Non-enzymatic Post-translational Modifications Research Articles

Mechanisms and consequences of carbamoylation.

Protein carbamoylation is a non-enzymatic post-translational modification that binds isocyanic acid, which can be derived from the dissociation of urea or from the myeloperoxidase-mediated catabolism of thiocyanate, to the free amino groups of a multitude of proteins. Although the term 'carbamoylation' is usually replaced by the term "carbamylation" in the literature, carbamylation refers to a different chemical reaction (the reversible interaction of CO2 with α and ε-amino groups of proteins). Depending on the altered molecule (for example, collagen, erythropoietin, haemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein or high-density lipoprotein), carbamoylation can have different pathophysiological effects. Carbamoylated proteins have been linked to atherosclerosis, lipid metabolism, immune system dysfunction (such as inhibition of the classical complement pathway, inhibition of complement-dependent rituximab cytotoxicity, reduced oxidative neutrophil burst, and the formation of anti-carbamoylated protein antibodies) and renal fibrosis. In this Review, we discuss the carbamoylation process and evaluate the available biomarkers of carbamoylation (for example, homocitrulline, the percentage of carbamoylated albumin, carbamoylated haemoglobin, and carbamoylated low-density lipoprotein). We also discuss the relationship between carbamoylation and the occurrence of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease and assess the effects of strategies to lower the carbamoylation load.

Role of Site-Specific Asparagine Deamidation in Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Amyloidogenesis: Key Contributions of Residues 14 and 21.

Deamidation of an asparagine residue is a spontaneous non-enzymatic post-translational modification that results in the conversion of asparagine into a mixture of aspartic acid and isoaspartic acid. This chemical conversion modulates protein conformation and physicochemical properties, which could lead to protein misfolding and aggregation. In this study, we investigated the effects of site-specific Asn deamidation on the amyloidogenicity of the aggregation-prone peptide islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). IAPP is a 37-residue peptidic hormone whose deposition as insoluble amyloid fibrils is closely associated with type 2 diabetes. Asn residues were successively substituted with an Asp or isoAsp, and amyloid formation was evaluated by a thioflavin T fluorescence assay, circular dichroism spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Whereas deamidation at position 21 inhibited IAPP conformational conversion and amyloid formation, the N14D mutation accelerated self-assembly and led to the formation of long and thick amyloid fibrils. In contrast, IAPP was somewhat tolerant to the successive deamidation of Asn residues 22, 31, and 35. Interestingly, a small molar ratio of IAPP deamidated at position 14 promoted the formation of nucleating species and the elongation from unmodified IAPP. Besides, using the rat pancreatic β cell line INS-1E, we observed that site-specific deamidation did not significantly alter IAPP-induced toxicity. These data indicate that Asn deamidation can modulate IAPP amyloid formation and fibril morphology and that the site of modification plays a critical role. Above all, this study reinforces the notion that IAPP amyloidogenesis is governed by precise intermolecular interactions involving specific Asn side chains.

Quantification of carbamylated albumin in serum based on capillary electrophoresis.

Protein carbamylation, a nonenzymatic posttranslational modification promoted during uremia, is linked to a poor prognosis. In the present study, carbamylation of serum albumin was assayed using the symmetry factor on a capillary electrophoresis instrument (Helena V8). The symmetry factor has been defined as the distance from the center line of the peak to the back slope, divided by the distance from the center line of the peak to the front slope, with all measurements made at 10% of the maximum peak height. Serum albumin, creatinine, and urea concentrations were assayed using routine methods, whereas uremic toxins were determined using HPLC. In vitro carbamylation induced a marked albumin peak asymmetry. Reference values for the albumin symmetry factor were 0.69-0.92. In kidney patients, albumin peak asymmetry corresponded to the chronic kidney disease stage (p<0.0001). The symmetry factor correlated well with serum urea (r=-0.5595, p<0.0001) and creatinine (r=-0.5986, p<0.0001) concentrations. Several protein-bound uremic toxins showed a significant negative correlation with the symmetry factor. Morphology of the albumin fraction was not affected by presence of glycated albumin and protein-bound antibiotics. In conclusion, the presented method provides a simple, practical way for monitoring protein carbamylation.

Synthetic Approach to Argpyrimidine as a Tool for Investigating Nonenzymatic Posttranslational Modification of Proteins

Nonenzymatic posttranslational modifications (nPTMs) of proteins are involved in age-related, metabolic and other diseases and need to be investigated at the molecular level. Here, we describe how we used organic synthesis to enable the study of the effect of argpyrimidine (Apy), an nPTM that forms at arginine residues, on one of its target proteins. We developed an efficient approach to Apy as a universal building block for Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis that allows for the construction of peptides containing this nPTM in predetermined positions. Moreover, a straightforward one-step synthesis of protecting-group-free Apy was achieved, which enabled the preparation of gram-quantities of this noncanonical amino acid that can serve as a biomarker or a feedstock in construction of Apy-containing proteins via the expanded genetic code methods.

A High-Throughput Bioluminescent Assay to Monitor the Deamidation of Asparagine and Isomerization of Aspartate Residues in Therapeutic Proteins and Antibodies

Since the introduction of Herceptin and Rituximab in 1986, therapeutic antibodies have gained tremendous momentum in the treatment of broad range of several diseases such as cancer and inflammation. Selection of the clinical candidate mAb usually starts with large-scale in vitro screening and profiling of multiple mAbs to identify candidates that show high in vitro or in vivo activity, and thus it is necessarily to identify and eliminate potentially unstable mAbs during the lead selection process. Antibodies undergo a variety of degradation reactions that may result in compromised bioactivity and safety profile. The nonenzymatic post-translational modification of both deamidation of asparagine and isomerization of aspartate residues is one of the major chemical reactions occurring in proteins during production and storage resulting in formation of protein variants that may affect the quality, safety, and functionality of the therapeutic proteins. Current methods (HPLC and liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry) for monitoring isoaspartate (isoAsp) formation are time consuming, require specialized equipment and trained personnel, and are not amenable to high-throughput scaling. We have developed a robust, homogenous, high-throughput formatted, and sensitive assay to accurately monitor the formation of isoAsp under several conditions, such as new formulations, storage periods, and temperature.

Investigation and identification of protein carbonylation sites based on position-specific amino acid composition and physicochemical features

BackgroundProtein carbonylation, an irreversible and non-enzymatic post-translational modification (PTM), is often used as a marker of oxidative stress. When reactive oxygen species (ROS) oxidized the amino acid side chains, carbonyl (CO) groups are produced especially on Lysine (K), Arginine (R), Threonine (T), and Proline (P). Nevertheless, due to the lack of information about the carbonylated substrate specificity, we were encouraged to develop a systematic method for a comprehensive investigation of protein carbonylation sites.ResultsAfter the removal of redundant data from multipe carbonylation-related articles, totally 226 carbonylated proteins in human are regarded as training dataset, which consisted of 307, 126, 128, and 129 carbonylation sites for K, R, T and P residues, respectively. To identify the useful features in predicting carbonylation sites, the linear amino acid sequence was adopted not only to build up the predictive model from training dataset, but also to compare the effectiveness of prediction with other types of features including amino acid composition (AAC), amino acid pair composition (AAPC), position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM), positional weighted matrix (PWM), solvent-accessible surface area (ASA), and physicochemical properties. The investigation of position-specific amino acid composition revealed that the positively charged amino acids (K and R) are remarkably enriched surrounding the carbonylated sites, which may play a functional role in discriminating between carbonylation and non-carbonylation sites. A variety of predictive models were built using various features and three different machine learning methods. Based on the evaluation by five-fold cross-validation, the models trained with PWM feature could provide better sensitivity in the positive training dataset, while the models trained with AAindex feature achieved higher specificity in the negative training dataset. Additionally, the model trained using hybrid features, including PWM, AAC and AAindex, obtained best MCC values of 0.432, 0.472, 0.443 and 0.467 on K, R, T and P residues, respectively.ConclusionWhen comparing to an existing prediction tool, the selected models trained with hybrid features provided a promising accuracy on an independent testing dataset. In short, this work not only characterized the carbonylated substrate preference, but also demonstrated that the proposed method could provide a feasible means for accelerating preliminary discovery of protein carbonylation.

Specific enrichment of a targeted nitrotyrosine-containing peptide from complex matrices and relative quantification for liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis

Protein tyrosine nitration is considered an important non-enzymatic post-translational modification. In the tyrosine nitration process, 3-nitrotyrosine is formed and recognized as a biomarker of nitrosative/nitrative stress implicated in inflammatory responses and age-related disorders. In view of the complexity of biological samples and the ultra-low abundance of protein-incorporated nitrotyrosine, selective enrichment of nitrotyrosine-containing peptides prior to chromatographic separation is crucial. Herein, I report a simple yet highly specific and efficient enrichment method for nitrotyrosine-containing peptides. After blocking all primary amines in the sample by acetylation with acetic anhydride, I then further converted all nitrotyrosine residues into aminotyrosine residues by reduction with dithiothreitol and hemin. Therefore, I eliminated the side-product with 80Da adduct, since inevitable considerable amount of which was generated in the widely used reduction mediated by sodium dithionite. Both acetylation and reduction yields were close to 100%, and my one-pot sample derivatization applied no solid phase extraction steps or sample transference to avoid sample loss. To capture and release aminotyrosine-containing peptides, I synthesized an N-hydroxysuccinimide-ester-functionalized stationary phase which had very high affinity towards amino groups and possessed a base-cleavable ester linker to retrieve targeted peptides by hydrolysis. I validated this strategy by highly efficient enrichment of the targeted peptide from complex matrices of trypsin-digested bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human plasma spiked with derivatized nitrotyrosine-containing angiotensin II. My enrichment method successfully removed most untargeted peptides in those samples. By relative quantification with home-made identical and stable-isotope labelled internal standards, I investigated the recoveries of a nitrotyrosine-containing peptide from complex biological matrices during enrichment for the first time. Mean recoveries were 49.8% and 41.1% (n=6) for the enrichment of nitrotyrosine-containing angiotensin II from 1:100 (w/w) BSA digest and from 1:10 000 (w/w) human plasma digest, respectively. My enrichment method demonstrated great potential in future applications to clinical samples and biomarker discovery.

Characterization of a PEGylated protein therapeutic by ion exchange chromatography with on-line detection by native ESI MS and MS/MS.

Detailed profiling of both enzymatic (e.g., glycosylation) and non-enzymatic (e.g., oxidation and deamidation) post-translational modifications (PTMs) is frequently required for the quality assessment of protein-based drugs. Challenging as it is, this task is further complicated for the so-called second-generation biopharmaceuticals, which also contain "designer PTMs" introduced to either enhance their pharmacokinetic profiles (e.g., PEGylated proteins) or endow them with therapeutic activity (e.g., protein-drug conjugates). Such modifications of protein covalent structure can dramatically increase structural heterogeneity, making the very notion of "molecular mass" meaningless, as ions representing different glycoforms of a PEGylated protein may have nearly identical distributions of ionic current as a function of m/z, making their contributions to the mass spectrum impossible to distinguish. In this work we demonstrate that a combination of ion exchange chromatography (IXC) with on-line detection by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) and methods of ion manipulation in the gas phase (limited charge reduction and collision-induced dissociation) allows meaningful structural information to be obtained on a structurally heterogeneous sample of PEGylated interferon β-1a. IXC profiling of the protein sample gives rise to a convoluted chromatogram with several partially resolved peaks which can represent both deamidation and different glycosylation patterns within the protein, as well as varying extent of PEGylation. Thus, profiling the protein with on-line IXC/ESI/MS/MS allows it to be characterized by providing information on three different types of PTMs (designer, enzymatic and non-enzymatic) within a single protein therapeutic.

Impact of fibrinogen carbamylation on fibrin clot formation and stability.

SummaryCarbamylation is a non-enzymatic post-translational modification induced upon exposure of free amino groups to urea-derived cyanate leading to irreversible changes of protein charge, structure and function. Levels of carbamylated proteins increase significantly in chronic kidney disease and carbamylated albumin is considered as an important biomarker indicating mortality risk. High plasma concentrations and long half-life make fibrinogen a prime target for carbamylation. As aggregation and cross-linking of fibrin monomers rely on lysine residues, it is likely that carbamylation impacts fibrinogen processing. In this study we investigated carbamylation levels of fibrinogen from kidney disease patients as well as the impact of carbamylation on fibrinogen cleavage by thrombin, fibrin polymerisation and cross-linking in vitro. In conjunction, all these factors determine clot structure and stability and thus control biochemical and mechanical properties. LC-MS/MS analyses revealed significantly higher homocitrulline levels in patient fibrinogen than in fibrinogen isolated from control plasma. In our in vitro studies we found that although carbamylation does not affect thrombin cleavage per se, it alters fibrin polymerisation kinetics and impairs cross-linking and clot degradation. In addition, carbamylated fibrin clots had reduced fiber size and porosity associated with decreased mechanical stability. Using mass spectroscopy, we discovered that N-terminally carbamylated fibrinopeptide A was generated in this process and acted as a strong neutrophil chemoattractant potentially mediating recruitment of inflammatory cells to sites of fibrin(ogen) turnover. Taken together, carbamylation of fibrinogen seems to play a role in aberrant fibrin clot formation and might be involved in haemostatic disorders associated with chronic inflammatory diseases.

Proteolytic degradation of heat shock protein A2 occurs in response to oxidative stress in male germ cells of the mouse.

Does oxidative stress compromise the protein expression of heat shock protein A2 (HSPA2) in the developing germ cells of the mouse testis? Oxidative stress leads to the modification of HSPA2 by the lipid aldehyde 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) and initiates its degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Previous work has revealed a deficiency in HSPA2 protein expression within the spermatozoa of infertile men that have failed fertilization in a clinical setting. While the biological basis of this reduction in HSPA2 remains to be established, we have recently shown that the HSPA2 expressed in the spermatozoa of normozoospermic individuals is highly susceptible to adduction, a form of post-translational modification, by the lipid aldehyde 4HNE that has been causally linked to the degradation of its substrates. This modification of HSPA2 by 4HNE adduction dramatically reduced human sperm-egg interaction in vitro. Moreover, studies in a mouse model offer compelling evidence that the co-chaperone BCL2-associated athanogene 6 (BAG6) plays a key role in regulating the stability of HSPA2 in the testis, by preventing its ubiquitination and subsequent proteolytic degradation. Dose-dependent studies were used to establish a 4HNE-treatment regime for primary culture(s) of male mouse germ cells. The influence of 4HNE on HSPA2 protein stability was subsequently assessed in treated germ cells. Additionally, sperm lysates from infertile patients with established zona pellucida recognition defects were examined for the presence of 4HNE and ubiquitin adducts. A minimum of three biological replicates were performed to test statistical significance. Oxidative stress was induced in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids isolated from the mouse testis, as well as a GC-2 cell line, using 50-200 µM 4HNE or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the expression of HSPA2 was monitored via immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting approaches. Using the GC-2 cell line as a model, the ubiquitination and degradation of HSPA2 was assessed using immunoprecipitation techniques and pharmacological inhibition of proteasomal and lysosomal degradation pathways. Finally, the interaction between BAG6 and HSPA2 was examined in response to 4HNE exposure via proximity ligation assays. HSPA2 protein levels were significantly reduced compared with controls after 4HNE treatment of round spermatids (P < 0.01) and GC-2 cells (P < 0.001) but not pachytene spermatocytes. Using GC-2 cells as a model, HSPA2 was shown to be both adducted by 4HNE and targeted for ubiquitination in response to cellular oxidative stress. Inhibition of the proteasome with MG132 prevented HSPA2 degradation after 4HNE treatment indicating that the degradation of HSPA2 is likely to occur via a proteasomal pathway. Moreover, our assessment of proteasome activity provided evidence that 4HNE treatment can significantly increase the proteasome activity of GC-2 cells (P < 0.05 versus control). Finally, 4HNE exposure to GC-2 cells resulted in the dissociation of HSPA2 from its regulatory co-chaperone BAG6, a key mediator of HSPA2 stability in male germ cells. While these experiments were performed using a mouse germ cell-model system, our analyses of patient sperm lysate imply that these mechanisms are conserved between mouse and human germ cells. This study suggests a causative link between non-enzymatic post-translational modifications and the relative levels of HSPA2 in the spermatozoa of a specific sub-class of infertile males. In doing so, this work enhances our understanding of failed sperm-egg recognition and may assist in the development of targeted antioxidant-based approaches for ameliorating the production of cytotoxic lipid aldehydes in the testis in an attempt to prevent this form of infertility. Not applicable. This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (APP1101953). The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Effects of oxidative post-translational modifications on structural stability and self-assembly of λ6 immunoglobulin light chain

Light chain amyloidosis (AL) originates from the deposition of immunoglobulin light chains (LCs) as amyloid fibrils in the extracellular space of vital organs. Although non-enzymatic post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been shown to contribute to protein misfolding diseases, little is known about their contributions to LC amyloidogenicity. In this study, we investigated the effects of three oxidative PTMs, carbonylation by hydroxynonenal (HNE), oxidation and nitration, on the structure, thermodynamic stability and self-assembly propensity of a LC variable domain from the λ6 germline, Wil. We initially identified the specific residues that are susceptible to oxidative chemical modifications. HNE-conjugation at specific His residues and nitration of Tyr side chains modulated the conformational conversion driving Wil self-assembly and fibrillar aggregates formation. This study reinforces the notion that not only the thermodynamic stability, but also the chemical and structural properties, should be considered when evaluating the amyloidogenic potential of a LC.

Impaired Chaperone Activity of Human Heat Shock Protein Hsp27 Site-Specifically Modified with Argpyrimidine.

Non-enzymatic posttranslational modifications (nPTMs) affect at least ∼30 % of human proteins, but our understanding of their impact on protein structure and function is limited. Studies of nPTMs are difficult because many modifications are not included in common chemical libraries or protein expression systems and should be introduced site-specifically. Herein, we probed the effect of the nPTM argpyrimidine on the structure and function of human protein Hsp27, which acquires argpyrimidine at residue 188 in vivo. We developed a synthetic approach to an argpyrimidine building block, which we then incorporated at position 188 of Hsp27 through protein semisynthesis. This modification did not affect the protein secondary structure, but perturbed the oligomeric assembly and impaired chaperone activity. Our work demonstrates that protein function can be altered by a single nPTM and opens up a new area of investigation only accessible by methods that allow site-selective protein modification.

Oxidative Stress Signaling to Chromatin in Health and Disease

Oxidative stress has a significant impact on the development and progression of common human pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and neurodegenerative diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress globally influences chromatin structure, DNA methylation, enzymatic and non-enzymatic post-translational modifications of histones and DNA-binding proteins. The effects of oxidative stress on these chromatin alterations mediate a number of cellular changes, including modulation of gene expression, cell death, cell survival and mutagenesis, which are disease-driving mechanisms in human pathologies. Targeting oxidative stress-dependent pathways is thus a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. We summarize recent research developments connecting oxidative stress and chromatin regulation.

Carbamylated LL-37 as a modulator of the immune response.

Carbamylation of lysine residues and protein N-termini is an ubiquitous, non-enzymatic post-translational modification. Carbamylation at sites of inflammation is due to cyanate formation during the neutrophil oxidative burst and may target lysine residues within the antimicrobial peptide LL-37. The bactericidal and immunomodulatory properties of LL-37 depend on its secondary structure and cationic nature, which are conferred by arginine and lysine residues. Therefore, carbamylation may affect the biological functions of LL-37. The present study examined the kinetics and pattern of LL-37 carbamylation to investigate how this modification affects the bactericidal, cytotoxic and immunomodulatory function of the peptide. The results indicated that LL-37 undergoes rapid modification in the presence of physiological concentrations of cyanate, yielding a spectrum of diverse carbamylated peptides. Mass spectrometry analyses revealed that theN-terminal amino group of Leu-1 was highly reactive and was modified almost instantly by cyanate to generate the predominant form of the modified peptide, named LL-37(C1) This was followed by the sequential carbamylation of Lys-8, Lys-12, and Lys-15 to yield LL-37(C8), and Lys-15 to yield LL-37(C12,15) Carbamylation had profound and diverse effects on the structure and biological properties of LL-37. In some cases, anti-inflammatory LL-37 was rapidly converted to pro-inflammatory LL-37.

Protein carbamylation is a hallmark of aging

Aging is a progressive process determined by genetic and acquired factors. Among the latter are the chemical reactions referred to as nonenzymatic posttranslational modifications (NEPTMs), such as glycoxidation, which are responsible for protein molecular aging. Carbamylation is a more recently described NEPTM that is caused by the nonenzymatic binding of isocyanate derived from urea dissociation or myeloperoxidase-mediated catabolism of thiocyanate to free amino groups of proteins. This modification is considered an adverse reaction, because it induces alterations of protein and cell properties. It has been shown that carbamylated proteins increase in plasma and tissues during chronic kidney disease and are associated with deleterious clinical outcomes, but nothing is known to date about tissue protein carbamylation during aging. To address this issue, we evaluated homocitrulline rate, the most characteristic carbamylation-derived product (CDP), over time in skin of mammalian species with different life expectancies. Our results show that carbamylation occurs throughout the whole lifespan and leads to tissue accumulation of carbamylated proteins. Because of their remarkably long half-life, matrix proteins, like type I collagen and elastin, are preferential targets. Interestingly, the accumulation rate of CDPs is inversely correlated with longevity, suggesting the occurrence of still unidentified protective mechanisms. In addition, homocitrulline accumulates more intensely than carboxymethyl-lysine, one of the major advanced glycation end products, suggesting the prominent role of carbamylation over glycoxidation reactions in age-related tissue alterations. Thus, protein carbamylation may be considered a hallmark of aging in mammalian species that may significantly contribute in the structural and functional tissue damages encountered during aging.

New autoantibodies associated with rheumatoid arthritis recognize posttranslationally modified self-proteins

Citrullination, carbamylation and oxidation are posttranslational modifications of proteins that produce neoepitopes. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of which one distinctive feature is the development of B-cell-mediated immunity against these neoepitopes. Antibodies to citrullinated proteins (ACPAs) were identified nearly two decades ago and are now widely used in clinical practice. The identification of additional citrullinated proteins as potential autoantibody targets has suggested new pathophysiological hypotheses and prompted studies of potential associations with disease severity or specific disease patterns. Carbamylation is a nonenzymatic posttranslational modification that produces homocitrullines, against which newly identified autoantibodies different from ACPAs have been found in over 15% of patients with RA. Finally, the development of antibodies to oxidized type II collagen reflects immunization against collagen modified by oxidation in relation to intraarticular oxidative stress. These new autoantibodies are both sensitive and specific and may therefore serve as early disease markers and as useful tools for therapeutic monitoring.

Asparagine deamidation reduces DNA-binding affinity of the Drosophila melanogaster Scr homeodomain

Spontaneous deamidation of asparagine is a non-enzymatic post-translational modification of proteins. Residue Asn 321 is the main site of deamidation of the Drosophila melanogaster Hox transcription factor Sex Combs Reduced (Scr). Formation of iso-aspartate, the major deamidation product, is detected by HNCACB triple-resonance NMR spectroscopy. The rate of deamidation is quantified by fitting the decay of Asn NH2 side-chain signals in a time-series of 15N-1H HSQC NMR spectra. The deamidated form of Scr binds to specific DNA target sequences with reduced affinity as determined by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay.

Characterization of intact protein conjugates and biopharmaceuticals using ion-exchange chromatography with online detection by native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and top-down tandem mass spectrometry.

Characterization of biopharmaceutical products is a challenging task, which needs to be carried out at several different levels (including both primary structure and conformation). An additional difficulty frequently arises due to the structural heterogeneity inherent to many protein-based therapeutics (e.g., extensive glycosylation or "designer" modifications such as chemical conjugation) or introduced postproduction as a result of stress (e.g., oxidation and deamidation). A combination of ion-exchange chromatography (IXC) with online detection by native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) allows characterization of complex and heterogeneous therapeutic proteins and protein conjugates to be accomplished at a variety of levels without compromising their conformational integrity. The IXC/ESI MS measurements allow protein conjugates to be profiled by analyzing conjugation stoichiometry and the presence of multiple positional isomers, as well as to establish the effect of chemical modifications on the conformational integrity of each species. While mass profiling alone is not sufficient for identification of nonenzymatic post-translational modifications (PTMs) that result in a very small mass change of the eluting species (e.g., deamidation), this task can be completed using online top-down structural analysis, as demonstrated using stressed interferon-β as an example. The wealth of information that can be provided by IXC/native ESI MS and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) on protein-based therapeutics will undoubtedly make it a very valuable addition to the experimental toolbox of biopharmaceutical analysis.

Formation and reshuffling of disulfide bonds in bovine serum albumin demonstrated using tandem mass spectrometry with collision-induced and electron-transfer dissociation.

Thermolysin hydrolyzates of freshly isolated, extensively stored (6 years, 6 °C, dry) and heated (60 min, 90 °C, in excess water) bovine serum albumin (BSA) samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography (LC) electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using alternating electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) and collision-induced dissociation (CID). The positions of disulfide bonds and free thiol groups in the different samples were compared to those deduced from the crystal structure of native BSA. Results revealed non-enzymatic posttranslational modifications of cysteine during isolation, extensive dry storage, and heating. Heat-induced extractability loss of BSA was linked to the impact of protein unfolding on the involvement of specific cysteine residues in intermolecular and intramolecular thiol-disulfide interchange and thiol oxidation reactions. The here developed approach holds promise for exploring disulfide bond formation and reshuffling in various proteins under conditions relevant for chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical and food processing.

Homocitrulline: a new marker for differentiating acute from chronic renal failure.

Carbamylation is a non-enzymatic post-translational modification of proteins characterized by the addition of isocyanic acid to amino groups. As isocyanic acid mainly originates from the spontaneous dissociation of urea, carbamylation rate is increased during renal failure. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum homocitrulline (HCit), which results from the carbamylation of ε-amino groups of lysine (Lys) residues, in acute renal failure (ARF) and to determine if it could be useful for differentiating acute from chronic renal failure (CRF). In total, 213 patients with renal failure referred to the nephrology department of the university hospital of Reims were included. Patients were classified into three groups: patients with ARF (ARF group, n=39), patients with CRF complicated with ARF (A/CRF group, n=29) and patients with CRF (CRF group, n=145). Serum HCit concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS. Concentration kinetics of HCit and urea were studied in patients suffering from ARF. The HCit thresholds distinguishing ARF and CRF were investigated. HCit concentrations increased in ARF patients reaching a peak delayed compared to urea concentration peak. HCit concentrations were positively correlated with urea concentrations (r=0.51) and with the time elapsed since the estimated onset of ARF (r=0.57). Serum HCit concentrations were higher (p<0.05) in CRF group compared to ARF group. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that HCit concentrations <289 μmol/mol Lys were predictive of ARF (Sensitivity: 83%, Specificity: 72%, AUC: 0.856). Our results demonstrate that HCit is a promising biomarker for distinguishing between ARF and CRF patients.