorylation site localization. In addition, more attention is paid to the LC-MS instrumentation to avoid premature loss of phosphorylated peptides within the analytical system. Despite major advances in all of these fields, the analysis of phosphopeptides still remains far from being routine in proteomics. However, to reveal cellular regulation by phosphorylation events, not only qualitative information about the phosphorylation status of proteins but also, in particular, quantitative information about distinct changes in phosphorylation patterns upon specific stimulation is mandatory. Thus, yielded insights are of outstanding importance for the emerging field of systems biology. In this review, we will give an insight into the historical development of phosphoproteome analysis and discuss its recent progress particularly regarding phosphopeptide quantification and assessment of phosphorylation stoichiometry.     

Characterization of the phosphoproteome in androgen-repressed human prostate cancer cells by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Androgen-repressed human prostate cancer, ARCaP, grows and is highly metastatic to bone and soft tissues in castrated mice. The molecular mechanisms underlying the aberrant responses to androgen are not fully understood. Here, we apply state-of-the-art mass spectrometry methods to investigate the phosphoproteome profiles in ARCaP cells. Because protein biological phosphorylation is always substoichiometric and the ionization efficiency of phosphopeptides is low, selective enrichment of phosphorylated proteins/peptides is required for mass spectrometric analysis of phosphorylation from complex biological samples. Therefore, we compare the sensitivity, efficiency, and specificity for three established enrichment strategies: calcium phosphate precipitation (CPP), immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC), and TiO(2)-modified metal oxide chromatography. Calcium phosphate precipitation coupled with the TiO(2) approach offers the best strategy to characterize phosphorylation in ARCaP cells. We analyzed phosphopeptides from ARCaP cells by LC-MS/MS with a hybrid LTQ/FT-ICR mass spectrometer. After database search and stringent filtering, we identified 385 phosphoproteins with an average peptide mass error of 0.32 ± 0.6 ppm. Key identified oncogenic pathways include the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and the E2F signaling pathway. Androgen-induced proliferation inhibitor (APRIN) was detected in its phosphorylated form, implicating a molecular mechanism underlying the ARCaP phenotype.     

Phosphoproteome profiling of human skin fibroblast cells in response to low- and high-dose irradiation

A hallmark of the response to high-dose radiation is the up-regulation and phosphorylation of proteins involved in cell cycle checkpoint control, DNA damage signaling, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Exposure of cells to low doses of radiation has well documented biological effects, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. The objective of this study is to provide an initial profile of the normal human skin fibroblast (HSF) phosphoproteome and explore potential differences between low- and high-dose irradiation responses at the protein phosphorylation level. Several techniques including Trizol extraction of proteins, methylation of tryptic peptides, enrichment of phosphopeptides with immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC), nanoflow reversed-phase HPLC (nano-LC)/electrospray ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry were combined for analysis of the HSF cell phosphoproteome. Among 494 unique phosphopeptides, 232 were singly phosphorylated, while 262 peptides had multiple phosphorylation sites indicating the overall effectiveness of the IMAC technique to enrich both singly and multiply phosphorylated peptides. We observed approximately 1.9-fold and approximately 3.6-fold increases in the number of identified phosphopeptides in low-dose and high-dose samples respectively, suggesting both radiation levels stimulate cell signaling pathways. A 6-fold increase in the phosphorylation of cyclin dependent kinase (cdk) motifs was observed after low- dose irradiation, while high-dose irradiation stimulated phosphorylation of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) and AKT/RSK motifs 8.5- and 5.5-fold, respectively. High- dose radiation resulted in the increased phosphorylation of proteins involved in cell signaling pathways as well as apoptosis while low-dose and control phosphoproteins were broadly distributed among biological processes.     

Enrichment of phosphopeptides by Fe3+-immobilized magnetic nanoparticles for phosphoproteome analysis of the plasma membrane of mouse liver

Immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a commonly used technique for phosphoprotein analysis due to its specific affinity for phosphopeptides. In this study, Fe3+-immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3+-IMAN) with an average diameter of 15 nm were synthesized and applied to enrich phosphopeptides. Compared with commercial microscale IMAC beads, Fe3+-IMAN has a larger surface area and better dispersibility in buffer solutions which improved the specific interaction with phosphopeptides. Using tryptic digests of the phosphoprotein alpha-casein as a model sample, the number and signal-to-noise ratios of the phosphopeptides identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) following Fe3+-IMAN enrichment greatly increased relative to results obtained with direct MALDI-TOFMS analysis. The lowest detectable concentration is 5 x 10(-11) M for 100 microL of pure standard phosphopeptide (FLTEpYVATR) following Fe3+-IMAN enrichment. We presented a phosphopeptide enrichment scheme using simple Fe3+-IMAN and also a combined approach of strong cation exchange chromatography and Fe3+-IMAN for phosphoproteome analysis of the plasma membrane of mouse liver. In total, 217 unique phosphorylation sites corresponding to 158 phosphoproteins were identified by nano-LC-MS/MS. This efficient approach will be very useful in large-scale phosphoproteome analysis.     

Comparison of different IMAC techniques used for enrichment of phosphorylated peptides.

Four commercially available immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) methods for phosphopeptide enrichment were compared using small volumes and concentrations of phosphopeptide mixtures with or without extra-added bovine serum albumin (BSA) nonphosphorylated peptides. Addition of abundant tryptic BSA peptides to the phosphopeptide mixture increases the demand for selective IMAC capture. While SwellGel gallium Discs, IPAC Metal Chelating Resin, and ZipTipMC Pipette Tips allow for the possibility of enriching phosphopeptides, the Gyrolab MALDI IMAC1 also presents the possibility of verifying existing phosphopeptides after a dephosphorylation step. Phosphate-containing peptides are identified through a mass shift between phosphorylated and dephosphorylated spectra of 80 Da (or multiples of 80 Da). This verification is useful if the degree of phosphorylation is low in the sample or if the ionization is unfavorable, which often is the case for phosphopeptides. A peptide mixture in which phosphorylated serine, threonine, and tyrosine were represented was diluted in steps and thereafter enriched using the four different IMAC methods prior to analyses with matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. The enrichment of phosphopeptides using SwellGel Gallium Discs or Gyrolab MALDI IMAC1 was not significantly affected by the addition of abundant BSA peptides added to the sample mixture, and the achieved detection limits using these techniques were also the lowest. All four of the included phosphopeptides were detected by MALDI-MS only after enrichment using the Gyrolab MALDI IMAC1 compact disc (CD) and detection down to low femtomole levels was possible. Furthermore, selectivity, reproducibility, and detection for a number of other phosphopeptides using the IMAC CD are reported herein. For example, two phosphopeptides sent out in a worldwide survey performed by the Proteomics Research Group (PRG03) of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) were detected and verified by means of the 80 Da mass shift achieved by on-column dephosphorylation.     

Phosphoproteomic analysis reveals site-specific changes in GFAP and NDRG2 phosphorylation in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by behavioral abnormalities, personality changes, language dysfunction, and can co-occur with the development of motor neuron disease. One major pathological form of FTLD is characterized by intracellular deposition of ubiquitinated and phosphorylated TAR DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43), suggesting that dysregulation in phosphorylation events may contribute to disease progression. However, to date systematic analysis of the phosphoproteome in FTLD brains has not been reported. In this study, we employed immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify phosphopeptides from FTLD and age-matched control post-mortem human brain tissue. Using this approach, we identified 786 phosphopeptides in frontal cortex (control and FTLD), in which the population of phosphopeptides represented approximately 50% of the total peptides analyzed. Label-free quantification using spectral counts revealed six proteins with significant changes in the FTLD phosphoproteome. N-myc-Downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) had an increased number of phosphospectra in FTLD, whereas microtubule associated protein 1A (MAP1A), reticulon 4 (RTN4; also referred to as neurite outgrowth inhibitor (Nogo)), protein kinase C gamma (PRKCG), and heat shock protein 90 kDa alpha, class A member 1(HSP90AA1) had significantly fewer phosphospectra compared to control brain. To validate these differences, we examined NDRG2 phosphorylation in FTLD brain by immunoblot analyses, and using a phosphoserine-13 (pSer13) GFAP monoclonal antibody we show an increase in pSer13 GFAP levels by immunoblot concomitant with increased overall GFAP levels in FTLD cases. These data highlight the utility of combining proteomic and phosphoproteomic strategies to characterize post-mortem human brain tissue.     

Comprehensive identification of phosphorylation sites in postsynaptic density preparations

In the mammalian central nervous system, the structure known as the postsynaptic density (PSD) is a dense complex of proteins whose function is to detect and respond to neurotransmitter released from presynaptic axon terminals. Regulation of protein phosphorylation in this molecular machinery is critical to the activity of its components, which include neurotransmitter receptors, kinases/phosphatases, scaffolding molecules, and proteins regulating cytoskeletal structure. To characterize the phosphorylation state of proteins in PSD samples, we combined strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography with IMAC. Initially, tryptic peptides were separated by cation exchange and analyzed by reverse phase chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, which led to the identification of phosphopeptides in most SCX fractions. Because each of these individual fractions was too complex to characterize completely in single LC-MS/MS runs, we enriched for phosphopeptides by performing IMAC on each SCX fraction, yielding at least a 3-fold increase in identified phosphopeptides relative to either approach alone (SCX or IMAC). This enabled us to identify at least one site of phosphorylation on 23% (287 of 1,264) of all proteins found to be present in the postsynaptic density preparation. In total, we identified 998 unique phosphorylated peptides, mapping to 723 unique sites of phosphorylation. At least one exact site of phosphorylation was determined on 62% (621 of 998) of all phosphopeptides, and approximately 80% of identified phosphorylation sites are novel.     

Electrostatic repulsion-hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC) versus strong cation exchange (SCX) for fractionation of iTRAQ-labeled peptides

The iTRAQ technique is popular for the comparative analysis of proteins in different complex samples. To increase the dynamic range and sensitivity of peptide identification in shotgun proteomics, SCX chromatography is generally used for the fractionation of iTRAQ-labeled peptides before LC-MS/MS analysis. However, SCX suffers from clustering of similarly charged peptides and the need to desalt fractions. In this report, SCX is compared with the alternative ERLIC method for fractionating iTRAQ-labeled peptides. The simultaneous effect of electrostatic repulsion and hydrophilic interaction in ERLIC results in peptide elution in order of decreasing pI and GRAVY values (increasing polarity). Volatile solvents can be used. We applied ERLIC to iTRAQ-labeled peptides from rat liver tissue, and 2745 proteins and 30,016 unique peptides were identified with high confidence from three technical replicates. This was 12.9 and 49.4% higher, respectively, than was obtained using SCX. In addition, ERLIC is appreciably better at the identification of highly hydrophobic peptides. The results indicate that ERLIC is a more convenient and more effective alternative to SCX for the fractionation of iTRAQ-labeled peptides. Quantification data show that both SCX and ERLIC fractionation have no significant effect on protein quantification by iTRAQ.     

Phosphoproteome analysis of the human Chang liver cells using SCX and a complementary mass spectrometric strategy

The liver is the largest organ in the body, with many complex, essential functions, such as metabolism, deintoxication, and secretion, often regulated via post-translational modifications, especially phosphorylation. Thus, the detection of phosphoproteins and phosphorylation sites is important to comprehensively explore human liver biological function. The human Chang liver cell line is among the first derived from non-malignant tissue, and its phosphoproteome profile has never been globally analyzed. To develop the complete phosphoproteome and probe the roles of protein phosphorylation in normal human liver, we adopted a shotgun strategy based on strong cation exchange chromatograph, titanium dioxide and LC-MS/MS to isolate and identify phosphorylated proteins. Two types of MS approach, Q-TOF and IT, were used and compared to identify phosphosites from complex protein mixtures of these cells. A total of 1035 phosphorylation sites and 686 phosphorylated peptides were identified from 607 phosphoproteins. A search using the public database of PhosphoSite showed that approximately 344 phosphoproteins and 760 phosphorylation sites appeared to be novel. In addition, N-terminal phosphorylated peptides were a greater fraction of all identified phosphopeptides. With GOfact analysis, we found that most of the identified phosphoproteins are involved in regulating metabolism, consistent with the liver's role as a key metabolic organ.     

Antibody characterization using novel ERLIC-MS/MS-based peptide mapping

Electrostatic repulsion hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique that is increasingly being used as a trapping/enrichment tool for glycopeptides/phosphorylated peptides or sample fractionation in proteomics research. Here, we describe a novel ERLIC-MS/MS-based peptide mapping method that was successfully used for the characterization of denosumab, in particular the analysis of sequence coverage, terminal peptides, methionine oxidation, asparagine deamidation and glycopeptides. Compared to reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)-MS/MS methods, ERLIC demonstrated unique advantages in the retention of small peptides, resulting in 100% sequence coverage for both the light and heavy chains. It also demonstrated superior performance in the separation and characterization of asparagine deamidated peptides, which is known to be challenging by RPLC-MS/MS. The developed method can be used alone for peptide mapping-based characterization of monoclonal antibodies, or as an orthogonal method to complement the RPLC-MS/MS method. This study extends the applications of ERLIC from that of a trapping/fractioning column to biologic therapeutics characterization. The ERLIC-MS/MS method can enhance biologic therapeutics analysis with more reliability and confidence for bottom-up peptide mapping-based characterization.