Protein Assay Method Research Articles

쌀 시럽박의 단백질 가수분해 특성

Rice syrup meal (RSM) was enzymatically hydrolyzed using eight commercial proteases (Protamex, Neutrase, Flavourzyme, Alcalase, Protease M, Protease N, Protease A, Molsin F) for 4 hr at optimum pH and temperature. Proteolytic hydrolysates were examined in supernatant and precipitate using Lowry protein assay, semimicro Kjeldahl method and gravimetric method using weight difference before and after enzymatic hydrolysis. Although RSM contains a high amount of protein (71.2%), only a very small amount of protein was hydrolyzed. Two proteases (Protease M and Protease N) were found to be the most effective in the hydrolysis of RSM protein. In Lowry method, 57.5 and 59.0 ㎎ protein/g RSM were hydrolyzed after Protease M and Protease N treatments, respectively. In gravimetric method, 80.0 and 85.4 ㎎ protein/g RSM were hydrolyzed after Protease M and Protease N treatments. In Kjeldahl method, 67.43 and 70.43 ㎎ protein/g RSM were hydrolyzed after Protamex and Protease N treatments, respectively. For synergistic effect, two or three effective commercial proteases (Protease M, Protease N and Protease A) were applied to RSM at one time. The highest hydrolysis of RSM protein was observed in both Lowry protein assay (80.3 ㎎ protein/g RSM) and gravimetric methods (153.2 ㎎ protein/g RSM) when three commercial proteases were applied at one time, suggesting the synergistic effect of those proteases.

Sequential ordering among multicolor fluorophores for protein labeling facility via aggregation-elimination based β-lactam probes

Development of protein labeling techniques with small molecules is enthralling because this method brings promises for triumph over the limitations of fluorescent proteins in live cell imaging. This technology deals with the functionalization of proteins with small molecules and is anticipated to facilitate the expansion of various protein assay methods. A new straightforward aggregation and elimination-based technique for a protein labeling system has been developed with a versatile emissive range of fluorophores. These fluorophores have been applied to show their efficiency for protein labeling by exploiting the same basic principle. A genetically modified version of class A type β-lactamase has been used as the tag protein (BL-tag). The strength of the aggregation interaction between a fluorophore and a quencher plays a governing role in the elimination step of the quencher from the probes, which ultimately controls the swiftness of the protein labeling strategy. Modulation in the elimination process can be accomplished by the variation in the nature of the fluorophore. This diversity facilitates the study of the competitive binding order among the synthesized probes toward the BL-tag labeling method. An aggregation and elimination-based BL-tag technique has been explored to develop an order of color labeling from the equimolar mixture of the labeling probe in solutions. The qualitative and quantitative determination of ordering within the probes toward labeling studies has been executed through SDS-PAGE and time-dependent fluorescence intensity enhancement measurements, respectively. The desirable multiple-wavelength fluorescence labeling probes for the BL-tag technology have been developed and demonstrate broad applicability of this labeling technology to live cell imaging with coumarin and fluorescein derivatives by using confocal microscopy.

Therapeutic Potential of Proteasome Inhibition in Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophies

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and its milder allelic variant, Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), result from mutations of the dystrophin gene and lead to progressive muscle deterioration. Enhanced activation of proteasomal degradation underlies critical steps in the pathogenesis of the DMD/BMD dystrophic process. Previously, we demonstrated that treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 rescues the cell membrane localization of dystrophin and the dystrophin glycoprotein complex in mdx mice, a natural genetic mouse model of DMD. The current work aims to thoroughly define the therapeutic potential in dystrophinopathies of Velcade, a drug that selectively blocks the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Velcade is particularly intriguing since it has been approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Therefore, its side effects in humans have been explored. Velcade effects were analyzed through two independent methodological approaches. First, we administered the drug systemically in mdx mice over a 2-week period. In this system, Velcade restores the membrane expression of dystrophin and dystrophin glycoprotein complex members and improves the dystrophic phenotype. In a second approach, we treated with the compound explants from muscle biopsies of DMD or BMD patients. We show that the inhibition of the proteasome pathway up-regulates dystrophin, alpha-sarcoglycan, and beta-dystroglycan protein levels in explants from BMD patients, whereas it increases the proteins of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex in DMD cases.

A study of aqueous humour proteins in patients of primary open angle glaucoma

Aims: To investigate the changes in the protein composition of aqueous humour in primary open angle glaucoma patients and non-glaucomatous subjects. Patients and Methods: Case control study was conducted at a university hospital to compare the protein profile of aqueous humour obtained from patients of primary open angle glaucoma with those of non glaucomatous subjects. Protein concentration of the aqueous humour samples collected from both glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous patients at the time of surgery was estimated by the Bradford protein assay method. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the samples was also performed. Results: Geometric mean of protein concentration of the samples was 55.73 mg/dl (range: 31-72) in the test group and 46.46 mg/dl (range: 27-65) in the control group and a statistically significant (p ≤= 0.001) difference in protein concentration of aqueous humour between the two groups was observed. Electrophoretic study revealed differences in the aqueous protein composition of the two groups. The glaucomatous group exhibited protein bands of 10 kDa, 20 kDa, 30 kDa, 50 kDa, 60 kDa, 70 kDa, and 90 kDa while the control subjects demonstrated bands of 6 kDa, 10 kDa, 30 kDa, 70 kDa, 90 kDa. Interestingly, almost all the proteins detected in this study corresponded to the molecular weights of heat shock proteins. Conclusions: Primary open angle glaucoma patients differed in protein compositions and had higher concentration of aqueous humour proteins than non glaucomatous patients.

A novel protein analytical method based on hybrid-aptamer and DNA-arrayed electrodes

A novel protein assay method based on a DNA array was developed, in which human immunoglobulin E (hIgE) and its DNA aptamer were used as an analytical model. The target protein hIgE was captured by the aptamer in homogeneous solution and then the resulting hIgE-aptamer complex was hybridized onto probes self-assembled on the DNA array. Measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of electrodes before and after hybridization was compared. To test the selectivity of the method, four different probes with one to three mismatched bases were immobilized on respective electrodes. The results showed that the complex could be hybridized and detected out on the electrodes modified with the fully complementary sequences. In addition, the DNA array could be employed to analyze multiple samples selectively with the matched aptamer.

Determination of Cytochrome c and Other Heme Proteins Using the Reduction Wave of Mercury Protoporphyrin IX Groups Generated by a Hydroxylamine Induced Replacement Reaction

We have found that in the presence of hydroxylamine, the heme prosthetic group of the heme protein adsorbed at the mercury electrode surface reacts with mercury ion produced by the electrochemical oxidation of mercury and is quantitatively converted into the mercury protoporphyrin IX group using single-sweep polarography. As a result, the small redox peak P(0) of the heme prosthetic group at about -0.46 V (vs SCE) disappears and a large new reduction peak P of mercury protoporphyrin IX group at -0.89 V comes out in a pH 9.6 NaHCO(3)-Na(2)CO(3) solution. Peak P is extremely sensitive to heme protein concentration. On the basis of the reduction peak P, a unique electrochemical method for heme protein assays is constructed. For the cytochrome c determination, the peak height is linearly proportional to the concentration in the range of 0.005-15 mg L(-1) (correlation coefficient 0.999). The detection limit is 0.003 mg L(-1). In contrast with peak P(0), the detection limit of cytochrome c is only 0.6 mg L(-1). The voltammograms of heme proteins in the absence and presence of hydroxylamine can serve as a reliable qualitative analytical method. The chemical reaction is peculiar to the heme prosthetic group. Without hydroxylamine it cannot occur. Thereby the method is highly specific and free from interference. The performance takes only a few minutes. These advantages make the method attractive for heme protein detecting.

Quantitative Analysis of the High Temperature-induced Glycolytic Flux Increase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Reveals Dominant Metabolic Regulation

A major challenge in systems biology lies in the integration of processes occurring at different levels, such as transcription, translation, and metabolism, to understand the functioning of a living cell in its environment. We studied the high temperature-induced glycolytic flux increase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and investigated the regulatory mechanisms underlying this increase. We used glucose-limited chemostat cultures to separate regulatory effects of temperature from effects on growth rate. Growth at increased temperature (38 degrees C versus 30 degrees C) resulted in a strongly increased glycolytic flux, accompanied by a switch from respiration to a partially fermentative metabolism. We observed an increased flux through all enzymes, ranging from 5- to 10-fold. We quantified the contributions of direct temperature effects on enzyme activities, the gene expression cascade and shifts in the metabolic network, to the increased flux through each enzyme. To do this we adapted flux regulation analysis. We show that the direct effect of temperature on enzyme kinetics can be included as a separate term. Together with hierarchical regulation and metabolic regulation, this term explains the total flux change between two steady states. Surprisingly, the effect of the cultivation temperature on enzyme catalytic capacity, both directly through the Arrhenius effect and indirectly through adapted gene expression, is only a moderate contribution to the increased glycolytic flux for most enzymes. The changes in flux are therefore largely caused by changes in the interaction of the enzymes with substrates, products, and effectors.

Sensitive, label‐free protein assay using 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate‐supported microchip electrophoresis with laser‐induced fluorescence detection

Based on the dimer-monomer equilibrium movement of the fluorescent dye Pyronin Y (PY), a rapid, simple, highly sensitive, label-free method for protein detection was developed by microchip electrophoresis with LIF detection. PY formed a nonfluorescent dimer induced by the premicellar aggregation of an anionic surfactant, SDS, however, the fluorescence intensity of the system increased dramatically when proteins such as BSA, bovine hemoglobin, cytochrome c, and trypsin were added to the solution due to the transition of dimer to fluorescent monomer. Furthermore, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMImBF4) instead of PBS was applied as running buffers in microchip electrophoresis. Due to the excellent properties of EMImBF4, not only nonspecific protein adsorption was more efficiently suppressed, but also approximately ten-fold higher fluorescence intensity enhancement was obtained than that using PBS. Under the optimal conditions, detection limits for BSA, bovine hemoglobin, cytochrome c, and trypsin were 1.00x10(-6), 2x10(-6), 7x10(-7), and 5x10(-7) mg/mL, respectively. Thus, without covalent modification of the protein, a protein assay method with high sensitivity was achieved on microchips.

High Hydrostatic Pressure Modification of Whey Protein Concentrate for Improved Functional Properties

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) has many applications in the food industry. Previous research demonstrated that treatment of whey proteins with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) can enhance solubility and foaming properties of whey proteins. The objective of this study was to use HHP to improve functional properties of fresh WPC, compared with functional properties of reconstituted commercial whey protein concentrate 35 (WPC 35) powder. Fluid whey was ultrafiltered to concentrate proteins and reconstituted to equivalent total solids (8.23%) as reconstituted commercial WPC 35 powder. Solutions of WPC were treated with 300 and 400MPa (0- and 15-min holding time) and 600MPa (0-min holding time) pressure. After HHP, the solubility of the WPC was determined at both pH 4.6 and 7.0 using UDY and BioRad protein assay methods. Overrun and foam stability were determined after protein dispersions were whipped for 15min. The protein solubility was greater at pH 7.0 than at pH 4.6, but there were no significant differences at different HHP treatment conditions. The maintenance of protein solubility after HHP indicates that HHP-treated WPC might be appropriate for applications to food systems. Untreated WPC exhibited the smallest overrun percentage, whereas the largest percentage for overrun and foam stability was obtained for WPC treated at 300MPa for 15min. Additionally, HHP-WPC treated at 300MPa for 15min acquired larger overrun than commercial WPC 35. The HHP treatment of 300MPa for 0min did not improve foam stability of WPC. However, WPC treated at 300 or 400MPa for 15min and 600MPa for 0min exhibited significantly greater foam stability than commercial WPC 35. The HHP treatment was beneficial to enhance overrun and foam stability of WPC, showing promise for ice cream and whipping cream applications.

Oxygen metabolism and a potential role for cytochrome c oxidase in the Warburg effect

By manipulating the physical properties of oxygen, cells are able to harvest the large thermodynamic potential of oxidation to provide a substantial fraction of the energy necessary for cellular processes. The enzyme largely responsible for this oxygen manipulation is cytochrome c oxidase, which resides at the inner mitochondrial membrane. For unknown reasons, cancer cells do not maximally utilize this process, but instead rely more on an anaerobic-like metabolism demonstrating the so-called Warburg effect. As the enzyme at the crossroads of oxidative metabolism, cytochrome c oxidase might be expected to play a role in this so-called Warburg effect. Through protein assay methods and metabolic studies with radiolabeled glucose, alterations associated with cancer and cytochrome c oxidase subunit levels are explored. The implications of these findings for cancer research are discussed briefly.

Change of concentrations of trace elements and protein contents in the liver of zinc deficient mice

The concentrations of essential trace elements and proteins in cytosolic fraction of hepatic cells of mice fed with Zn-deficient diet (Zn-def, mice) and control were determined by ICP-MS and BCA protein assay method, respectively, after division into forty fractions by gel filtration chromatography. The concentrations of zinc and proteins decreased in the 14–17th fractions of Zn-def, mice, whereas cobalt concentrations increased in the 14, 17, and 18th fractions. However, no significant differences were found on the gel after SDS-PAGE for the 12–21st fractions, although the BCA protein assay date showed the decrease of protein amounts in 13–15th fractions of Zn-def. mice.

Tape‐stripping method in man: comparison of evaporimetric methods

If the occlusion time of a closed chamber evaporimeter on the skin is too long, saturation might occur. We previously compared an open chamber and a closed chamber device on healthy volunteers. Comparable data on stripped skin with higher evaporation rates are not available. This study compares the sensitivity and correlation of open and closed chamber devices in a tape-stripping human model. The amount of tape removed SC was also quantified with a protein assay method. Ten healthy volunteers (six male and four female; seven Caucasians and three Asian; mean age 38+/-16) were enrolled. In a randomized manner, one forearm was measured by an open chamber device and the opposite by a closed chamber device. After recording baseline measurements, 20 strippings were taken on each test site with tape disks. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured at the end of 10 and 20 tape strippings at each test site. Stratum corneum (SC) aggregates in the strips was assayed. The mean values obtained from two devices were similar after 10 trips and 20 strips. There was no statistically significant difference. The closed chamber device showed a slightly higher (but not significant) inter-individual coefficient of variation. SC aggregates in the strips were similar and without a statistically significant difference. The study suggests that both devices might yield similar TEWL values on stripped human skin in vivo.

A Novel Method for Determination of Protein in Human Serum Utilizing the Trihydroxylphenylfluorone-Molybdenum(VI) Complex as a Probe by Fluorescence Spectrometry

The fluorescence intensity of the trihydroxyl-phenylfluorone-molybdenum(VI) [Mo(VI)] complex is quenched by protein. Based on this, a novel method for protein assay in aqueous solution was developed. With pH 3.75 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer solution, in the presence of p-octyl polyethylene glycol phenyl ether microemulsion, the quenched fluorescence intensity is proportional to the concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the range of 0-7.00 microg/mL, and the detection limit of BSA is 5.65 ng/mL. There is no interference from amino acids and most metal ions. The method developed in this paper has been used for the successful determination of protein in human serum.

Measurements of Label Free Protein Concentration and Conformational Changes Using a Microfluidic UV‐LED Method

This paper presents a microchip-based system for measuring concentrations and dynamic conformational changes in proteins without any use of extrinsic fluorescent labeling. The microchannel flow of protein molecules was integrated with an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED, lambda ex = 295 nm) and a photodetector (lambda em = 330 nm). The intrinsic fluorescence shift, arising from selectively exciting aromatic amino acid tryptophan (Trp), was monitored to quantify refolding pathways by dynamically varying the concentration of the chemical denaturant, urea. Short diffusion distances in the microchannel result in rapid equilibrium between protein and titrating solutions. Dilutions on the chip were tightly regulated using pressure controls, rather than syringe-based flow, as verified with extensive on-chip tracer dye controls. The concentrations of proteins were first measured using the UV-LED microfluidic platform, and the data showed detection limits down to 72, 128, and 250 nM for tryptophan, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA), respectively. To validate the protein assay method, folding transition experiments were performed using a well-characterized protein, BSA. The microchip protein refolding transitions using intrinsic fluorescence were well-correlated with conventional fluorometer experiments. The microfluidic platform facilitates refolding studies to identify rapidly the optimal folding strategy for a protein using small quantities of material. The technique offers a real alternative to bulky microfluidic systems consisting of large and expensive laser-based designs.

Real-time Enzyme Dynamics Illustrated with Fluorescence Spectroscopy of p-Hydroxybenzoate Hydroxylase

We have used the flavoenzyme p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PHBH) to illustrate that a strongly fluorescent donor label can communicate with the flavin via single-pair Förster resonance energy transfer (spFRET). The accessible Cys-116 of PHBH was labeled with two different fluorescent maleimides with full preservation of enzymatic activity. One of these labels shows overlap between its fluorescence spectrum and the absorption spectrum of the FAD prosthetic group in the oxidized state, while the other fluorescent probe does not have this spectral overlap. The spectral overlap strongly diminished when the flavin becomes reduced during catalysis. The donor fluorescence properties can then be used as a sensitive antenna for the flavin redox state. Time-resolved fluorescence experiments on ensembles of labeled PHBH molecules were carried out in the absence and presence of enzymatic turnover. Distinct changes in fluorescence decays of spFRET-active PHBH can be observed when the enzyme is performing catalysis using both substrates p-hydroxybenzoate and NADPH. Single-molecule fluorescence correlation spectroscopy on spFRET-active PHBH showed the presence of a relaxation process (relaxation time of 23 micros) that is related to catalysis. In addition, in both labeled PHBH preparations the number of enzyme molecules reversibly increased during enzymatic turnover indicating that the dimer-monomer equilibrium is affected.

Possibility of leaching of organic nitrogen in a field under heavy application of organic matter-model experiment using soil columns

pp. 843–848 Leaching of organic nitrogen by heavy application of organic matter was examined using 2 types of columns (same diameter of 5.1, 20 and 60 cm long) which were filled with three different Andosols (A: soil from a tea plantation field of heavy application of organic matter, B: soil from a field receiving organic matter for only two years at 40 Mg ha−1 year−1, C: soil from a field receiving no organic matter before). A mixture of 100 Mg ha−1 of chicken dung and 2.0 Mg ha−1 of rapeseed cake was added to the surface soil layer of each column. These soil columns were watered three times for every 5 days. Our findings were as follows. In the percolating water from the 20 and 60 cm columns filled with soil A, the 20 cm column filled with soil B and 20 cm column filled with soil C, water soluble organic nitrogen was found. This organic nitrogen in the percolated water had the same molecular weight as PEON (Phosphate buffer Extractable Organic Nitrogen), and it was confirmed by HPSEC. These peaks by HPSEC corresponding to PEON were correlated with the protein concentration detected by the protein assay method. This implies that leaching of PEON increased in the field receiving the high amount of organic matter. It was after the 2nd watering processing that the PEON was found in the percolating water of the 20 cm column filled with soil C, and leaching of the PEON was slower than that of the two soil columns filled with soils A and B from fields receiving organic matter. But, in percolated water from 60 cm columns filled with soils B and C from common fields, organic nitrogen was not found. This result suggests that the PEON was increased at the surface soil layer in the case of heavy application of organic matter in a field and some portion of the PEON was leached under rainfall to the deep soil layer. Although PEON exists as fixed forms with iron and/or aluminum in a soil, when a high amount of organic matter was fertilized to a soil, excess free PEONs which are not fixed with iron and/or aluminum in a soil can become water-soluble and leached out.

Mutation of F417 but not of L418 or L420 in the lipid binding domain decreases the activity of triacylglycerol hydrolase

Human triacylglycerol hydrolase (hTGH) has been shown to play a role in hepatic lipid metabolism. Triacylglycerol hydrolase (TGH) hydrolyzes insoluble carboxylic esters at lipid/water interfaces, although the mechanism by which the enzyme adsorbs to lipid droplets is unclear. Three-dimensional modeling of hTGH predicts that catalytic residues are adjacent to an alpha-helix that may mediate TGH/lipid interaction. The helix contains a putative neutral lipid binding domain consisting of the octapeptide FLDLIADV (amino acid residues 417-424) with the consensus sequence FLXLXXXn (where n is a nonpolar residue and X is any amino acid except proline) identified in several other proteins that bind or metabolize neutral lipids. Deletion of this alpha-helix abolished the lipolytic activity of hTGH. Replacement of F417 with alanine reduced activity by 40% toward both insoluble and soluble esters, whereas replacement of L418 and L420 with alanine did not. Another potential mechanism of increasing TGH affinity for lipid is via reversible acylation. Molecular modeling predicts that C390 is available for covalent acylation. However, neither chemical modification of C390 nor mutation to alanine affected activity. Our findings indicate that F417 but not L418, L420, or C390 participates in substrate hydrolysis by hTGH.

Kinetic Measurements of Protein Conformation in a Microchip

This paper presents a microchip-based system for collecting kinetic time-based information on protein refolding and unfolding. Dynamic protein conformational change pathways were studied in microchannel flow using a microfluidic device. We present a protein-conserving approach for quantifying refolding by dynamically varying the concentration of the chemical denaturants, guanidine hydrochloride and urea. Short diffusion distances in the microchannel result in rapid equilibrium between protein and titrating solutions. Dilutions on the chip were tightly regulated using pressure controls rather than syringe-based flow, as verified with extensive on-chip tracer dye controls. To validate this protein assay method, folding transition experiments were performed using two well-characterized proteins, human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA). Transition events were monitored through fluorescence intensity shifts of the protein dye 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) during dilutions of protein from urea or guanidine hydrochloride solutions. The enzymatic activity of refolded BCA was measured by UV absorption through the conversion of p-nitrophenyl acetate (p-NPA). The microchip protein refolding transitions using ANS were well-correlated with conventional plate-based experiments. The microfluidic platform enables refolding studies to identify rapidly the optimal folding strategy for a protein using small quantities of material.

Spectrophotometric total protein assay with copper(II)–neocuproine reagent in alkaline medium

Total protein assay was made using copper(II)–neocuproine (Nc) reagent in alkaline medium (with the help of a hydroxide-carbonate-tartarate solution) after 30 min incubation at 40 °C. The absorbance of the reduction product, Cu(I)–Nc complex, was recorded at 450 nm against a reagent blank. The absorptivity of the developed method for bovine serum albumin (BSA) was 0.023 l mg −1 cm −1, greater than that of Lowry assay (0.0098), and much greater than that of Cu(II)–bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay (0.00077). The linear range of the developed method (8–100 mg l −1 BSA) was as wide as that of Lowry, and much wider than that of BCA (200–1000 mg l −1 BSA) assay. The sensitivity of the method was greater than those of Cu-based assays (biuret, Lowry, and BCA) with a LOD of 1 mg l −1 BSA. The within-run and between-run precisions as RSD were 0.73 and 1.01%, respectively. The selectivity of the proposed method for protein was much higher than those of dye-binding and Lowry assays: Most common interferents to other protein assays such as tris, ethanolamine, deoxycholate, CsCl, citrate, and triton X-100 were tolerated at 100-fold concentrations in the analysis of 10 mg l −1 BSA, while the tolerance limits for other interferents, e.g., (NH 4) 2SO 4 and acetylsalicylic acid (50-fold), SDS (25-fold), and glycerol (20-fold) were at acceptable levels. The redox reaction of Cu(II)–Nc as an outer-sphere electron transfer agent with the peptide bond and with four amino acid residues (cystine, cysteine, tryptophan, and tyrosine) was kinetically more favourable than that of Cu(II) alone in the biuret assay. Since the reduction product of Cu(II) with protein, i.e., Cu(I), was coordinatively saturated with Nc in the stable Cu(Nc) 2 + chelate, re-oxidation of the formed Cu(I) with Fenton-like reactions was not possible, thereby preventing a loss of chromophore. After conventional protein extraction, precipitation, and redissolution procedures, the protein contents of the minced meat (veal and turkey), sardine, various milk products, and egg white were analyzed with the proposed and Lowry methods, and the results correlated appreciably ( r = 0.98). The method was validated by Kjeldahl analyses of the tested samples; the data sets of complex samples assayed by Cu(II)–Nc and Lowry correlated to the findings of Kjeldahl yielded correlation coefficients r = 0.96 and 0.97, respectively, with slopes being close to 1. Interferences of glucose and thiol compounds at relatively low concentrations could be compensated for by selecting a lower alkaline pH (i.e., pH 10) at a cost of slightly reduced sensitivity and adding an identical amount of interferent to the reagent blank, respectively, since the absorbances due to BSA and interferent were additive. Thus a novel spectrophotometric method for total protein assay using a stable reagent and chromophore, which was simple, rapid, sensitive, flexible, and relatively selective, was developed, and applied to a variety of food products.

Systematic Analysis of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor by Mass Spectrometry Reveals Stimulation-dependent Multisite Phosphorylation

Multisite phosphorylation of proteins is a general mechanism for modulation of protein function and molecular interactions. Definition of phosphorylation sites and elucidation of the functional interplay between multiple phosphorylated residues in proteins are, however, a major analytical challenge in current molecular cell biology and proteomic research. In the present study, we used mass spectrometry to determine the major phosphorylated residues of the human epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor at various well defined cellular conditions. Activation of EGF receptor was achieved by several types of stimulation, i.e. by sodium pervanadate, EGF, and integrin-dependent adhesion. The contribution of cell-matrix adhesion was also determined by activating the EGF receptor by EGF in cells kept in suspension. We developed an analytical strategy that combined miniaturized sample preparation techniques and MALDI tandem mass spectrometry and determined a total of nine phosphorylation sites in the EGF receptor. We discovered one novel phosphorylation site (Ser967) and revealed constitutive phosphorylation of Thr669, Ser967, Ser1002, and Tyr1045 and stimulation-dependent differential phosphorylation of Tyr1068, Tyr1086, Ser1142, Tyr1148, and Tyr1173. The EGF receptor was purified from HeLa cells or ECV304 cells by immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE and then digested with trypsin. Phosphopeptides in the range of 0.8-3.7 kDa were recovered by combinations of IMAC, perfusion chromatography, and graphite powder chromatography and subsequently detected and sequenced by MALDI quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Two phosphorylation sites were detected in the peptide 1137GSHQISLDNPDYQQDFFPK1155; however, only Tyr1148 was phosphorylated upon EGF treatment; in contrast Ser1142 was only phosphorylated by integrin-dependent adhesion in the absence of EGF treatment, suggesting differential phosphorylation of this region by distinct stimuli. This MALDI MS/MS-based analytical approach demonstrates the feasibility of systematic analysis of signaling molecules by mass spectrometry and provides new insights into the dynamics of receptor signaling processes.