Localization Of Membrane-associated Proteins Research Articles

Chemical Proteomic Analysis of S-Fatty Acylated Proteins and Their Modification Sites.

Protein S-fatty-acylation, the covalent addition of a long-chain fatty acid, predominantly palmitate (S-palmitoylation), to cysteine, is a highly dynamic and regulated process that controls protein function and localization of membrane-associated proteins in eukaryotes. The analysis of S-fatty acylated peptides by mass spectrometry remains challenging due to the hydrophobic and potentially labile thioester linkage of the S-fattyacylated peptides.Here we describe an optimized protocol for the global analysis of S-palmitoylated proteins based on the combination of an alkyne-tagged chemical reporter of palmitoylation, alk-16 with hydroxylamine-selective hydrolysis of thioester bonds. This protocol decreased the number of false positive proteins and was applied to identify S-fatty acylation sites, providing modification sites for 44 proteins out of the 106 S-fatty acylated proteins identified.

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Membrane-Associated Proteins for Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis in Plant Root Cells.

The root is an ideal model system for studying subcellular localization and dynamic trafficking of important membrane-associated proteins in plants. Immunofluorescence analysis is necessary to reveal subcellular localization and intracellular trafficking of endogenous proteins as epitope tags or fluorescent proteins may cause mislocation of fusion proteins. Here, we describe a rapid and reliable immunodetection protocol for whole-mount in situ localization of membrane-associated proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) in Arabidopsis root cells. The whole procedure includes five basic steps: tissue fixation, tissue permeation, blocking, primary antibody incubation, and secondary antibody incubation.

Localization of membrane-associated proteins in vesicular stomatitis virus by use of hydrophobic membrane probes and cross-linking reagents.

The location of membrane-associated proteins of vesicular stomatitis virus was investigated by using two monofunctional and three bifunctional probes that differ in the degree to which they partition into membranes and in their specific group reactivity. Two hydrophobic aryl azide probes, [(125)I]5-iodonaphthyl-1-azide and [(3)H]pyrenesulfonylazide, readily partitioned into virion membrane and, when activated to nitrenes by UV irradiation, formed stable covalent adducts to membrane constituents. Both of these monofunctional probes labeled the glyco-protein G and matrix M proteins, but [(125)I]5-iodonaphthyl-1-azide also labeled the nucleocapsid N protein and an unidentified low-molecular-weight component. Protein labeling of intact virions was unaffected by the presence of cytochrome c or glutathione, but disruption of membrane by sodium dodecyl sulfate greatly enhanced the labeling of all viral proteins except G. Labeling of G protein was essentially restricted to the membrane-embedded, thermolysin-resistant tail fragment. Three bifunctional reagents, tartryl diazide, dimethylsuberimidate, and 4,4'-dithiobisphenylazide, were tested for their capacity to cross-link proteins to membrane phospholipids of virions grown in the presence of [(3)H]palmitate. Only G and M proteins of intact virions were labeled with (3)H-phospholipid by these cross-linkers; the reactions were not affected by cytochrome c but were abolished by disruption of virus with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Dimethylsuberimidate, which reacts with free amino groups, cross-linked (3)H-phospholipid to both G and M protein. In contrast, the hydrophilic tartryl diazide cross-linked phospholipid primarily to the M protein, whereas the hydrophobic 4,4'-dithiobisphenylazide cross-linked phospholipid primarily to the intrinsic G protein. These data support the hypothesis that the G protein traverses the virion membrane and that the M protein is membrane associated but does not penetrate very deeply, if at all.