High-resolution Reversed-phase Liquid Chromatography Research Articles

Mapping Influenza-Induced Posttranslational Modifications on Histones from CD8+ T Cells.

T cell function is determined by transcriptional networks that are regulated by epigenetic programming via posttranslational modifications (PTMs) to histone proteins and DNA. Bottom-up mass spectrometry (MS) can identify histone PTMs, whereas intact protein analysis by MS can detect species missed by bottom-up approaches. We used a novel approach of online two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem MS with high-resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), alternating electron transfer dissociation (ETD) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) on precursor ions to maximize fragmentation of uniquely modified species. The first online RPLC separation sorted histone families, then RPLC or weak cation exchange hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (WCX-HILIC) separated species heavily clad in PTMs. Tentative identifications were assigned by matching proteoform masses to predicted theoretical masses that were verified with tandem MS. We used this innovative approach for histone-intact protein PTM mapping (HiPTMap) to identify and quantify proteoforms purified from CD8 T cells after in vivo influenza infection. Activation significantly altered PTMs following influenza infection, histone maps changed as T cells migrated to the site of infection, and T cells responding to secondary infections had significantly more transcription enhancing modifications. Thus, HiPTMap identified and quantified proteoforms and determined changes in CD8 T cell histone PTMs over the course of infection.

Deep-Dive Targeted Quantification for Ultrasensitive Analysis of Proteins in Nondepleted Human Blood Plasma/Serum and Tissues.

Mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics (e.g., selected reaction monitoring, SRM) is emerging as an attractive alternative to immunoassays for protein quantification. Recently we have made significant progress in SRM sensitivity for enabling quantification of low nanograms per milliliter to sub-naograms per milliliter level proteins in nondepleted human blood plasma/serum without affinity enrichment. However, precise quantification of extremely low abundance proteins (e.g., ≤ 100 pg/mL in blood plasma/serum) using targeted proteomics approaches still remains challenging, especially for these samples without available antibodies for enrichment. To address this need, we have developed an antibody-independent deep-dive SRM (DD-SRM) approach that capitalizes on multidimensional high-resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) separation for target peptide separation and enrichment combined with precise selection of target peptide fractions of interest, significantly improving SRM sensitivity by ∼5 orders of magnitude when compared to conventional LC-SRM. Application of DD-SRM to human serum and tissue provides precise quantification of endogenous proteins at the ∼10 pg/mL level in nondepleted serum and at <10 copies per cell level in tissue. Thus, DD-SRM holds great promise for precisely measuring extremely low abundance proteins or protein modifications, especially when high-quality antibodies are not available.

Characterization of mycosporine-serine-glycine methyl ester, a major mycosporine-like amino acid from dinoflagellates: a mass spectrometry study.

Several unknown mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) have been previously isolated from some cultured species of toxic dinoflagellates of the Alexandrium genus (Dinophyceae). One of them, originally called M-333, was tentatively identified as a shinorine methyl ester, but the precise nature of this compound is still unknown. Using a high-resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analyses (HPLC/MS), we found that natural populations of the red tide dinoflagellate Prorocentrum micans Ehrenberg showed a net dominance of M-333 together with lesser amounts of other MAAs. We also documented the isolation and characterization of this MAA from natural dinoflagellate populations and from Alexandrium tamarense (Lebour) Balech cultures. Using a comparative fragmentation study in electrospray mass spectrometry between deuterated and non-deuterated M-333 compounds and synthesized mono and dimethyl esters of shinorine, this novel compound was characterized as mycosporine-serine-glycine methyl ester, a structure confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance. These isobaric compounds can be differentiated by their fragmentation patterns in MS(3) experiments because the extension and the specific site of the methylation changed the fragmentation pathway.

Comprehensive blood plasma lipidomics by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A lipidomics strategy, combining high resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) with high resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QqTOF), is described. The method has carefully been assessed in both a qualitative and a quantitative fashion utilizing human blood plasma. The inherent low technical variability associated with the lipidomics method allows to measure 65% of the features with an intensity RSD value below 10%. Blood plasma lipid spike-in experiments demonstrate that relative concentration differences smaller than 25% can readily be revealed by means of a t-test. Utilizing an advanced identification strategy, it is shown that the detected features mainly originate from (lyso-)phospholipids, sphingolipids, mono-, di- and triacylglycerols and cholesterol esters. The high resolution offered by the up-front RPLC step further allows to discriminate various isomeric species associated with the different lipid classes. The added value of utilizing a Jetstream electrospray ionization (ESI) source over a regular ESI source in lipidomics is for the first time demonstrated. In addition, the application of ultra high performance LC (UHPLC) up to 1200 bar to extend the peak capacity or increase productivity is discussed.

Phosphopeptide elution times in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Elution time shifts between 33 different peptides and their corresponding phosphopeptides ranging from 4 amino acid residues to 35 amino acids in length were systematically investigated using high-resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis with trifluoroacetic acid as the ion pairing agent. Observed peptide elution time shifts for a single phosphorylation ranged from −5.28 min (for pYVPML) to +0.59 min (for HRDpSGLLDSLGR). Peptides containing a phosphotyrosine residue displayed a significant decrease in elution time following phosphorylation compared to their similar-sized peptides with phosphoserine or phosphothreonine residues. While peptide phosphorylation generally led to a decrease in the observed elution time, five peptides displayed increased elution times as a result of phosphorylation. For large peptides (≥18 amino acids), the elution time shifts due to single phosphorylation were limited (ranging between −0.48 and +0.03 min), while the elution time shifts for small peptides (<18 amino acids) were characterized by a larger deviation (ranging between −5.28 and +0.59 min). The predictive capability for the observed RPLC elution time change due to phosphorylation has been suggested, which will aid in assigning confident phosphopeptide identifications and their subsequent confirmation.

Molecular mechanism of the onset and remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)

This chapter discusses the high resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography with a packed glass micro-capillary column. The efficiency of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) columns has been increased greatly by developing the micro-particulate packing material and by improving the packing method. Recently, glass capillary and small-diameter fused silica have been investigated as column materials. This reduction in column size led to a further decrease in the mobile phase and packing materials. It describes procedures for preparing and operating glass capillary columns which are packed with reversed-phase packing's of various particle sizes. Packing was carried out very effectively using a slurry method with a specially designed reservoir. The volume of the columns used here is very small, compared to conventional columns, because of their small ID.

High-resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography system for the analysis of complex solutions of primary and secondary amino acids

High-resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography system for the analysis of complex solutions of primary and secondary amino acids