Quantitative proteomics using mass spectrometry

The use of stable isotopes as internal standards in mass spectrometry has opened a new era for quantitative proteomics. Depending on the point at which the label is introduced, most procedures can be classified as in vivo labeling, in vitro pre-digestion labeling or in vitro post-digestion labeling. In vivo labeling has been used for cells that can be grown in culture and has the advantage of being more accurate. The pre-digestion and post-digestion labeling procedures are suitable for all types of sample including human body fluids and biopsies. Several new mass spectrometric strategies mark significant achievements in determining relative protein concentrations and in quantifying post-translational modifications. However, further technology developments are needed for understanding the complexity of a dynamic system like the proteome.     

Quantitative determination of peptides using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A method is described for the quantitative determination of peptides using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Known limitations imposed by crystal heterogeneity, peptide ionization differences, data handling, and protein quantification with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry are addressed in this method with a "seed crystal" protocol for analyte-matrix formation, the use of internal protein standards, and a software package called maldi_quant. The seed crystal protocol, a new variation of the fast-evaporation method, minimizes crystal heterogeneity and allows for consistent collection of protein spectra. The software maldi_quant permits rapid and automated analysis of peak intensity data, normalization of peak intensities to internal standards, and peak intensity deconvolution and estimation for vicinal peaks. Using insulin proteins in a background of other unrelated peptides, this method shows an overall coefficient of variance of 4.4%, and a quantitative working range of 0.58-37.5 ng bovine insulin per spot. Coupling of this methodology to powerful analytical procedures such as immunoprecipitation is likely to lead to the rapid and reliable quantification of biologically relevant proteins and their closely related variants.     

Tissue proteomics using chemical immobilization and mass spectrometry

Proteomics analysis is important for characterizing tissues to gain biological and pathological insights, which could lead to the identification of disease-associated proteins for disease diagnostics or targeted therapy. However, tissues are commonly embedded in optimal cutting temperature medium (OCT) or are formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) in order to maintain tissue morphology for histology evaluation. Although several tissue proteomic analyses have been performed on FFPE tissues using advanced mass spectrometry (MS) technologies, high-throughput proteomic analysis of OCT-embedded tissues has been difficult due to the interference of OCT in the MS analysis. In addition, molecules other than proteins present in tissues further complicate tissue proteomic analysis. Here, we report the development of a method using chemical immobilization of proteins for peptide extraction (CIPPE). In this method, proteins are chemically immobilized onto a solid support; interferences from tissues and OCT embedding are removed by extensive washing of proteins conjugated on the solid support. Peptides are then released from the solid phase by proteolysis, enabling MS analysis. This method was first validated by eliminating OCT interference from a standard protein, human serum albumin, where all of the unique peaks contributed by OCT contamination were eradicated. Finally, this method was applied for the proteomic analysis of frozen and OCT-embedded tissues using iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation) labeling and two-dimensional liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The data showed reproducible extraction and quantitation of 10,284 proteins from 3996 protein groups and a minimal impact of OCT embedding on the analysis of the global proteome of the stored tissue samples.     

Selection and mass spectrometry characterization of peptides targeting semiconductor surfaces

We report on elaboration of 12‐mer peptides that reveal specific recognition for the following semiconductor (SC) surfaces: GaAs(100), InAs(100), GaN(0001), ZnSe(100), ZnTe(100), GaAs(111)A, GaSb(100), CdSe(100). A M13 bacteriophage library was used to screen 10⁹ different 12‐mer peptides against these substrates to finally isolate, in maximum six amplification cycles, peptides that bind to the target surfaces. The specific peptides for the InAs and ZnSe surfaces were obtained. Contrary, for the other SC surfaces several peptides with high affinities have been isolated. Aiming for a better specificity, when the phage display has been conducted through six cycles, the screening procedure got dominated by a phage present in the M13 bacteriophage library and the SVSVGMKPSPRP peptide has been selected for different SCs. The high amplification potential of this phage has been observed previously with different targets. Thus, precaution should be undertaken in defining adhesion peptides with the phage display technique and real affinity of the obtained biolinkers should be studied with other methods. We employed mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF/TOF) to demonstrate the preferential attachment (or not) of the SVSVGMKPSPRP peptide to the different SC surfaces. This allows us to define a realistic selection of the expressed peptides presenting affinity for the studied eight SC surfaces. We demonstrate that with increasing the dielectric constants of the employed solvents, adhesion of the SVSVGMKPSPRP peptide onto GaN(0001) is hindered. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 1121–1131. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Quantitative proteomics using 16O/18O labeling and linear ion trap mass spectrometry

Quantitative proteomics using stable isotopic 16O/18O labeling has emerged as a very powerful tool, since it has a number of advantages over other methods, including the simplicity of chemistry, the constant mass tag at the C termini and its general applicability. However, due to the small mass difference between labeled and unlabeled peptide species, this approach has usually been restricted to high-resolution mass spectrometers. In this study we explored whether the high-resolution scanning mode, together with the extremely high scanning speed of the linear IT allows the 16O/18O-labeling method to be used for accurate, large-scale quantitative analysis of proteomes. A protocol, including digestion, desalting, labeling, MS and quantitative analysis was developed and tested using protein standards and whole proteome extracts. Using this method we were able to identify and quantify 140 proteins from only 10 mug of a proteome extract from mesenchymal stem cells. Relative expression changes larger than twofold can be identified with this method at the 95% confidence level. Our results demonstrate that accurate quantitative analysis using 16O/18O labeling can be performed in the practice using linear IT MS, without compromising large-scale peptide identification efficiency.     

Quantitative profiling of plasma peptides in asthmatic mice using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

Asthma is increasing in prevalence worldwide as a result of factors associated with a Western lifestyle. However, simple and reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers are yet to be found. In an attempt to identify protein biomarker profiles among small molecular weight ranges, we employed an approach combining liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, instead of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), which has previously been used to analyze protein expression patterns. Here we described its application to compare plasma peptides from control and chronic asthma mice. Peptides were quantitatively profiled as a multidimensional peptide mass fingerprint by a combination of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. They were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. In this study, we quantitatively identified the fragment f of complement 3 (C3f), which is important in inflammation. C3f was significantly higher in controls than chronic asthma mice. Our strategy allowed the detection and identification of different plasma peptides between control and chronic asthma mice on a proteomic scale. Therefore, these results suggest that native small peptides detected by non-2-DE techniques may be useful and specific biomarkers of disease.     

Quantitative analysis of amyloid-beta peptides in cerebrospinal fluid using immunoprecipitation and MALDI-Tof mass spectrometry.

Immunoprecipitation (IP) combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time of flight (Tof) mass spectrometry has been used to develop quantitative assays for amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Inclusion of (15)N labelled standard peptides allows for absolute quantification of multiple Abeta isoforms in individual samples. Characterization of variability associated with all steps of the assay indicated that the IP step is the single largest contributor to overall variability. Optimization of the assay resulted in overall coefficient of variation 相似文献   

Proteomic analysis and discovery using affinity proteomics and mass spectrometry

Antibody-based microarrays are a rapidly evolving affinity-proteomic methodology that recently has shown great promise in clinical applications. The resolution of these proteomic analyses is, however, directly related to the number of data-points, i.e. antibodies, included on the array. Currently, this is a key bottleneck because of limited availability of numerous highly characterized antibodies. Here, we present a conceptually new method, denoted global proteome survey, opening up the possibility to probe any proteome in a species-independent manner while still using a limited set of antibodies. We use context-independent-motif-specific antibodies directed against short amino acid motifs, where each motif is present in up to a few hundred different proteins. First, the digested proteome is exposed to these antibodies, whereby motif-containing peptides are enriched, which then are detected and identified by mass spectrometry. In this study, we profiled extracts from human colon tissue, yeast cells lysate, and mouse liver tissue to demonstrate proof-of-concept.     

High-throughput proteomics using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The advent of high-throughput proteomic technologies for global detection and quantitation of proteins creates new opportunities and challenges for those seeking to gain greater understanding of the cellular machinery. Here, recent advances in high-resolution capillary liquid chromatography coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry are reviewed along with its potential application to high-throughput proteomics. These technological advances combined with quantitative stable isotope labeling methodologies provide powerful tools for expanding our understanding of biology at the system level.     

High-throughput proteomics using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization mass spectrometry

It has become evident that the mystery of life will not be deciphered just by decoding its blueprint, the genetic code. In the life and biomedical sciences, research efforts are now shifting from pure gene analysis to the analysis of all biomolecules involved in the machinery of life. One area of these postgenomic research fields is proteomics. Although proteomics, which basically encompasses the analysis of proteins, is not a new concept, it is far from being a research field that can rely on routine and large-scale analyses. At the time the term proteomics was coined, a gold-rush mentality was created, promising vast and quick riches (i.e., solutions to the immensely complex questions of life and disease). Predictably, the reality has been quite different. The complexity of proteomes and the wide variations in the abundances and chemical properties of their constituents has rendered the use of systematic analytical approaches only partially successful, and biologically meaningful results have been slow to arrive. However, to learn more about how cells and, hence, life works, it is essential to understand the proteins and their complex interactions in their native environment. This is why proteomics will be an important part of the biomedical sciences for the foreseeable future. Therefore, any advances in providing the tools that make protein analysis a more routine and large-scale business, ideally using automated and rapid analytical procedures, are highly sought after. This review will provide some basics, thoughts and ideas on the exploitation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization in biological mass spectrometry - one of the most commonly used analytical tools in proteomics - for high-throughput analyses.     

High-throughput proteomics using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The advent of high-throughput proteomic technologies for global detection and quantitation of proteins creates new opportunities and challenges for those seeking to gain greater understanding of the cellular machinery. Here, recent advances in high-resolution capillary liquid chromatography coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry are reviewed along with its potential application to high-throughput proteomics. These technological advances combined with quantitative stable isotope labeling methodologies provide powerful tools for expanding our understanding of biology at the system level.     

High-throughput proteomics using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization mass spectrometry

It has become evident that the mystery of life will not be deciphered just by decoding its blueprint, the genetic code. In the life and biomedical sciences, research efforts are now shifting from pure gene analysis to the analysis of all biomolecules involved in the machinery of life. One area of these postgenomic research fields is proteomics. Although proteomics, which basically encompasses the analysis of proteins, is not a new concept, it is far from being a research field that can rely on routine and large-scale analyses. At the time the term proteomics was coined, a gold-rush mentality was created, promising vast and quick riches (i.e., solutions to the immensely complex questions of life and disease). Predictably, the reality has been quite different. The complexity of proteomes and the wide variations in the abundances and chemical properties of their constituents has rendered the use of systematic analytical approaches only partially successful, and biologically meaningful results have been slow to arrive. However, to learn more about how cells and, hence, life works, it is essential to understand the proteins and their complex interactions in their native environment. This is why proteomics will be an important part of the biomedical sciences for the foreseeable future. Therefore, any advances in providing the tools that make protein analysis a more routine and large-scale business, ideally using automated and rapid analytical procedures, are highly sought after. This review will provide some basics, thoughts and ideas on the exploitation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization in biological mass spectrometry – one of the most commonly used analytical tools in proteomics – for high-throughput analyses.     

Quantitation of endogenous peptides using mass spectrometry based methods

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Structural proteomics of macromolecular assemblies using oxidative footprinting and mass spectrometry

Understanding the composition, structure and dynamics of macromolecules and their assemblies is at the forefront of biological science today. Hydroxyl-radical-mediated protein footprinting using mass spectrometry can define macromolecular structure, macromolecular assembly and conformational changes of macromolecules in solution based on measurements of reactivity of amino acid side-chain groups with covalent-modification reagents. Subsequent to oxidation by reactive oxygen species, proteins are digested by specific proteases to generate peptides for analysis by mass spectrometry. Accurate measurements of side-chain reactivity are achieved using quantitative liquid-chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry, whereas the side-chain sites within the macromolecular probes are identified using tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, the use of footprinting data in conjunction with computational modeling approaches is a powerful new method for testing and refining structural models of macromolecules and their complexes.     

Quantitative metabolome analysis using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry

In this report, we introduce a liquid chromatography single-mass spectrometry method for metabolome quantification, using the LTQ Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer. Analytes were separated with hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. At a working resolution of 30,000 (at m/z 400), the limit of detection varied from 50 fmol to 5 pmol for 25 metabolites tested. In terms of metabolite concentration, the linearity was about 2 to 3 orders of magnitude for most compounds (R² > 0.99). To determine the accuracy of the system in complex sample matrices, the isotope dilution method was evaluated from mixtures of pure compounds and uniformly ¹³C-labeled cell extracts. With the application of this method, quantification was possible within single runs even when the pool sizes of individual metabolites varied from 0.13 to 55.6 μM. As a case study, intracellular concentrations of central metabolites were determined for Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 during growth on two different carbon sources, methanol and succinate. Reproducible results from technical and biological repetitions were obtained that revealed significant variations of intracellular metabolite pool sizes, depending on the carbon source. The LTQ Obitrap offers new perspectives and strategies for metabolome quantification.     

Quantitative metabolome analysis using capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry

A new approach for the comprehensive and quantitative analysis of charged metabolites by capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CE-MS) is proposed. Metabolites are first separated by CE based on charge and size and then selectively detected using MS by monitoring over a large range of m/z values. This method enabled the determination of 352 metabolic standards and its utility was demonstrated in the analysis of 1692 metabolites from Bacillus subtilis extracts, revealing significant changes in metabolites during B. subtilis sporulation.     

Characterizing peptides in individual mammalian cells using mass spectrometry

Cell-to-cell chemical signaling plays multiple roles in coordinating the activity of the functional elements of an organism, with these elements ranging from a three-neuron reflex circuit to the entire animal. In recent years, single-cell mass spectrometry (MS) has enabled the discovery of cell-to-cell signaling molecules from the nervous system of a number of invertebrates. We describe a protocol for analyzing individual cells from rat pituitary using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS. Each step in the sample preparation process, including cell stabilization, isolation, sample preparation, signal acquisition and data interpretation, is detailed here. Although we employ this method to investigate peptides in individual pituitary cells, it can be adapted to other cell types and even subcellular sections from a range of animals. This protocol allows one to obtain 20-30 individual cell samples and acquire mass spectra from them in a single day.     

生物质谱与蛋白质组学

蛋白质组学是后基因组学时代最受关注的研究领域之一,其核心的鉴定技术——生物质谱近年来在仪器设计以及鉴定通量、分辨率和灵敏度等各方面均有质的飞跃,促进了蛋白质表达谱作图、定量蛋白质组分析、亚细胞器蛋白质组作图、蛋白质翻译后修饰以及蛋白质相互作用等蛋白质组研究各个领域的飞速发展。本综述了生物质谱技术的最新进展,及其在蛋白质组学研究中的应用。     

Strategy for surveying the proteome using affinity proteomics and mass spectrometry

Antibody‐based microarrays is a rapidly evolving technology that has gone from the first proof‐of‐concept studies to more demanding proteome profiling applications, during the last years. Miniaturized microarrays can be printed with large number of antibodies harbouring predetermined specificities, capable of targeting high‐ as well as low‐abundant analytes in complex, nonfractionated proteomes. Consequently, the resolution of such proteome profiling efforts correlate directly to the number of antibodies included, which today is a key limiting factor. To overcome this bottleneck and to be able to perform in‐depth global proteome surveys, we propose to interface affinity proteomics with MS‐based read‐out, as outlined in this technical perspective. Briefly, we have defined a range of peptide motifs, each motif being present in 5–100 different proteins. In this manner, 100 antibodies, binding 100 different motifs commonly distributed among different proteins, would potentially target a protein cluster of 10⁴ individual molecules, i.e. around 50% of the nonredundant human proteome. Notably, these motif‐specific antibodies would be directly applicable to any proteome in a specie independent manner and not biased towards abundant proteins or certain protein classes. The biological sample is digested, exposed to these immobilized antibodies, whereby motif‐containing peptides are specifically captured, enriched and subsequently detected and identified using MS.