A novel S3S‐TAP‐tag for the isolation of T‐cell interaction partners of adhesion and degranulation promoting adaptor protein

The identification of modular units of cellular function is a major goal for proteomic research. Protein complexes represent important building blocks defining functionality and deciphering their composition remains a major challenge. Here, we have designed a new tandem affinity purification (TAP) tag (termed S3S‐tag) for the isolation of protein complexes. Specifically, the immune cell protein ADAP that regulates integrin adhesion was fused either C‐ or N‐terminally to the S3S‐tag. After retroviral transduction of a vector containing S3S‐tagged ADAP and internal ribosomal entry site encoded enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), Jurkat T cells were sorted according to eGFP expression and further selected for expression of TAP‐tagged protein close to endogenous levels. The combination of a cleavable S‐tag and a Strep‐tag II allowed for the isolation of ADAP and associated proteins. Subsequently, stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture‐based mass spectrometric analysis was performed to identify potentially specific interaction partners. Co‐purification of the known interaction partner Src kinase‐associated phosphoprotein of 55 kDa indicates the validity of our approach, while the identification of the ENA/VASP family member EVL, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor GEF‐H1 and the adaptor protein DOCK2 corroborates a link between ADAP‐mediated integrin regulation and the cytoskeleton.