Collision-induced Unfolding Research Articles

Gas-Phase Dynamics of Collision Induced Unfolding, Collision Induced Dissociation, and Electron Transfer Dissociation-Activated Polymer Ions.

Polymer characterizations are often performed using mass spectrometry (MS). Aside from MS and different tandem MS (MS/MS) techniques, ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) has been recently added to the inventory of characterization technique. However, only few studies have focused on the reproducibility and robustness of polymer IM-MS analyses. Here, we perform collisional and electron-mediated activation of polymer ions before measuring IM drift times, collision cross-sections (CCS), or reduced ion mobilities (K0). The resulting IM behavior of different activated product ions is then compared to non-activated native intact polymer ions. First, we analyzed collision induced unfolding (CIU) of precursor ions to test the robustness of polymer ion shapes. Then, we focused on fragmentation product ions to test for shape retentions from the precursor ions: cation ejection species (CES) and product ions with m/z and charge state values identical to native intact polymer ions. The CES species are formed using both collision induced dissociation (CID) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD, formally ETnoD) experiments. Only small drift time, CCS, or K0 deviations between the activated/formed ions are observed compared to the native intact polymer ions. The polymer ion shapes seem to depend solely on their mass and charge state. The experiments were performed on three synthetic homopolymers: poly(ethoxy phosphate) (PEtP), poly(2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline) (Pn-PrOx), and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). These results confirm the robustness of polymer ion CCSs for IM calibration, especially singly charged polymer ions. The results are also discussed in the context of polymer analyses, CCS predictions, and probing ion-drift gas interaction potentials. Graphical Abstract.

Investigation of the interaction between superoxide dismutase and caffeoylquinic acids by alkali metal assisted cationization-ion mobility mass spectrometry

Misfolding and dissociation of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is closely related to the pathogenesis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), so that, it is important to discover the compounds which can stabilize the structure of SOD1 for the prevention and treatment of ALS disease. Caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs), as potential antioxidants, are important bioactive components in multiple vegetables and fruits. In this research, we studied the interactions between the CQAs and SOD1, and explored their effects on stabilizing the SOD1 structure and inhibiting the misfolding of SOD1. Because metal-free SOD1 (apo-SOD1) may be one of the precursor compounds of SOD1 dissociation and aggregation, we investigated the non-covalent complex between CQAs and apo-SOD1 by the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Among the CQAs observed in this research, dicaffeoylquinic acids (di-CQAs) have the stronger binding affinity to apo-SOD1 than monocaffeoylquinic acids (mo-CQAs). In order to study the interactions of di-CQA isomers with apo-SOD1, a novel method based on alkali metal assisted cationization-ion mobility mass spectrometry was established and used to investigate the binding affinity between the di-CQA isomers and apo-SOD1 by distinguishing and quantifying the unbound di-CQA. Collision induced unfolding (CIU), as a new methodology, was further used to assess the stabilities of di-CQAs and apo-SOD1 complexes. The results show that there were no distinct differences in the binding affinity between different di-CQA isomers and apo-SOD1. Furthermore, CIU data obtained in this work reveal that di-CQAs can stabilize apo-SOD1 dimer and retard the unfolding of apo-SOD1 dimer. The strategy developed by us can be also used to study the interactions between other isomeric compounds and target protein in order to discover more potential drug-like small molecules.

Collision-Induced Unfolding of Partially Metalated Metallothionein-2A: Tracking Unfolding Reactions of Gas-Phase Ions.

Metallothioneins (MTs) constitute a group of intrinsically disordered proteins that exhibit extreme diversity in structure, biological functionality, and metal ion specificity. Structures of coordinatively saturated metalated MTs have been extensively studied, but very limited structural information for the partially metalated MTs exists. Here, the conformational preferences from partial metalation of rabbit metallothionein-2A (MT) by Cd2+, Zn2+, and Ag+ are studied using nanoelectrospray ionization ion mobility mass spectrometry. We also employ collision-induced unfolding to probe differences in the gas-phase stabilities of these partially metalated MTs. Our results show that despite their similar ion mobility profiles, Cd4-MT, Zn4-MT, Ag4-MT, and Ag6-MT differ dramatically in their gas-phase stabilities. Furthermore, the sequential addition of each Cd2+ and Zn2+ ion results in the incremental stabilization of unique unfolding intermediates.

Optimizing Native Ion Mobility Q-TOF in Helium and Nitrogen for Very Fragile Noncovalent Structures

The amount of internal energy imparted to the ions prior to the ion mobility cell influences the ion structure and thus the collision cross section. Non-covalent complexes with few internal degrees of freedom and/or high charge densities are particularly sensitive to collisional activation. Here, we investigated the effects of virtually all tuning parameters of the Agilent 6560 IM-Q-TOF on the arrival time distributions of ubiquitin7+ and found conditions in which the native state prevails. We discuss the effects of solvent evaporation conditions in the source, of the entire pre-IM DC voltage gradient, of the funnel RF amplitudes. We also report on ubiquitin7+ conformations in different solvents, including native supercharging conditions. Collision-induced unfolding (CIU) can be conveniently provoked either behind the source capillary or in the trapping funnel. The softness of the instrumental conditions behind the mobility cell was further optimized with the DNA G-quadruplex [(dG4T4G4)2·(NH4+)3-8H]5-, for which ion activation results in ammonia loss. To reduce the ion internal energy and obtain the intact 3-NH4+ complex, we reduce the post-IM voltage gradient, but this results in a lower IM resolving power due to increased diffusion behind the drift tube. The article describes the various trade-offs between ion activation, ion transmission, and ion mobility performance for native MS of very fragile structures. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Native Mass Spectrometry, Ion Mobility, and Collision-Induced Unfolding for Conformational Characterization of IgG4 Monoclonal Antibodies.

Although the majority of FDA and EMA approved therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are IgG1, the number of IgG4-based formats reaching the market is increasing. IgG4 differs from other mAb isotypes by its specificity to form half mAbs that recombine into bispecific (bsAbs) molecules, through a process termed fab-arm exchange (FAE). We report here the complementarity of native mass spectrometry (MS), ion mobility (IM), and collision-induced unfolding (CIU) experiments for the structural characterization of members of the IgG4 subfamily (wild-type (wt), hinge-stabilized (hs, S228P mutation), and the resulting bsAb IgG4s). Native MS allows confirming/invalidating the occurrence of FAE as a function of these different types of IgG4. While IM-MS was unable to distinguish iso-cross-section IgG4 species, CIU experiments provide unique specific structural signatures of each individual IgG4 based on their specific unfolding pathways. Common CIU features of IgG4 formats include the observation of three conformational states and two transitions. In addition, CIU experiments demonstrated that S228P mutation stabilizes gas phase conformations of hsIgG4, in agreement with increased stability related to more rigid hinge regions. CIU patterns also appear to be more informative than IM-MS for bsAb structural characterization, unfolding signature of the bsAb being intermediate to the ones of the former parent wt-IgG4s, highlighting that bsAb CIU profiles keep the memory of their origins. Altogether, our results demonstrate that CIU patterns can serve as mAb specific structural signatures and are mature to be included in MS-based analytical workflows for conformational/structural characterization of mAb formats in early development phases and for multiple attribute monitoring.

Signature of Antibody Domain Exchange by Native Mass Spectrometry and Collision-Induced Unfolding.

The development of domain-exchanged antibodies offers a route to high-affinity targeting to clustered multivalent epitopes, such as those associated with viral infections and many cancers. One strategy to generate these antibodies is to introduce mutations into target antibodies to drive domain exchange using the only known naturally occurring domain-exchanged anti-HIV (anti-human immunodeficiency virus) IgG1 antibody, 2G12 , as a template. Here, we show that domain exchange can be sensitively monitored by ion-mobility mass spectrometry and gas-phase collision-induced unfolding. Using native 2G12 and a mutated form that disrupts domain exchange such that it has a canonical IgG1 architecture ( 2G12 I19R ), we show that the two forms can be readily distinguished by their unfolding profiles. Importantly, the same signature of domain exchange is observed for both intact antibody and isolated Fab fragments. The development of a mass spectrometric method to detect antibody domain exchange will enable rapid screening and selection of candidate antibodies engineered to exhibit this and other unusual quaternary antibody architectures.

Native Mass Spectrometry, Ion mobility, and Collision-Induced Unfolding Categorize Malaria Antigen/Antibody Binding.

Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein (PvDBP) is a promising vaccine candidate for P. vivax malaria. Recently, we reported the epitopes on PvDBP region II (PvDBP-II) for three inhibitory monoclonal antibodies (2D10, 2H2, and 2C6). In this communication, we describe the combination of native mass spectrometry and ion mobility (IM) with collision induced unfolding (CIU) to study the conformation and stabilities of three malarial antigen-antibody complexes. These complexes, when collisionally activated, undergo conformational changes that depend on the location of the epitope. CIU patterns for PvDBP-II in complex with antibody 2D10 and 2H2 are highly similar, indicating comparable binding topology and stability. A different CIU fingerprint is observed for PvDBP-II/2C6, indicating that 2C6 binds to PvDBP-II on an epitope different from 2D10 and 2H2. This work supports the use of CIU as a means of classifying antigen-antibody complexes by their epitope maps in a high throughput screening workflow. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

ESI-IM-MS and Collision-Induced Unfolding That Provide Insight into the Linkage-Dependent Interfacial Interactions of Covalently Linked Diubiquitin.

Understanding protein higher order structure and interfacial interactions is crucial to understanding protein binding motifs and cellular function, that is, an interactome. Polyubiquitylation is a post-translational modification that functions as a tag for a diverse array of cellular processes, wherein differences in chain length, branching, and linkage site encode different cellular functions. Investigation of covalently linked diubiquitin (diUbq) molecules specifically selects for the effect of covalent linkage site on the conformational preference of the molecule and the interfacial interactions between the subunits. Here, we report results for electrospray ionization ion mobility-mass spectrometry (ESI-IM-MS) and collision-induced unfolding (CIU) analysis of four diUbq ions to provide new understanding of the differences in subunit interfacial interactions and conformational preferences induced by the four most common covalent linkage sites. The specific hydrophobic patch interface adopted by K48-linked diUbq results in unique CIU fingerprints dominated by conformational broadening and primarily gradual unfolding, as opposed to the distinct transitions through gas-phase unfolding intermediates observed of K6-, K11-, and K63-linked diUbq. Comparison of the intermediate conformational families of K6-, K11-, and K63-linked diUbq suggests that K6- and K11-linked diUbq adopt a mixture of conformers stabilized by either electrostatic interactions or hydrophobic interactions involving the I36 hydrophobic patch. Furthermore, conditions favoring the partially folded A-state of monoubiquitin, that is, methanolic solution, induce conformational collapse and distinct unfolding intermediates for all four linkage types, providing an end-point at which all solution-phase conformational "memory" has been lost.

Effect of DMSO on Protein Structure and Interactions Assessed by Collision-Induced Dissociation and Unfolding.

Given the frequent use of DMSO in biochemical and biophysical assays, it is desirable to understand the influence of DMSO concentration on the dissociation or unfolding behavior of proteins. In this study, the effects of DMSO on the structure and interactions of avidin and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) CYP142A1 were assessed through collision-induced dissociation (CID) and collision-induced unfolding (CIU) as monitored by nanoelectrospray ionization-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (nESI-IM-MS). DMSO concentrations higher than 4% (v/v) destabilize the avidin tetramer toward dissociation and unfolding, via both its effects on charge state distribution (CSD) as well as at the level of individual charge states. In contrast, DMSO both protects against heme loss and increases the stability of CYP142A1 toward unfolding even up to 40% DMSO. Tandem MS/MS experiments showed that DMSO could modify the dissociation pathway of CYP142A1, while CIU revealed the protective effect of the heme group on the structure of CYP142A1.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry as a tool to investigate protein-ligand interactions.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is a powerful tool for the simultaneous analysis of mass, charge, size, and shape of ionic species. It allows the characterization of even low-abundant species in complex samples and is therefore particularly suitable for the analysis of proteins and their assemblies. In the last few years even complex and intractable species have been investigated successfully with IM-MS and the number of publications in this field is steadily growing. This trend article highlights recent advances in which IM-MS was used to study protein-ligand complexes and in particular focuses on the catch and release (CaR) strategy and collision-induced unfolding (CIU). Graphical Abstract Native mass spectrometry and ion mobility-mass spectrometry are versatile tools to follow the stoichiometry, energetics, and structural impact of protein-ligand binding.

Effects of Multidentate Metal Interactions on the Structure of Collisionally Activated Proteins: Insights from Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Much remains to be learned about the way in which bound metal ions modulate the response of electrosprayed proteins and protein complexes to collisional excitation. Nonspecific metal adducts can affect the extent of collision-induced unfolding (CIU) and collision-induced dissociation (CID). Here, we examine how Na(+) and Ca(2+) adducts alter the CIU response of monomeric proteins under native electrospray conditions. Both of these metals are commonly encountered in biological samples. Measured collision cross sections are largely independent of metal adduction as long as in-source excitation is minimized. In contrast, under CIU conditions, the metal-adducted proteins are markedly more compact than their metal-free counterparts. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced for Ca(2+) binding, but Na(+) adducts have significant effects as well. Molecular dynamics simulations reproduce the experimentally observed trends. The simulations show that structural expansion of the collisionally unfolded proteins is limited by multidentate metal contacts that restrict the conformational freedom of the polypeptide chains. Multidentate interactions with carboxylates and other electron-rich moieties are to be anticipated for divalent metals such as Ca(2+). It is surprising that Na(+) also engages in multidentate ligation. Electrostatic mapping reveals that the propensity of both Na(+) and Ca(2+) to interact with multiple electron-rich groups is caused by ineffective charge shielding during ion pairing. Despite their compactness, the CIU structures of metalated proteins do not retain native-like elements. Instead, CIU generates inside-out conformations where previously surface-exposed hydrophilic side chains get buried along with most of the metal ions. Our findings caution that the observation of compact conformers after collisional excitation does not imply the survival of solution-like structural features. We also discuss possible implications of adduct-mediated effects for CIU fingerprinting studies.

CIUSuite: A Quantitative Analysis Package for Collision Induced Unfolding Measurements of Gas-Phase Protein Ions.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is a technology of growing importance for structural biology, providing complementary 3D structure information for biomolecules within samples that are difficult to analyze using conventional analytical tools through the near-simultaneous acquisition of ion collision cross sections (CCSs) and masses. Despite recent advances in IM-MS instrumentation, the resolution of closely related protein conformations remains challenging. Collision induced unfolding (CIU) has been demonstrated as a useful tool for resolving isocrossectional protein ions, as they often follow distinct unfolding pathways when subjected to collisional heating in the gas phase. CIU has been used for a variety of applications, from differentiating binding modes of activation state-selective kinase inhibitors to characterizing the domain structure of multidomain proteins. With the growing utilization of CIU as a tool for structural biology, significant challenges have emerged in data analysis and interpretation, specifically the normalization and comparison of CIU data sets. Here, we present CIUSuite, a suite of software modules designed for the rapid processing, analysis, comparison, and classification of CIU data. We demonstrate these tools as part of a series of workflows for applications in comparative structural biology, biotherapeutic analysis, and high throughput screening of kinase inhibitors. These examples illustrate both the potential for CIU in general protein analysis as well as a demonstration of best practices in the interpretation of CIU data.

Collision Induced Unfolding of Intact Antibodies: Rapid Characterization of Disulfide Bonding Patterns, Glycosylation, and Structures.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are among the fastest growing class of therapeutics due to their high specificity and low incidence of side effects. Unlike most drugs, mAbs are complex macromolecules (∼150 kDa), leading to a host of quality control and characterization challenges inherent in their development. Recently, we introduced a new approach for the analysis of the intact proteins based on ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS). Our protocol involves the collision induced unfolding (CIU) of intact antibodies, where collisional heating in the gas-phase is used to generate unfolded antibody forms, which are subsequently separated by IM and then analyzed by MS. Collisional energy is added to the antibody ions in a stepwise fashion, and "fingerprint plots" are created that track the amount of unfolding undergone as a function of the energy imparted to the ions prior to IM separation. In this report, we have used these fingerprints to rapidly distinguish between antibody isoforms, possessing different numbers and/or patterns of disulfide bonding and general levels of glycosylation. In addition, we validate our CIU protocols through control experiments and systematic statistical evaluations of CIU reproducibility. We conclude by projecting the impact of our approach for antibody-related drug discovery and development applications.

Searching for conformationally‐selective small molecule therapeutics using ion mobility‐mass spectrometry (227.1)

Mass Spectrometry (MS) plays a number of key roles in the discovery and development phases for modern pharmaceutical compounds. Historically, however, MS has had a relatively limited role the drug discovery process in comparison to high‐throughput fluorescence and radiometric screens. This picture may be changing, however, as many presumptive protein targets are coupled to human disease pathways through specific protein‐protein interactions and protein conformations, rather than through enzyme activities. This fact is driving the development of high‐throughput analytical tools that put a stronger emphasis on protein structure information.We have been actively developing nano‐electrospray ionization coupled to ion mobility‐mass spectrometry (IM‐MS) into such a tool. Our IM‐MS protocols include the collision induced unfolding (CIU) of proteins and complexes, which functions as a highly‐sensitive and selective analog of isothermal calorimetry for gas‐phase protein‐ligand complexes, able to characterize protein stabilities at low concentrations within mixtures. Here, we will present our latest results where we demonstrate the ability of this technology to detect activation state‐selective kinase inhibitors, evaluate key conformational changes within amyloid protein‐ligand complexes, and identify signatures associated with cooperative ligand binding within multiprotein assemblies.