Proteomic analysis of Holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota [Desf.] Samp.) pollen

This paper presents an analysis of Holm oak pollen proteome, together with an evaluation of the potentiality that a proteomic approach may have in the provenance variability assessment. Proteins were extracted from pollen of four Holm oak provenances, and they were analyzed by gel-based (1- and 2-DE in combination with MALDI-TOF/TOF) and gel-free (nLC-LTQ Orbitrap MS) approaches. A comparison of 1- and 2-DE protein profiles of the four provenances revealed significant differences, both qualitative and quantitative, in abundance (18 bands and 16 spots, respectively). Multivariate statistical analysis carried out on bands and spots clearly showed distinct associations between provenances, which highlight their geographical origins. A total of 100 spots selected from the 402 spots observed on 2-DE gels were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF. Moreover, a complementary gel-free shotgun approach was performed by nLC-LTQ Orbitrap MS. The identified proteins were classified according to biological processes, and most proteins in both approaches were related to metabolism and defense/stress processes. The nLC-LTQ Orbitrap MS analysis allowed us the identification of proteins belonging to the cell wall and division, transport and translation categories. Besides providing the first reference map of Holm oak pollen, our results confirm previous studies based on morphological observations and acorn proteomic analysis. Moreover, our data support the valuable use of proteomic techniques as phylogenetic tool in plant studies.     

Proteome analysis of hairy root from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer using peptide fingerprinting, internal sequencing and expressed sequence tag data

As an initial step to the comprehensive proteomic analysis of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, protein mixtures extracted from the cultured hairy root of Panax ginseng were separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The protein spots were analyzed and identified by peptide finger printing and internal amino acid sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and electrospray ionization quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI Q-TOF MS), respectively. More than 300 protein spots were detected on silver stained two-dimensional (2-D) gels using pH 3-10, 4-7, and 4.5-5.5 gradients. Major protein spots (159) were analyzed by peptide fingerprinting or de novo sequencing and the functions of 91 of these proteins were identified. Protein identification was achieved using the expressed sequence tag (EST) database from Panax ginseng and the protein database of plants like Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. However, peptide mass fingerprinting by MALDI-TOF MS alone was insufficient for protein identification because of the lack of a genome database for Panax ginseng. Only 17 of the 159 protein spots were verified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI-TOF MS whereas 87 out of 102 protein spots, which included 13 of the 17 proteins identified by MALDI-TOF MS, were identified by internal amino acid sequencing using tandem mass spectrometry analysis by ESI Q-TOF MS. When the internal amino acid sequences were used as identification markers, the identification rate exceeded 85.3%, suggesting that a combination of internal sequencing and EST data analysis was an efficient identification method for proteome analysis of plants having incomplete genome data like ginseng. The 2-D patterns of the main root and leaves of Panax ginseng differed from that of the cultured hairy root, suggesting that some proteins are exclusively expressed by different tissues for specific cellular functions. Proteome analysis will undoubtedly be helpful for understanding the physiology of Panax ginseng.     

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.     

Towards global analysis of mosquito chorion proteins through sequential extraction, two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

This study describes the separation and identification of chorion proteins through two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) techniques. Due to their high hydrophobicity, chorion proteins are difficult to be solubilized and absorbed into the immobilized pH gradient strip for isoelectric focusing. By optimizing the applied conditions for chorion protein extraction and sample application, we were able to solubilize the majority of the chorion proteins and resolve them by 2-DE. Under optimized conditions, there are more than 700 protein spots resolved by 2-D analysis. Trypsin digestions of individual protein spots, MALDI-TOF MS analysis of their digested peptides, and subsequent BLAST search of peptide masses resulted in the tentative identification of 38 protein spots. Our data show that sequential extraction of the isolated chorion, 2-DE of the solubilized chorion proteins, in-gel digestion of the resolved protein and MALDI-TOF MS analysis of the protein digests is an effective overall strategy towards determination of chorion proteins in mosquitoes. The merits of the method described for the determination of mosquito chorion proteins and its feasibility for the separation and identification of membrane proteins and chorion or eggshell proteins from other insect species are discussed.     

Proteomics Associated with Virulence Differentiation of Curvularia lunata in Maize in China

One-dimensional electrophoresis (1-DE) of proteins, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) of proteins and cloning of cDNA sequence were used to study the virulence differentiation of Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boed. isolated from maize (Zea maydis L.) in China. From 1-DE gel profiles of proteins, 110 reproducible bands were separated from six isolates of C. lunata CX-3, SD-6, C-152, C107-1, DD-60 and W-18. Sixty-eight bands (61.82%) were polymorphic,suggesting huge biodiversities among the isolates. All isolates for the experiment were clustered into three groups consisting of different virulent types by coefficient value of 0.605. Group 1, consisting of CX-3, SD-6 and C-152 with high virulence displayed more protein bands than Groups 2 and 3, consisting of C107-1 and DD-60 with low virulence. Proteomics approaches based on 2-DE techniques were applied to identify specific proteins associated with the virulence differentiation in CX-3 and DD-60. A total of 423 protein spots were separated. Out of them 75 specific protein spots were displayed in 2-DE gels. Among them 28 protein spots were unique in CX-3 and eight in DD-60, and 39 protein spots were shown on both 2-DE gels but expressed differently in intensity. Twenty protein spots including three unique protein spots and 17 differentially expressed protein spots (more than two-fold DD-60) in CX-3 were further identified with MALDI-TOF MS/MS. Results indicated that most of the identified proteins were found to be associated with virulence differentiation, metabolisms, stress response and signal transduction.One of them was identified as Brn1 protein, which had been reported to be related to melanin biosynthesis and the virulence differentiation in fungi. Combined with our previous findings, we assumed that Brn1 protein and its regulating products might be involved in the virulence differentiation of C. lunata. Consequently, we cloned a Brn1 cDNA fragment and aligned it with the fragments in other fungi. Results indicated that the 633-bp sequence of Brn1 cloned in C. lunata was highly homological with the compared fungi. Further work for the exact gene roles of Brn1 in our case is underway.     

适用于双向电泳分析的水稻悬浮细胞外分泌蛋白提取方法

目的:建立适用于双向电泳分析的水稻悬浮细胞外分泌蛋白提取方法。方法:采用酚抽提结合甲醇醋酸铵沉淀法、三氯乙酸-丙酮沉淀法和硫酸铵沉淀等3种方法制备水稻悬浮细胞外分泌蛋白,并进行双向电泳分析;利用Western印迹对候选方法提取的外分泌蛋白进行纯度检测。另外,还利用质谱技术对从双向电泳胶上随机挑选的9个蛋白点进行测定,并用SignalP 3.0 Server对测定的蛋白点进行信号肽预测。结果:酚抽提结合甲醇醋酸铵沉淀法提取的外分泌蛋白得率最高,且双向电泳图谱清晰,并能检测到最多的蛋白点;Western印迹表明利用该法所提取的外分泌蛋白未被细胞内蛋白质污染。利用质谱技术鉴定了随机挑选的9个蛋白点,SignalP 3.0 Server分析表明其中6个蛋白含有信号肽。结论:酚抽提结合甲醇醋酸铵沉淀法是一种适用于双向电泳分析的水稻悬浮细胞外分泌蛋白提取方法。     

Analysis of the cytosolic proteome of Halobacterium salinarum and its implication for genome annotation

The halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum (strain R1, DSM 671) contains 2784 protein-coding genes as derived from the genome sequence. The cytosolic proteome containing 2042 proteins was separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and systematically analyzed by a semi-automatic procedure. A reference map was established taking into account the narrow isoelectric point (pI) distribution of halophilic proteins between 3.5 and 5.5. Proteins were separated on overlapping gels covering the essential areas of pI and molecular weight. Every silver-stained spot was analyzed resulting in 661 identified proteins out of about 1800 different protein spots using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF). There were 94 proteins that were found in multiple spots, indicating post-translational modification. An additional 141 soluble proteins were identified on 2-D gels not corresponding to the reference map. Thus about 40% of the cytosolic proteome was identified. In addition to the 2784 protein-coding genes, the H. salinarum genome contains more than 6000 spurious open reading frames longer than 100 codons. Proteomic information permitted an improvement in genome annotation by validating and correcting gene assignments. The correlation between theoretical pI and gel position is exceedingly good and was used as a tool to improve start codon assignments. The fraction of identified chromosomal proteins was much higher than that of those encoded on the plasmids. In combination with analysis of the GC content this observation permitted an unambiguous identification of an episomal insert of 60 kbp ("AT-rich island") in the chromosome, as well as a 70 kbp region from the chromosome that has integrated into one of the megaplasmids and carries a series of essential genes. About 63% of the chromosomally encoded proteins larger than 25 kDa were identified, proving the efficacy of 2-DE MALDI-TOF MS PMF technology. The analysis of the integral membrane proteome by tandem mass spectrometric techniques added another 141 identified proteins not identified by the 2-DE approach (see following paper).     

Protein identification from two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae by combined use of mass spectrometry data and raw genome sequences

Separation of proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with identification of proteins through peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is the widely used technique for proteomic analysis. This approach relies, however, on the presence of the proteins studied in public-accessible protein databases or the availability of annotated genome sequences of an organism. In this work, we investigated the reliability of using raw genome sequences for identifying proteins by PMF without the need of additional information such as amino acid sequences. The method is demonstrated for proteomic analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae grown anaerobically on glycerol. For 197 spots excised from 2-DE gels and submitted for mass spectrometric analysis 164 spots were clearly identified as 122 individual proteins. 95% of the 164 spots can be successfully identified merely by using peptide mass fingerprints and a strain-specific protein database (ProtKpn) constructed from the raw genome sequences of K. pneumoniae. Cross-species protein searching in the public databases mainly resulted in the identification of 57% of the 66 high expressed protein spots in comparison to 97% by using the ProtKpn database. 10 dha regulon related proteins that are essential for the initial enzymatic steps of anaerobic glycerol metabolism were successfully identified using the ProtKpn database, whereas none of them could be identified by cross-species searching. In conclusion, the use of strain-specific protein database constructed from raw genome sequences makes it possible to reliably identify most of the proteins from 2-DE analysis simply through peptide mass fingerprinting.     

Characterization of metaproteomics in crop rhizospheric soil

Soil rhizospheric metaproteomics is a powerful scientific tool to uncover the interactions between plants and microorganisms in the soil ecosystem. The present study established an extraction method suitable for different soils that could increase the extracted protein content. Close to 1000 separate spots with high reproducibility could be identified in the stained 2-DE gels. Among the spots, 189 spots representing 122 proteins on a 2-DE gel of rice soil samples were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. These proteins mainly originated from rice and microorganisms. They were involved in protein, energy, nucleotide, and secondary metabolisms, as well as signal transduction and resistance. Three characteristics of the crop rhizospheric metaproteomics seemed apparent: (1) approximately one-third of the protein spots could not be identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF/MS, (2) the conservative proteins from plants formed a feature distribution of crop rhizospheric metaproteome, and (3) there were very complex interactions between plants and microorganisms existing in a crop rhizospheric soil. Further functional analysis on the identified proteins unveiled various metabolic pathways and signal transductions involved in the soil biotic community. This study provides a paradigm for metaproteomic research on soil biology.     

Comparative Proteome Analysis of Human Temporal Cortex Lobes by Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis and Identification of Selected Common Proteins

Human brain proteins were isolated from left and right temporal cortex lobes at the age of 73, 23, 84 years and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). 2-DE was carried out with an immobilized pH gradient strip in the first dimension and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the second dimension. Over 800 polypeptide spots were resolved with a silver-staining protocol by computerized 2-D gel analsis. Seven of the polypeptide spots were evidently distinguishable between human left and right temporal lobes. Four of the polypeptide spots were larger and three were smaller in human right temporal lobe. One of these three protein spots that have descendent expression in human right temporal lobe was identified as carbonyl reductase (NADPH) 1 by MALDI-TOF MS. Thirty-three common spots were identified by ESI-MS/MALDI-TOF MS/Edman sequencing and a protein database search. These identified proteins include some important enzymes and regulating proteins.     

Proteome analysis differentiates between two highly homologues germin-like proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes Col-0 and Ws-2

A proteome approach based on 2-D gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to compare the protein patterns of the Arabidopsis ecotypes Col-0 and Ws-2. In leaf extracts a pair of protein spots were found to be diagnostic for each of the lines. Both pairs of spots were identified as closely related germin-like proteins differing in only one amino acid by using peptide mass finger printing of tryptic digests and by gaining additional data from post-source decay spectra in the MALDI-TOF analysis. Western blot analysis after separation of protein extracts by 2-DE confirmed results from Coomassie blue-stained gels and revealed additional immunoreactive spots for both ecotypes most likely representing dimers of the spots first identified. Western blot analysis and mass spectrometrical identification of the corresponding weakly stained protein in Coomassie blue-stained gels of the ecotype Col-0 also demonstrated for the first time the occurrence of AtGER3 protein in root extracts. Our results demonstrate the capacity of proteome analysis to analyse and distinguish closely related members of large protein families.     

Protein expression of lymphocytes in HLA-DR transgenic pigs by a proteomic approach

Matching donor and recipient human leucocyte antigen (HLA-II) could conquer cell-mediated rejection following transplantation. Transgenic pigs carrying HLA genes that "humanize" porcine organs, tissues, and cells were successfully generated. This study further clarifies the effect of HLA-DR transgenes on lymphocyte protein expression, via a proteomic approach. Lymphocytes were isolated from two HLA-DR transgenic pigs and three nontransgenic littermates on 157 d after birth. Soluble protein of 1x10(7) cells was separated using 2-DE. In total, 301 colloidal CBB-stained protein spots detected on all five 2-D gels were quantified. Thirty-three proteins were differentially expressed by a factor of 1.5. These proteins were subsequently identified by MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS. These proteins were sorted into the following categories: chaperones, T-lymphocyte function, DNA/RNA processing, cytoskeleton-associated proteins, signal transduction, enzymes, and unknown. Previous studies have suggested that some of the identified proteins are associated with lymphocyte activation/proliferation. The identities of the unidentified spots and the systematic effect of these up- and down-regulated proteins on T-cell function in HLA-DR transgenic pigs require further exploration.     

Plant defense in response to chewing insects: proteome analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana damaged by Plutella xylostella

The interactions between Arabidopsis thaliana and Plutella xylostella have been considered as a model system to unravel the responses of plants to herbivorous insects. Here, we use a 2-DE proteome approach to detect protein expression changes in the leaves of Arabidopsis plants exposed to P. xylostella larval infestation at 27°C within 8?h. Approximately 450 protein spots were reproducibly detected on gels. Of these, comparing healthy and infested leaves, we identified 18 differentially expressed protein spots. Thirteen proteins were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/MS and LC-ESI-MS/MS. Functional classification analysis indicated that the differentially identified proteins were associated with amino acid, carbohydrate, energy, lipid metabolism, and photosynthesis. In addition, their relative abundances were assessed according to larval pest feeding on Arabidopsis leaves. These data provide valuable new insights for further works in plant-biotic and environmental stress interaction.     

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.     

A proteomic approach to study pea (Pisum sativum) responses to powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi)

As a global approach to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in pea resistance to Erysiphe pisi, changes in the leaf proteome of two pea genotypes differing in their resistance phenotype were analyzed by a combination of 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Leaf proteins from control non-inoculated and inoculated susceptible (Messire) and resistant (JI2480) plants were resolved by 2-DE, with IEF in the 5-8 pH range and SDS-PAGE on 12% gels. CBB-stained gels revealed the existence of quantitative and qualitative differences between extracts from: (i) non-inoculated leaves of both genotypes (77 spots); (ii) inoculated and non-inoculated Messire leaves (19 spots); and (iii) inoculated and non-inoculated JI2480 leaves (12 spots). Some of the differential spots have been identified, after MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis and database searching, as proteins belonging to several functional categories, including photosynthesis and carbon metabolism, energy production, stress and defense, protein synthesis and degradation and signal transduction. Results are discussed in terms of constitutive and induced elements involved in pea resistance against Erysiphe pisi.     

Optimized sample preparation for two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of soluble proteins from chicken bursa of Fabricius

Background  

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) is a powerful method to study protein expression and function in living organisms and diseases. This technique, however, has not been applied to avian bursa of Fabricius (BF), a central immune organ. Here, optimized 2-DE sample preparation methodologies were constructed for the chicken BF tissue. Using the optimized protocol, we performed further 2-DE analysis on a soluble protein extract from the BF of chickens infected with virulent avibirnavirus. To demonstrate the quality of the extracted proteins, several differentially expressed protein spots selected were cut from 2-DE gels and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).     

Strategic proteome analysis of Candida magnoliae with an unsequenced genome

Erythritol is a noncariogenic, low calorie sweetener. It is safe for people with diabetes and obese people. Candida magnoliae is an industrially important organism because of its ability to produce erythritol as a major product. The genome of C. magnoliae has not been sequenced yet, limiting the available proteome database. Therefore, systematic approaches were employed to construct the proteome map of C. magnoliae. Proteomic analysis with systematic approaches is based on two-dimensional electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and database interrogation. First, 24 spots were analyzed using peptide mass fingerprinting along with MALDI-TOF MS with high mass accuracy. Only four spots were reliably identified as carbonyl reductase and its isoforms. The reason for low sequence coverage seemed to be that these identification strategies were based on the presence of the protein database obtained from the publicly accessible genome database and the availability of cross-species protein identification. MS/MS (MS/MS ion search and de novo sequencing) in combination with similarity searches allowed successful identification of 39 spots. Several proteins including transaldolase identified by MS/MS ion searches were further confirmed by partial sequences from the expressed sequence tag database. In this study, 51 protein spots were analyzed and then potentially identified. The identified proteins were involved in glycolysis, stress response, other essential metabolisms and cell structures.     

Proteomic dataset of Sca-1+ progenitor cells

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) can differentiate into endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which participate in vascular angiogenesis. In this study, we differentiated mouse ES cells into Sca-1(+) cells, which have the potential to serve as vascular progenitor cells, and mapped their proteome by 2-DE using a pH 3-10 non-linear gradient and 12% SDS-polyacrylamide gels. A subset of 300 protein spots was analysed and mapped, with 241 protein spots being identified by their PMF using MALDI-TOF MS or by partial amino acid sequencing using MS/MS. Our protein map is the first of Sca-1(+) progenitor cells and will facilitate the identification of proteins differentially expressed during stem cell differentiation. The proteome of adult arterial SMCs is described in an accompanying paper (in this issue, DOI 10.1002/pmic.200402045). All data are made accessible on our website http://www.vascular-proteomics.com.     

2-DE-based proteomic analysis of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume for direct human consumption. Proteomic studies in legumes have increased significantly in the last years but few studies have been performed to date in P. vulgaris. We report here a proteomic analysis of bean seeds by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Three different protein extraction methods (TCA-acetone, phenol and the commercial clean-up kit) were used taking into account that the extractome can have a determinant impact on the level of quality of downstream protein separation and identification. To demonstrate the quality of the 2-DE analysis, a selection of 50 gel spots was used in protein identification by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-TOF/TOF). The results showed that a considerable proportion of spots (70%) were identified in spite of incomplete genome/protein databases for bean and other legume species. Most identified proteins corresponded to storage protein, carbohydrate metabolism, defense and stress response, including proteins highly abundant in the seed of P. vulgaris such as the phaseolin, the phytohemagglutinin and the lectin-related α-amylase inhibitor.