Internal Standard Protein Research Articles

Tumor microenvironment derived biomarkers for the early detection of pancreatic cancer (PDAC).

Abstract e14591 Background: The important role played by activated pancreatic stellate cells (aPSCs) in PDAC has only been recently appreciated. By shaping the tumor microenvironment, APSCs contribute to tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance. Innovative stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-MS provide tools for interrogating human serum samples for aPSC derived biomarkers of PDAC. 600 proteins secreted by aPSCs were previously characterized (Wehr, 2010). Selected proteins were shown to be overexpressed in pancreatic tumors. An immortalized PSC cell line was SILAC labeled; secreted proteins were collected from activated cells and used as labeled internal standards. An MRM-MS method was developed to quantitate the 40 most abundant secreted aPSC proteins in serum. Internal standard proteins were added to human serum samples prior to immunoaffinity (IA) removal of abundant serum proteins, trypsin digested and analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC)/MRM-MS. Powered primary endpoint: characterize the sensitivity and specificity of biomarker panel in a case control study of 10 patients with PDAC and 10 healthy controls. Secondary endpoint: biological pathway analysis of discriminating biomarkers. 183 unique peptides were identified for the selected 40 aPSC proteins. 69 peptides, representing 36 proteins, were reproducibly detected by MS. During method development, a prototypical biomarker candidate, MMP2, was monitored; Western blot and MS analysis showed that MMP2 was not lost by IA processing, and removal of abundant proteins was required for detection of MMP2 by MS. The method was found to be linear over a range of 4-100 fmol/µL media, and met precision criteria of

Proteomic analysis of endometrium in fertile women during the prereceptive and receptive phases after luteinizing hormone surge

In fertile women the patterns of proteome during the prereceptive (day 2 after LH surge) and receptive (day 7 after LH surge) phases were analyzed by two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. A total of 31 differentially expressed proteins (17 up-regulated and 14 down-regulated) were identified between the two phases, which is helpful in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying human endometrial receptivity.

Quantification of tear proteins by SDS-PAGE with an internal standard protein: A new method with special reference to small volume tears

Quantitative determination of tear proteins is critical to our understanding of those ocular diseases with tear protein changes, but remains technically complex due to the small sample volumes available from patients. The aim of this study was to efficiently quantify the tear proteins by SDS-PAGE with an internal standard protein in small tear volumes. Schirmer test paper and capillary tubes were used to collect tear samples. Soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) was used as an external standard or an internal standard to analyze tear samples in 15% SDS-PAGE gel. The total tear protein and its major components were quantified by band densitometry. Total tear protein concentrations were also measured by Bradford assay. Using this internal standard method, we compared differences between tear samples collected by the Schirmer test paper and capillary tube, and then examined the differences detected between tear samples obtained from young and elderly people. Using SBTI as an internal standard in SDS-PAGE, the total tear protein concentrations were determined to be 12.03 +/- 0.45 mg/ml, showing no difference from the result determined by the Bradford assay (P > 0.05). The quantities of the eight major tear protein bands were 2.26 +/- 0.07(18.8%), 0.10 +/- 0.01(0.8%), 0.63 +/- 0.13(5.3%), 0.52 +/- 0.07(4.3%), 1.14 +/- 0.18(9.5%), 1.33 +/- 0.21(11.1%), 2.76 +/- 0.16(23.0%), and 2.95 +/- 0.13 mg/ml (24.5%), similar to the result obtained by using SBTI as an external standard (P > 0.05). Comparing the methods of collection, we identified that the Schirmer test paper sampling induced increased concentrations of band 2 (mainly HSA) in tears, and decreased five other major tear protein bands. Comparing total protein concentrations among different age groups, we noted a higher total protein concentration in young people (P < 0.05). This high protein level was contributed equally by all major tear protein components. Using SBTI as an internal standard, we can simultaneously quantify total tear protein and the major tear protein components by SDS-PAGE densitometry using small volume tears. This method appears promising for use as a diagnostic tool for identifying the occurrence of ocular diseases with tear protein changes.

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of ST1926, a novel oral antitumor agent, adamantyl retinoid derivative, in plasma of patients in a Phase I study

E-3-(4′-Hydroxy-3′-adamantylbiphenyl-4-yl) acrylic acid (ST1926) is a novel oral synthetic adamantyl retinoid derivative, now under early clinical investigation in patients with ovarian cancer. To investigate the pharmacokinetics of this new antitumor agent in human plasma, we developed and validated a high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method based on the addition of ST2222 as internal standard and simple protein precipitation with methanol. The method requires a small volume of sample (100 μL); it is rapid and selective, allowing a good resolution of peaks from the plasma matrix in 9 min. The method offers high recovery (>90%), it is sensitive, precise and accurate with overall precision expressed as CV% less than 8.2%. We set the lower limit of quantitation at 20.0 ng/mL and validated the assay up to the concentration of 1000.0 ng/mL. The present method has been successfully applied to study ST1926 pharmacokinetics in patients with advanced ovarian cancer in a Phase I trial, administering the drug orally for five consecutive days. During analysis of the study samples, it became evident the presence of glucuroconjugates of the parent compound, established by LC-Orbitrap MS. Preliminary results show low and variable drug absorption in patients, with extensive glucuroconjugation influencing the bioavailability of ST1926.

Quantitative Proteomics of a Presymptomatic A53T α-Synuclein Drosophila Model of Parkinson Disease

A global isotopic labeling strategy combined with multidimensional liquid chromatographies and tandem mass spectrometry was used for quantitative proteome analysis of a presymptomatic A53T alpha-synuclein Drosophila model of Parkinson disease (PD). Multiple internal standard proteins at different concentration ratios were spiked into samples from PD-like and control animals to assess quantification accuracy. Two biological replicates isotopically labeled in forward and reverse directions were analyzed. A total of 253 proteins were quantified with a minimum of two identified peptide sequences (for each protein); 180 ( approximately 71%) proteins were detected in both forward and reverse labeling measurements. Twenty-four proteins were differentially expressed in A53T alpha-synuclein Drosophila; up-regulation of troponin T and down-regulation of fat body protein 1 were confirmed by Western blot analysis. Elevated expressions of heat shock protein 70 cognate 3 and ATP synthase are known to be directly involved in A53T alpha-synuclein-mediated toxicity and PD; three up-regulated proteins (muscle LIM protein at 60A, manganese-superoxide dismutase, and troponin T) and two down-regulated proteins (chaoptin and retinal degeneration A) have literature-supported associations with cellular malfunctions. That these variations were observed in presymptomatic animals may shed light on the etiology of PD. Protein interaction network analysis indicated that seven proteins belong to a single network, which may provide insight into molecular pathways underlying PD. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that the dysregulated proteins are primarily associated with membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, actin cytoskeleton, mitochondria, and ribosome. These associations support prior findings in studies of the A30P alpha-synuclein Drosophila model (Xun, Z. Y., Sowell, R. A., Kaufman, T. C., and Clemmer, D. E. (2007) Protein expression in a Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease. J. Proteome Res. 6, 348-357; Xun, Z. Y., Sowell, R. A., Kaufman, T. C., and Clemmer, D. E. (2007) Lifetime proteomic profiling of an A30P alpha-synuclein Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease. J. Proteome Res. 6, 3729-3738) that defects in cellular components such as actin cytoskeleton and mitochondria may contribute to the development of later symptoms.

Stoichiometry and Absolute Quantification of Proteins with Mass Spectrometry Using Fluorescent and Isotope-labeled Concatenated Peptide Standards

We have explored a general approach for the determination of absolute amounts and the relative stoichiometry of proteins in a mixture using fluorescence and mass spectrometry. We engineered a gene to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) with a synthetic fusion protein (GAB-GFP) in Escherichia coli to function as a spectroscopic standard for the quantification of an analogous stable isotope-labeled, non-fluorescent fusion protein (GAB*) and for the quantification and stoichiometric analysis of purified transducin, a heterotrimeric G-protein complex. Both GAB-GFP and GAB* contain concatenated sequences of specific proteotypic peptides that are derived from the alpha, beta, and gamma protein subunits of transducin and that are each flanked by spacer regions that maintain the native proteolytic properties for these peptide fragments. Spectroscopic quantification of GAB-GFP provided a molar scale for mass spectrometric ratios from tryptic peptides of GAB* and defined molar responses for mass spectrometric signal intensities from a purified transducin complex. The stoichiometry of transducin subunits alpha, beta, and gamma was measured to be 1:1.1:1.15 over a 5-fold range of labeled internal standard with a relative standard deviation of 9%. Fusing a unique genetically coded spectroscopic signal element with concatenated proteotypic peptides provides a powerful method to accurately quantify and determine the relative stoichiometry of multiple proteins present in complexes or mixtures that cannot be readily assessed using classical gravimetric, enzymatic, or antibody-based technologies.

Stable isotope-free quantitative shotgun proteomics combined with sample pattern recognition for rapid diagnostics

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful tool for the quantitative analysis of complex protein samples. A high-throughput strategy for the comparative analysis of multiple protein samples with high complexity becomes more and more important. Two strategies, spectral count and peak intensity, for label-free MS analysis of prefractionated complex mixtures have been described recently to be useful for quantitation. Here we compare both strategies for rapid and quantitative 1-D shotgun LC/MS/MS analyses of highly complex protein mixtures using silica-based monolithic columns. First, we validated linearity and sensitivity of these methods by spiking varying amounts of an internal standard protein in a complex plant protein extract. Secondly, quantitative data of proteins of Medicago truncatula nodules were visualized with independent components analysis using data either obtained from spectral count or peak integration performed with commercial software. Spectral count showed apparent advantages over peak integration because several peptides per protein are automatically averaged, the linear dynamic range of quantitation increases in complex matrices and the number of quantified proteins surpasses the number of proteins using peak integration. Thus, for the need of rapid comparative analysis of highly complex protein samples, spectral count enables sample pattern recognition and identification of biomarkers in nongel based proteomic studies.

Automated processing of whole blood samples for the determination of immunosuppressants by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry

Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is an efficient technology for routine determination of immunosuppressants in whole blood; however, time-consuming manual sample preparation remains a significant limitation of this technique. Using a commercially available robotic pipetting system (Tecan Freedom EVO), we developed an automated sample-preparation protocol for quantification of tacrolimus in whole blood by LC-MS/MS. Barcode reading, sample resuspension, transfer of whole blood aliquots into a deep-well plate, addition of internal standard solution, mixing, and protein precipitation by addition of an organic solvent is performed by the robotic system. After centrifugation of the plate, the deproteinized supernatants are submitted to on-line solid phase extraction, using column switching prior to LC-MS/MS analysis. The only manual actions within the entire process are decapping of the tubes, and transfer of the deep-well plate from the robotic system to a centrifuge and finally to the HPLC autosampler. Whole blood pools were used to assess the reproducibility of the entire analytical system for measuring tacrolimus concentrations. A total coefficient of variation of 1.7% was found for the entire automated analytical process (n=40; mean tacrolimus concentration, 5.3 microg/L). Close agreement between tacrolimus results obtained after manual and automated sample preparation was observed. The analytical system described here, comprising automated protein precipitation, on-line solid phase extraction and LC-MS/MS analysis, is convenient and precise, and minimizes hands-on time and the risk of mistakes in the quantification of whole blood immunosuppressant concentrations compared to conventional methods.

Quantification of Gel-separated Proteins and Their Phosphorylation Sites by LC-MS Using Unlabeled Internal Standards: Analysis of Phosphoprotein Dynamics in a B Cell Lymphoma Cell Line

Protein phosphorylation plays a critical role in normal cellular function and is often subverted in disease. Although major advances have recently been made in identification and quantitation of protein phosphorylation sites by MS, current methodological limitations still preclude routine, easily usable, and comprehensive quantitative analysis of protein phosphorylation. Here we report a simple LC-MS method to quantify gel-separated proteins and their sites of phosphorylation; in this approach, integrated chromatographic peak areas of peptide analytes from proteins under study are normalized to those of a non-isotopically labeled internal standard protein spiked into the excised gel samples just prior to in-gel digestion. The internal standard intensities correct for differences in enzymatic activities and sample losses that may occur during the processes of in-gel digestion and peptide extraction from the gel pieces. We used this method of peak area measurement with an internal standard to investigate the effects of pervanadate on protein phosphorylation in the WEHI-231 B cell lymphoma cell line and to assess the role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in these phosphorylation events. Phosphoproteins, isolated from total cell lysates using IMAC or by immunoprecipitation using Tyr(P) antibodies, were analyzed using this method, leading to identification of >400 proteins, several of which were found at higher levels in phosphoprotein fractions after pervanadate treatment. Pretreatment of cells with the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin reduced the phosphorylation level of certain proteins (e.g. STAT1 and phospholipase Cgamma2) while increasing the phosphorylation of several others. Peak area measurement with an internal standard was also used to follow the dynamics of PI3K-dependent and -independent changes in the post-translational modification of both known and novel phospholipase Cgamma2 phosphorylation sites. Our results illustrate the capacity of this conceptually simple LC-MS method for quantification of gel-separated proteins and their phosphorylation sites and for quantitative profiling of biological systems.

Proteome Changes in Ovarian Epithelial Cells Derived from Women with BRCA1 Mutations and Family Histories of Cancer

Malignant transformation of the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) accounts for most ovarian carcinoma. Detection of preneoplastic changes in the OSE leading to overt malignancy is important in prevention and management of ovarian cancer. We identified OSE proteins with altered expression derived from women with a family history (FH) of ovarian and/or breast cancer and mutations in the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene. Proteins from SV-40-transformed FH-OSE cell lines and control OSE lines derived from women without such histories (non-family history) were separated by two-dimensional PAGE. Gels were analyzed, a protein data base was created, and proteins were characterized according to their molecular weight, isoelectric point, and relative abundance. Mass spectrometry was performed on tryptic protein digests, and data bases were searched for known proteins with the same theoretical tryptic peptide masses. Several proteins showed altered expression in the FH-OSE cells. Beta-tubulin and to a lesser extent ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase and glyoxalase 1 appeared to be up-regulated. In contrast, proteins suppressed in FH lines include the 27-kDa heat shock protein, translationally controlled tumor protein, and several proteins associated with actin modification such as actin prepeptide, F-actin capping protein alpha subunit, and cofilin. Sequencing of several cofilin gel spots revealed phosphorylation of serine 3, a post-translational modification associated with decreased actin binding and cytoskeletal reorganization. Two-dimensional Western blots probed with cofilin antibody showed multiple protein spots with isoelectric points of 6-9 pH units. Blots of one-dimensional gels showed a significant reduction in cofilin expression in three FH lines when compared with three non-family history lines (p < or = 0.05). Identification of these and other OSE proteins may be useful in detecting changes suggestive of increased risk of developing preneoplastic disease and defining the possible role(s) of the BRCA1 gene in regulation of OSE cell function.

Detection and quantification of protein residues in food grade amino acids and nucleic acids using a dot-blot fluorescent staining method.

Food allergies represent an important health problem in industrialized countries, such that detection and quantitative analysis of the protein considered to be the main allergen is crucial. A dot-blot fluorescent staining method for the detection and quantitative analysis of protein residues in food grade amino acids and nucleic acids is presented. This method combines fluorescence staining with dot-blotting onto PVDF membrane. Several standard proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (66 kDa), lysozyme (14 kDa), ubiquitin (8.6 kDa), bovine insulin (5.7 kDa), and oxidized insulin B chain (3.5 kDa), were detectable at 0.1 ppm using SYPRO Ruby blot stain. Twenty-five different amino acids and two different nucleic acids of food grade were analyzed using this method combined with an internal standard addition method using BSA as an internal standard. All amino acids and nucleic acids were dissolved in 3.6% aqueous HCl and dot-blotted onto PVDF membrane before a large amount of amino acids and nucleic acid were removed. Protein residues and the internal standard protein immobilized on the membrane were stained using SYPRO ruby blot stain. The internal standard in all samples was detectable at 0.1 ppm. Samples were dissolved at 120 or 70 mg/mL, according to their solubility under acidic conditions. The detection limit of protein residues per weight was 0.8-1.4 ppm in amino acids and nucleic acids; residual protein was not detected in any sample.

Method development for the concentration determination of a protein in human plasma utilizing 96-well solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric detection.

Although liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) technology has been widely used for quantitative analysis of small organic molecules, it has been a challenging task to quantitatively analyze protein samples utilizing this technology in biological matrices for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Here we present our initial results in method development for the quantitative determination of rK5 protein concentrations in human plasma samples utilizing LC/MS/MS technology. A protein similar in structure to rK5, but with a slightly reduced molecular weight, was used as internal standard. A 96-well solid-phase extraction procedure was developed to effectively extract protein analytes from plasma samples. Quantitative analysis was obtained by a novel approach of protein monitoring that employed selective reaction monitoring (SRM). Even though mass spectrometry of the internal standard protein gave no fragment ions, SRM monitoring greatly reduced background interference. Using samples prepared in human plasma with sodium EDTA as anticoagulant, a correlation coefficient (r(2)) of 0.9940 was obtained by producing a single standard curve with the injection of six rows of standards with a concentration range from 100 ng/mL to 10 microg/mL. The mean analytical recovery for these standards ranged from 91.5 to 103.6%. The CVs for individual standard levels ranged from 3.7 to 20.9%. The experiment was also repeated using samples prepared in human plasma with sodium heparin as anticoagulant, which produced a correlation coefficient (r(2)) of 0.9952 obtained from a single standard curve with the injection of four rows of standards with a concentration range from 50 ng/mL to 10 microg/mL. The mean analytical recovery for the standards ranged from 96.2 to 104.6%. The CVs for individual standard levels ranged from 2.6 to 15.6%.

Effects of obesity and weight loss on the expression of proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism in human adipose tissue.

Disturbances in adipocyte lipolysis in obesity may contribute to elevated circulating non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations and insulin resistance. In experimental models, NEFA metabolism is influenced by adipocyte proteins such as adipocyte and keratinocyte lipid binding proteins (aP2/ALBP and mal1/KLBP) and fatty acid translocase (CD36). We investigated the effect of obesity and weight loss on the expression of these proteins in human subcutaneous adipose tissue. Subcutaneous adipose tissue was obtained from 12 obese (body mass index (BMI) 42.4+/-1.6 kg/m(2)) and 12 lean (23.4+/-0.6 kg/m(2)) subjects. The obese subjects underwent gastric banding and biopsies were taken again after 2 y following a significant weight reduction (BMI 32.8+/-1.4 kg/m(2)). Adipose tissue proteins were quantified by Western blotting. Differential expression of ALBP, KLBP and CD36 was observed in lean and weight-reduced subjects compared with obese individuals. This resulted in a significantly lower ALBP/KLBP ratio in lean and weight-reduced individuals compared to obese subjects. Furthermore there was a significant influence of gender on this ratio. Moreover, the commonly used internal standard protein actin was expressed significantly higher in lean compared to obese individuals. The relative content of ALBP and KLBP in human adipose tissue changes with obesity, weight loss and gender indicating differential regulation. Differing responses in the expression patterns of adipose tissue proteins capable of binding NEFAs in response to weight changes suggest a potential importance in the development of obesity-associated complications.

Identification and Relative Quantitation of Protein Mixtures by Enzymatic Digestion Followed by Capillary Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography−Tandem Mass Spectrometry

In this report, we describe an approach for identification and relative quantitation of individual proteins within mixtures using LC/MS/MS analysis of protein digests. First, the proteins are automatically identified by correlating the tandem mass spectra with peptide sequences from a database. Then, peak areas of identified peptides from one protein are added together to define the total reconstructed peak area of the protein digest. The total reconstructed peak area is further normalized to the peak area of an internal standard protein digest present in the mixture at a constant level. The method was illustrated using digested mixtures of five standard proteins as follows. One protein was gradually diluted while the other four components were present in the mixtures at constant level. This study revealed that relative peak area of the variable protein increased linearly (trend line R2 = 0.9978) with increasing amount from 10 to 1000 fmol, while relative peak areas of four constant proteins remained approximately the same (within 20% relative standard deviation). To further evaluate the applicability of this method for the quantitation of proteins from complex mixtures, human plasma protein digest was spiked with 200 and 400 fmol of myoglobin digest. Total peak area of myoglobin peptides was normalized to the total peak area of apolipoprotein A-I peptides from human plasma, which played the role of an internal standard. The myoglobin/apolipoprotein A-I peak area ratio was 2 times larger for the human plasma digest spiked with a double amount of myoglobin. After several repetitions, the error of the relative peak area measurements remained below 11%, suggesting that the method described here can be used for relative concentration measurements of proteins in the complex biological mixtures. In the presented method, chemical derivatization steps are not needed to create an internal standard, as in isotope-coded affinity tag or similar methods.

A rapid and sensitive method for the quantification of ganciclovir in plasma using liquid chromatography/selected reaction monitoring/mass spectrometry.

A method using reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry has been developed for the quantitative analysis of ganciclovir in rat plasma. Acyclovir, a structurally related analog of ganciclovir, was used as the internal standard. A small volume of plasma (50 microL) was spiked with the internal standard and plasma proteins were precipitated by methanol. The supernatant was dried under nitrogen, and then reconstituted in water. The use of liquid chromatography/selected reaction monitoring/mass spectrometry effectively eliminated potential interference from endogenous constituents in the plasma. This highly selective and sensitive method made it possible to analyze plasma ganciclovir with a lower limit of quantitation of 10 ng/mL. The assay was reproducible and linear in the range 10-10,000 ng/mL. The precision and accuracy values were in the range 2.0-6.9% and 89.0-109.6%, respectively. The analyte recovery was greater than 88%. This method was successfully used to monitor the pharmacokinetic profile of ganciclovir in normal rats following intraperitoneal administration of the drug.

Interactions of nanoparticles with body proteins — improvement of 2D-PAGE-analysis by internal standard

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) is the method of choice to investigate protein adsorption of blood proteins (opsonization) onto nanoparticular drug carriers. In general the reproducability of the obtained adsorption patterns is satisfying. However, direct comparison between the amounts of single protein spots from gels obtained in different runs is difficult, because 2D-PAGE is a multistep procedure. A possible solution of the problem is to establish a protein as internal standard. Therefore, selected proteins (Bio-rad) were under investigation. Due to its molecular weight and isoelectric point, soybean trypsin inhibitor (TI) does not interfere with plasma components. Therefore, a method was established to use TI as an internal standard protein to improve comparability between the 2D-PAGE gels obtained in different analytical runs.

Development of an Isotope Dilution Assay for Precise Determination of Insulin, C-peptide, and Proinsulin Levels in Non-diabetic and Type II Diabetic Individuals with Comparison to Immunoassay

We describe the application of a stable isotope dilution assay (IDA) to determine precise insulin, C-peptide, and proinsulin levels in blood by extraction from serum and quantitation by mass spectrometry using analogues of each target protein labeled with stable isotopes. Insulin and C-peptide levels were also determined by immunoassay, which gave consistently higher results than by IDA, the relative difference being larger at low concentrations. Insulin, C-peptide, and proinsulin levels were all shown by IDA to be higher in type II diabetics than in non-diabetics, with mean values rising from 22 (+/- 2) to 92 (+/- 8), 335 (+/- 11) to 821 (+/- 24), and 6 (+/- 1) to 37 (+/- 3) pM, respectively. Interestingly, the ratio between IDA and immunoassay values for insulin levels increased from 1.3 in non-diabetics to 1.7 in type II diabetics. The ratio between proinsulin and insulin levels by IDA increased from 0.24 in non-diabetics to 0.36 in type II diabetics, whereas the ratio between C-peptide and insulin levels by IDA decreased from 17.6 to 10.7. This disproportionate change in protein levels between different types of individuals has implications for the metabolism of insulin in the diabetics studied (type II) and suggests that C-peptide levels are not always a reliable guide as to pancreatic insulin secretion. In addition, levels of the 33-residue C-peptide (partially trimmed form) were shown to be less than 10% that of the fully trimmed 31-residue C-peptide levels, and we tested IDA in a clinical context by two post-pancreatic graft studies. IDA was shown to give direct, positive identification of the target protein with unrivaled accuracy, avoiding many of the problems associated with present methodology for protein determination.

Application of high-performance capillary electrophoresis to the analysis of conformation and interaction of metal-binding proteins

A separation method using high-performance capillary electrophoresis was applied to the analysis of calcium- and zinc-binding proteins. Calcium-binding proteins (calmodulin, parvalbumin, thermolysin and proteolytic peptides of calmodulin), zinc-binding proteins (carbonic anhydrase and thermolysin), and internal standard proteins (carbonic anhydrase and lactoglobulin) were separated completely by capillary electrophoresis. Calcium- and zinc-binding proteins were obtained under Ca 2+ and Zn 2+-containing conditions, respectively, cation-chelating conditions for the binding shift assay, and they showed that the binding shift depended on cations in the electrophoresis buffer in capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Two kinds of hydrophobic probes affected the electrophoretic mobility of calmodulin by interaction between its hydrophobic region and the hydrophobic probes under Ca 2+- containing conditions.

The determination of isolated soybean protein in raw and pasteurized meat products

SummarySodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to determine the isolated soy protein content in raw and pasteurized meat products. This method determined soy protein (±0.5%) by using an internal standard protein (haemocyanin) to compensate for variations in the meat. The detection limit for meat products was 0.5%. Several possible meat and non‐meat interferences were examined and none were found to interfere. The assay cannot be used on retorted products.

Amide black 10 B-stained bovine serum albumin (BSA) in density gradient centrifugation

A simple procedure is described for the use of amido black 10 B-stained BSA as an internal standard protein for estimation of sedimentation coefficients by density gradient centrifugation. The main advantage of the method is that the standard protein does not interfere with the detection of isotopically labeled fractions.