Improved Titanium Dioxide Enrichment of Phosphopeptides from HeLa Cells and High Confident Phosphopeptide Identification by Cross-Validation of MS/MS and MS/MS/MS Spectra

Enrichment is essential for phosphoproteome analysis because phosphorylated proteins are usually present in cells in low abundance. Recently, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been demonstrated to enrich phosphopeptides from simple peptide mixtures with high specificity; however, the technology has not been optimized. In the present study, significant non-specific bindings were observed when proteome samples were applied to TiO2 columns. Column wash with an NH4Glu solution after loading peptide mixtures significantly increased the efficiency of TiO2 phosphopeptide enrichment with a recovery of up to 84%. Also, for proteome samples, more than a 2-fold increase in unique phosphopeptide identifications has been achieved. The use of NH4Glu for a TiO2 column wash does not significantly reduce the phosphopeptide recovery. A total of 858 phosphopeptides corresponding to 1034 distinct phosphosites has been identified from HeLa cells using the improved TiO2 enrichment procedure in combination with data-dependent neutral loss nano-RPLC-MS2-MS3 analysis. While 41 and 35% of the phosphopeptides were identified only by MS2 and MS3, respectively, 24% was identified by both MS2 and MS3. Cross-validation of the phosphopeptide assignment by MS2 and MS3 scans resulted in the highest confidence in identification (99.5%). Many phosphosites identified in this study appear to be novel, including sites from antigen Ki-67, nucleolar phosphoprotein p130, and Treacle protein. The study also indicates that evaluation of confidence levels for phosphopeptide identification via the reversed sequence database searching strategy might underestimate the false positive rate. Keywords: Phosphoproteomics • titanium dioxide • phosphopeptide enrichment • HeLa cells • tandem mass spectrometry • neutral loss sca

Improved Titanium Dioxide Enrichment of Phosphopeptides from HeLa Cells and High Confident Phosphopeptide Identification by Cross-Validation of MS/MS and MS/MS/MS Spectra

Enrichment is essential for phosphoproteome analysis because phosphorylated proteins are usually present in cells in low abundance. Recently, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been demonstrated to enrich phosphopeptides from simple peptide mixtures with high specificity; however, the technology has not been optimized. In the present study, significant non-specific bindings were observed when proteome samples were applied to TiO2 columns. Column wash with an NH4Glu solution after loading peptide mixtures significantly increased the efficiency of TiO2 phosphopeptide enrichment with a recovery of up to 84%. Also, for proteome samples, more than a 2-fold increase in unique phosphopeptide identifications has been achieved. The use of NH4Glu for a TiO2 column wash does not significantly reduce the phosphopeptide recovery. A total of 858 phosphopeptides corresponding to 1034 distinct phosphosites has been identified from HeLa cells using the improved TiO2 enrichment procedure in combination with data-dependent neutral loss nano-RPLC-MS2-MS3 analysis. While 41 and 35% of the phosphopeptides were identified only by MS2 and MS3, respectively, 24% was identified by both MS2 and MS3. Cross-validation of the phosphopeptide assignment by MS2 and MS3 scans resulted in the highest confidence in identification (99.5%). Many phosphosites identified in this study appear to be novel, including sites from antigen Ki-67, nucleolar phosphoprotein p130, and Treacle protein. The study also indicates that evaluation of confidence levels for phosphopeptide identification via the reversed sequence database searching strategy might underestimate the false positive rate. Keywords: Phosphoproteomics • titanium dioxide • phosphopeptide enrichment • HeLa cells • tandem mass spectrometry • neutral loss sca

Evaluation of the Acid-Cleavable Isotope-Coded Affinity Tag Reagents: Application to Camptothecin-Treated Cortical Neurons

The new generation of isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) reagents have been evaluated by labeling an equimolar amount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with ICAT-12C9 and ICAT-13C9, combining the mixtures, digesting them with trypsin and analyzing the digestate both by μRPLC-tandem MS and by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) TOF/TOF MS. The use of 13C in place of 2H resulted in both of the labeled peptides having identical elution characteristics in a reversed-phase separation. This similarity in elution allows ICAT-labeled peptides to be effectively analyzed using a μRPLC−MALDI−MS strategy as well. All of the cysteinyl-containing tryptic peptides from BSA were identified with only a 10% variation in the relative abundance measurements between the light and heavy versions of each peptide. A facile method for the removal of contaminants that arise from the cleaved biotin moiety that otherwise interfere with downstream separations and MS analysis has also been developed. The new ICAT reagents were then applied to the analysis of a cortical neuron proteome sample to identify proteins regulated by the antitumor drug, camptothecin. Keywords: isotope-coded affinity tags • quantitative proteomics • mass spectrometry • cortical neuron

Improved Titanium Dioxide Enrichment of Phosphopeptides from HeLa Cells and High Confident Phosphopeptide Identification by Cross-Validation of MS/MS and MS/MS/MS Spectra

Enrichment is essential for phosphoproteome analysis because phosphorylated proteins are usually present in cells in low abundance. Recently, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been demonstrated to enrich phosphopeptides from simple peptide mixtures with high specificity; however, the technology has not been optimized. In the present study, significant non-specific bindings were observed when proteome samples were applied to TiO2 columns. Column wash with an NH4Glu solution after loading peptide mixtures significantly increased the efficiency of TiO2 phosphopeptide enrichment with a recovery of up to 84%. Also, for proteome samples, more than a 2-fold increase in unique phosphopeptide identifications has been achieved. The use of NH4Glu for a TiO2 column wash does not significantly reduce the phosphopeptide recovery. A total of 858 phosphopeptides corresponding to 1034 distinct phosphosites has been identified from HeLa cells using the improved TiO2 enrichment procedure in combination with data-dependent neutral loss nano-RPLC-MS2-MS3 analysis. While 41 and 35% of the phosphopeptides were identified only by MS2 and MS3, respectively, 24% was identified by both MS2 and MS3. Cross-validation of the phosphopeptide assignment by MS2 and MS3 scans resulted in the highest confidence in identification (99.5%). Many phosphosites identified in this study appear to be novel, including sites from antigen Ki-67, nucleolar phosphoprotein p130, and Treacle protein. The study also indicates that evaluation of confidence levels for phosphopeptide identification via the reversed sequence database searching strategy might underestimate the false positive rate. Keywords: Phosphoproteomics • titanium dioxide • phosphopeptide enrichment • HeLa cells • tandem mass spectrometry • neutral loss sca

Investigation of the Mouse Serum Proteome

With the rapid assimilation of genomic information and the equally impressive developments in the field of proteomics, there is an unprecedented interest in biomarker discovery. Although human biofluids represent increasingly attractive samples from which new and more accurate disease biomarkers may be found, the intrinsic person-to-person variability in these samples complicates their discovery. One of the most extensively used animal models for studying human disease is mouse because, unlike humans, they represent a highly controllable experimental model system. Unfortunately, very little is known about the proteomic composition of mouse serum. In this study, a multidimensional fractionation approach on both the protein and the peptide level that does not require depletion of highly abundant serum proteins was combined with tandem mass spectrometry to characterize proteins within mouse serum. Over 12 300 unique peptides that originate from 4567 unique proteinsapproximately 16% of all known mouse proteinswere identified. The results presented here represent the broadest proteome coverage in mouse serum and provide a foundation from which quantitative comparisons can be made in this important animal model. Keywords: mouse • serum proteomics • multidimensional fractionation • tandem mass spectrometr

Identification of the SELDI ProteinChip Human Serum Retentate by Microcapillary Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has been widely applied for conducting biomarker research with the goal of discovering patterns of proteins and/or peptides from biological samples that reflect disease status. Many diseases, ranging from cancers of the colon, breast, and prostate to Alzheimer's disease, have been studied through serum protein profiling using SELDI-based methods. Although the results from SELDI-based diagnostic studies have generated a great deal of excitement and skepticism alike, the basis of the molecular identities of the features that underpin the diagnostic potential of the mass spectra is still largely unexplored. A detailed investigation has been undertaken to identify the compliment of serum proteins that bind to the commonly used weak cation exchange (WCX-2) SELDI protein chip. Following incubation and washing of a standard serum sample on the WCX-2 sorbent, proteins were harvested, digested with trypsin, fractionated by strong cation exchange liquid chromatography (LC), and subsequently analyzed by microcapillary reversed-phase LC coupled online with an ion-trap mass spectrometer. This analysis resulted in the identification of 383 unique proteins in the WCX-2 serum retentate. Among the proteins identified, 50 (13%) are documented clinical biomarkers with 36 of these (72%) identified from multiple peptides. Keywords: SELDI • biomarker • serum proteomics • multidimensional fractionation • mass spectrometr

Identification of the SELDI ProteinChip Human Serum Retentate by Microcapillary Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has been widely applied for conducting biomarker research with the goal of discovering patterns of proteins and/or peptides from biological samples that reflect disease status. Many diseases, ranging from cancers of the colon, breast, and prostate to Alzheimer's disease, have been studied through serum protein profiling using SELDI-based methods. Although the results from SELDI-based diagnostic studies have generated a great deal of excitement and skepticism alike, the basis of the molecular identities of the features that underpin the diagnostic potential of the mass spectra is still largely unexplored. A detailed investigation has been undertaken to identify the compliment of serum proteins that bind to the commonly used weak cation exchange (WCX-2) SELDI protein chip. Following incubation and washing of a standard serum sample on the WCX-2 sorbent, proteins were harvested, digested with trypsin, fractionated by strong cation exchange liquid chromatography (LC), and subsequently analyzed by microcapillary reversed-phase LC coupled online with an ion-trap mass spectrometer. This analysis resulted in the identification of 383 unique proteins in the WCX-2 serum retentate. Among the proteins identified, 50 (13%) are documented clinical biomarkers with 36 of these (72%) identified from multiple peptides. Keywords: SELDI • biomarker • serum proteomics • multidimensional fractionation • mass spectrometr

Optimized Method for Computing ¹⁸O/¹⁶O Ratios of Differentially Stable-Isotope Labeled Peptides in the Context of Postdigestion ¹⁸O Exchange/Labeling

Differential 18O/16O stable isotope labeling of peptides that relies on enzyme-catalyzed oxygen exchange at their carboxyl termini in the presence of H218O has been widely used for relative quantitation of peptides/proteins. The role of tryptic proteolysis in bottom-up shotgun proteomics and low reagent costs have made trypsin-catalyzed 18O postdigestion exchange a convenient and affordable stable isotope labeling approach. However, it is known that trypsin-catalyzed 18O exchange at the carboxyl terminus is in many instances inhomogeneous/incomplete. The extent of the 18O exchange/incorporation fluctuates from peptide to peptide mostly due to variable enzyme−substrate affinity. Thus, accurate calculation and interpretation of peptide ratios are analytically complicated and in some regard deficient. Therefore, a computational approach capable of improved measurement of actual 18O incorporation for each differentially labeled peptide pair is needed. In this regard, we have developed an algorithmic method that relies on the trapezoidal rule to integrate peak intensities of all detected isotopic species across a particular peptide ion over the retention time, which fits the isotopic manifold to Poisson distributions. Optimal values for manifold fitting were calculated and then 18O/16O ratios derived via evolutionary programming. The algorithm is tested using trypsin-catalyzed 18O postdigestion exchange to differentially label bovine serum albumin (BSA) at a priori determined ratios. Both accuracy and precision are improved utilizing this rigorous mathematical approach. We further demonstrate the effectiveness of this method to accurately calculate 18O/16O ratios in a large scale proteomic quantitation of detergent resistant membrane microdomains (DRMMs) isolated from cells expressing wild-type HIV-1 Gag and its nonmyristylated mutant

Combined Chemical and Enzymatic Stable Isotope Labeling for Quantitative Profiling of Detergent-Insoluble Membrane Proteins Isolated Using Triton X-100 and Brij-96

Effective quantitative profiling of detergent-insoluble membrane proteins using high-throughput mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics would allow a better understanding of physiological and pathological processes that take place at the cell surface. To increase the coverage of proteins present in detergent-resistant membrane microdomains (DRMMs), a combination of 16O/18O and isotope coded affinity tags (ICAT) labeling was used in a comparative analysis of detergent-insoluble membrane proteins isolated from rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3), with either Triton X-100 or Brij-96. The analysis resulted in the quantification of 738 unique proteins from Triton X-100 and Brij-96 isolated DRMMs, significantly exceeding the number of proteins quantified from either single labeling technique. Twenty-five noncysteine-containing proteins were quantified, as well as 32 cysteine-containing proteins that would have been missed if either 16O/18O or ICAT labeling had been used exclusively, which illustrate better proteome coverage and enhanced ability to quantitate. The comparative analysis revealed that proteins were more readily extracted using Triton X-100 than Brij-96; however, Triton X-100 also extracted larger quantities of non-DRMMs-associated proteins. This result confirms previous, targeted studies suggesting that DRMMs isolated using Triton X-100 and Brij-96 differ in their protein content. Keywords: quantitative proteomics • combined 16O/18O and ICAT stable isotopic labeling • Triton X-100 and Brij-96 detergent-insoluble membrane protein

Optimized Method for Computing ¹⁸O/¹⁶O Ratios of Differentially Stable-Isotope Labeled Peptides in the Context of Postdigestion ¹⁸O Exchange/Labeling

Differential 18O/16O stable isotope labeling of peptides that relies on enzyme-catalyzed oxygen exchange at their carboxyl termini in the presence of H218O has been widely used for relative quantitation of peptides/proteins. The role of tryptic proteolysis in bottom-up shotgun proteomics and low reagent costs have made trypsin-catalyzed 18O postdigestion exchange a convenient and affordable stable isotope labeling approach. However, it is known that trypsin-catalyzed 18O exchange at the carboxyl terminus is in many instances inhomogeneous/incomplete. The extent of the 18O exchange/incorporation fluctuates from peptide to peptide mostly due to variable enzyme−substrate affinity. Thus, accurate calculation and interpretation of peptide ratios are analytically complicated and in some regard deficient. Therefore, a computational approach capable of improved measurement of actual 18O incorporation for each differentially labeled peptide pair is needed. In this regard, we have developed an algorithmic method that relies on the trapezoidal rule to integrate peak intensities of all detected isotopic species across a particular peptide ion over the retention time, which fits the isotopic manifold to Poisson distributions. Optimal values for manifold fitting were calculated and then 18O/16O ratios derived via evolutionary programming. The algorithm is tested using trypsin-catalyzed 18O postdigestion exchange to differentially label bovine serum albumin (BSA) at a priori determined ratios. Both accuracy and precision are improved utilizing this rigorous mathematical approach. We further demonstrate the effectiveness of this method to accurately calculate 18O/16O ratios in a large scale proteomic quantitation of detergent resistant membrane microdomains (DRMMs) isolated from cells expressing wild-type HIV-1 Gag and its nonmyristylated mutant