Strong Cation Exchange Chromatography Research Articles

Differential proteomics analysis of liver failure in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation.

The aim of the present study was to examine differentially expressed proteome profiles for candidate biomarkers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of liver failure (LF) patients. Ten patients were diagnosed as LF and 10 age- and gender-matched subjects were recruited as healthy controls. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomic technology is efficiently applicable for identification and relative quantitation of the proteomes of PBMCs. Eight-plex iTRAQ coupled with strong cation exchange chromatography, and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry were used to analyze total proteins in LF patients and healthy control subjects. Molecular variations were detected using the iTRAQ method, and western blotting was used to verify the results. LF is a complex type of medical emergency that evolves following a catastrophic insult to the liver, and its outcome remains the most ominous of all gastroenterologic diseases. Serious complications tend to occur during the course of the disease and further exacerbate the problems. Using the iTRAQ method, differentially expressed proteome profiles of LF patients were determined. In the present study, 627 proteins with different expression levels were identified in LF patients compared with the control subjects; with 409 proteins upregulated and 218 proteins downregulated. Among them, four proteins were significantly differentially expressed; acylaminoacyl-peptide hydrolase and WW domain binding protein 2 were upregulated, and resistin and tubulin β 2A class IIa were downregulated. These proteins demonstrated differences in their expression levels compared with other proteins with normal expression levels and the significant positive correlation with LF. The western blot results were consistent with the results from iTRAQ. Thus, investigation of the molecular mechanism of the proteins involved in LF may facilitate an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of LF and elucidation of novel biomarker candidates.

Fyn kinase regulates translation in mammalian mitochondria

BackgroundMitochondrial translation machinery solely exists for the synthesis of 13 mitochondrially-encoded subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes in mammals. Therefore, it plays a critical role in mitochondrial energy production. However, regulation of the mitochondrial translation machinery is still poorly understood. In comprehensive proteomics studies with normal and diseased tissues and cell lines, we and others have found the majority of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs) to be phosphorylated. Neither the kinases for these phosphorylation events nor their specific roles in mitochondrial translation are known. MethodsMitochondrial kinases are responsible for phosphorylation of MRPs enriched from bovine mitoplasts by strong cation-exchange chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry-based proteomics analyses of kinase rich fractions. Phosphorylation of recombinant MRPs and 55S ribosomes was assessed by in vitro phosphorylation assays using the kinase-rich fractions. The effect of identified kinase on OXPHOS and mitochondrial translation was assessed by various cell biological and immunoblotting approaches. ResultsHere, we provide the first evidence for the association of Fyn kinase, a Src family kinase, with mitochondrial translation components and its involvement in phosphorylation of 55S ribosomal proteins in vitro. Modulation of Fyn expression in human cell lines has provided a link between mitochondrial translation and energy metabolism, which was evident by the changes in 13 mitochondrially encoded subunits of OXPHOS complexes. Conclusions and general significanceOur findings suggest that Fyn kinase is part of a complex mechanism that regulates protein synthesis and OXPHOS possibly by tyrosine phosphorylation of translation components in mammalian mitochondria.

Quantitation of Human Metallothionein Isoforms in Cells, Tissues, and Cerebrospinal Fluid by Mass Spectrometry.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are a family of small, highly conserved, cysteine-rich metal-binding proteins that are important for zinc and copper homeostasis, protection against oxidative stress, and buffering against toxic heavy metals. Individual human MT isoforms are candidate biomarkers for heavy metal toxicity, and selected cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. The similar antigenicity of human MT-1 and MT-2 isoforms precludes development of antibody-based assays for their individual quantitation. Metal-based MT quantitation methods do not directly measure MT isoforms. A bottom-up mass spectrometry-based approach solves these problems by exploiting the unique masses and chromatographic properties of the acetylated N-terminal tryptic peptides of MT isoforms. These unusually hydrophilic 20- to 21-residue peptides contain five invariant cysteines. Strong cation exchange chromatography separates them from bulk internal tryptic peptides. Reversed-phase chromatography further separates them from more hydrophobic peptides of similar mass. Absolute quantitation is obtained by adding MT peptide standards alkylated with 15N-iodoacetamide to biological samples alkylated with 14N-iodoacetamide. Accurate quantitation is enhanced by dimethyl sulfide treatment to reverse oxidation of the N-terminal methionine. Originally optimized for measuring MT isoforms in cell lines, the method has been adapted to quantify MT isoforms in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid. The method can also be adapted for relative quantitation of MT isoforms between matched biological samples. It cannot be used to measure human MT-4 because of an arginine at position 4. Except for this type of limitation, the method is applicable to MT quantitation in many other species.

Screening of angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory peptides derived from soft-shelled turtle yolk using two orthogonal bioassay-guided fractionations

Two orthogonal bioassay-guided fractionations were simultaneously applied to screen angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) peptides from soft-shelled turtle yolk (SSTY) hydrolysate. Peptides derived from thermolysin digest of SSTY were fractionated separately using reversed phased (RP) and strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography, then the inhibitory activities of resulting fractions were examined using ACEI assay. The peptides in the most active RP and SCX fractions were characterized by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to give 11 and 35 non-redundant peptides, respectively. AKLPSW, simultaneously found in the active RP and SCX fractions, was identified as the most effective ACEI peptide. This identity of AKLPSW was further confirmed using synthetic peptide and its IC50 value was determined as 15.3±0.9μM. The kinetic study revealed that AKLPSW is a noncompetitive inhibitor and its interaction towards ACE was proposed using molecular docking. Furthermore, the antihypertensive effect of AKLPSW was demonstrated using spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Improved Proteome and Phosphoproteome Analysis on a Cation Exchanger by a Combined Acid and Salt Gradient.

Currently used elution methods for strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography are based on two principles: salt and pH gradient. In this paper, we report the first observation of peptide elution by acid gradient. The degree of peptide separation using C18-SCX StageTip was greatly improved by our acid and salt-based elution method compared with a salt-based elution method. This development enabled us to identify over 22 000 phosphopeptides from 2 mg of protein without labor-intensive sample preparation. Our method is simple, robust, scalable, and low-cost and can be easily implemented without any special equipment or techniques.

β-Elimination coupled with strong cation-exchange chromatography for phosphopeptide analysis.

Since the last decade, mass spectrometry (MS) has become an essential technique for phosphoprotein analysis. Formidable analytical challenges of MS for phosphoprotein study are both the low abundance of phosphopeptides and the lack of an unambiguous diagnostic fragment ion for identification of phospho residues. These challenges can be met by a charge-based isolation of β-elimination products after tryptic digestion using diagonal strong cation-exchange chromatography. β-Elimination combined with diagonal strong cation-exchange chromatography (BE/2SCX) was used for the enrichment of phosphorylated peptides prior to a mass spectrometric analysis by liquid chromatography/ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Bovine α-casein (≥70% purity) was used as a model protein. Conditions for β-elimination were optimized to maximize the efficiency of the reaction. With a β-elimination, all four model phosphopeptides from enolase (yeast) were correctly identified. The application of the BE/2SCX enrichment strategy for the analysis of β-elimination products of α-casein (bovine) allowed the identification of 11 phosphorylated products. The introduction of a BE/2SCX-based enrichment step prior to LC/MS/MS analysis of β-elimination products facilitates the identification of phosphopeptides. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A method for quantification of serum tenascin-X by nano-LC/MS/MS

BackgroundComplete deficiency of an extracellular matrix tenascin-X (TNX) leads to a classical type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). TNX haploinsufficiency is a cause of hypermobility type of EDS. Human TNX is also present in a serum form (sTNX) with a molecular size of 140kDa. In this study, we established a method for quantification of sTNX using nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) with selected/multiple reaction monitoring. MethodsTwelve abundant protein-depleted sera were reduced, alkylated, and digested with Lys-C and trypsin. Subsequently, the digests were fractionated by strong cation exchange chromatography. Optimal and validated transitions of precursor and product ions of the peptides from sTNX were developed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. ResultsSerum concentrations of sTNX of healthy individuals were quantified as an average of 144ng/ml. However, sTNX was not detected by this method in serum from a patient with a classical type of EDS in whom sTNX was not found by Western blot analysis. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of sTNX by nano-LC/MS/MS method was 2.8pg whereas the detection sensitivity of sTNX by Western blot analysis was 19pg. The nano-LC/MS/MS method is more sensitive than Western blot analysis. ConclusionsThe quantification method will be useful for diagnosis and risk stratification of EDS caused by TNX deficiency and haploinsufficiency.

Identification of brain-enriched proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid proteome by LC-MS/MS profiling and mining of the Human Protein Atlas.

BackgroundCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a proximal fluid which communicates closely with brain tissue, contains numerous brain-derived proteins and thus represents a promising fluid for discovery of biomarkers of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The main purpose of this study was to generate an extensive CSF proteome and define brain-related proteins identified in CSF, suitable for development of diagnostic assays.MethodsSix non-pathological CSF samples from three female and three male individuals were selected for CSF analysis. Samples were first subjected to strong cation exchange chromatography, followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. Secreted and membrane-bound proteins enriched in the brain tissues were retrieved from the Human Protein Atlas.ResultsIn total, 2615 proteins were identified in the CSF. The number of proteins identified per individual sample ranged from 1109 to 1421, with inter-individual variability between six samples of 21 %. Based on the Human Protein Atlas, 78 brain-specific proteins found in CSF samples were proposed as a signature of brain-enriched proteins in CSF.ConclusionA combination of Human Protein Atlas database and experimental search of proteins in specific body fluid can be applied as an initial step in search for disease biomarkers specific for a particular tissue. This signature may be of significant interest for development of novel diagnostics of CNS diseases and identification of drug targets.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12014-016-9111-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Quantitative Phosphoproteomic Study Reveals that Protein Kinase A Regulates Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Through Phosphorylation of Catenin Beta-1 and Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β.

Protein phosphorylation is central to the understanding of multiple cellular signaling pathways responsible for regulating the self-renewal and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Here we performed a large-scale phosphoproteomic analysis of rat fetal NSCs using strong cation exchange chromatography prefractionation and citric acid-assisted two-step enrichment with TiO2 strategy followed by nanoLC-MS/MS analysis. Totally we identified 32,546 phosphosites on 5,091 phosphoproteins, among which 23,945 were class I phosphosites, and quantified 16,000 sites during NSC differentiation. More than 65% of class I phosphosites were novel when compared with PhosphoSitePlus database. Quantification results showed that the early and late stage of NSC differentiation differ greatly. We mapped 69 changed phosphosites on 20 proteins involved in Wnt signaling pathway, including S552 on catenin beta-1 (Ctnnb1) and S9 on glycogen synthase kinase 3β (Gsk3β). Western blotting and real-time PCR results proved that Wnt signaling pathway plays critical roles in NSC fate determination. Furthermore, inhibition and activation of PKA dramatically affected the phosphorylation state of Ctnnb1 and Gsk3β, which regulates the differentiation of NSCs. Our data provides a valuable resource for studying the self-renewal and differentiation of NSCs. Stem Cells 2016;34:2090-2101.

Preparation and characterization of high capacity, strong cation-exchange fiber based adsorbents

Motivated by the demand for more economical capture and polishing steps in downstream processing of protein therapeutics, a novel strong cation-exchange chromatography stationary phase based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) high surface area short-cut fibers is presented. The fiber surface is modified by grafting glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and a subsequent derivatization leading to sulfonic acid groups. The obtained cation-exchange fibers have been characterized and compared to commercially available resin and membrane based adsorbers. High volumetric static binding capacities for lysozyme (90mg/mL) and polyclonal human IgG (hIgG, 92mg/mL) were found, suggesting an efficient multi-layer binding within the grafted hydrogel layer. A packed bed of randomly orientated fibers has been tested for packing efficiency, permeability and chromatographic performance. High dynamic binding capacities for lysozyme (50mg/mL) and hIgG (54mg/mL) were found nearly independent of the bed-residence time, revealing a fast mass-transport mechanism. Height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP) values in the order of 0.1 cm and a peak asymmetry factor (AF) of 1.8 have been determined by tracer experiments. Additionally inverse size-exclusion chromatography (iSEC) revealed a bimodal structure within the fiber bed, consisting of larger transport channels, formed by the voidage between the fibers, and a hydrogel layer with porous properties.

Differential proteomic analysis of respiratory failure in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using iTRAQ technology.

Respiratory failure (RF) is a state in which the respiratory system fails by its gas exchange functions. Failure of the lung, which is caused by all types of lung diseases, leads to hypoxaemia with type I respiratory failure. Failure of the pump leads to hypercapnia or type II respiratory failure. Using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology to identify and quantify the total proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of RF patients and identify the differentially expressed proteome. The present study analyzed the total proteins in the PBMCs of RF patients and healthy controls using the eight-plex iTRAQ added with strong cation-exchange chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The differentially expressed proteins were identified by MASCOT. A total of 4,795 differentially expressed proteins were identified, and 403 proteins were upregulated and 421 were downregulated. Among them, 4 proteins were significantly differentially expressed, which were upregulated KIAA1520 protein and γ fibrinogen type B (AA at 202) and downregulated chain A, crystal structure of recombinant human platelet factor 4 and myosin regulatory light polypeptide 9. iTRAQ technology is suitable for identifying and quantifying the proteome in the PBMCs of RF patients. The differentially expressed proteins of RF patients have been identified in the present study, and further research of the molecular mechanism of the differentially expressed proteins is required to clarify the pathogenesis and identify novel biomarkers of RF.

Peptide Labeling Using Isobaric Tagging Reagents for Quantitative Phosphoproteomics.

Isobaric tagging reagents have become an invaluable tool for multiplexed quantitative proteomic analysis. These reagents can label multiple, distinct peptide samples from virtually any source material (e.g., tissue, cell line, purified proteins), allowing users the opportunity to assess changes in peptide abundances across many different time points or experimental conditions. Here, we describe the application of isobaric peptide labeling, specifically 8plex isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (8plex iTRAQ), for quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of cultured cells or tissue suspensions. For this particular protocol, labeled samples are pooled, fractionated by strong cation exchange chromatography, enriched for phosphopeptides, and analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for both peptide identification and quantitation.

Online LC-FAIMS-MS/MS for the Analysis of Phosphorylation in Proteins.

High-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) is a gas-phase separation technique which, when coupled with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, offers benefits for analysis of complex proteomics samples such as those encountered in phosphoproteomics experiments. Results from LC-FAIMS-MS/MS are typically complementary, in terms of proteome coverage and isomer identification, to those obtained by use of solution-phase separation methods, such as prefractionation with strong cation-exchange chromatography. Here, we describe the protocol for large-scale phosphorylation analysis by LC-FAIMS-MS/MS.

Determination of Free and Total Choline and Carnitine in Infant Formula and Adult/Pediatric Nutritional Formula by Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS): Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2015.10

Analytical methods for the analysis of both L-carnitine and choline are needed for reliable and accurate determination in infant formula and adult/pediatric nutritional formula. These compounds are different in how they are utilized by the human body, but are structurally similar. L-carnitine and choline are quaternary ammonium compounds, enabling both to be retained under acidic conditions with strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography. This method analyzes both compounds simultaneously as either the free forms or as a total amount that includes bound sources such as phosphatidylcholine or acetylcarnitine. The free analysis consists of water extraction and analysis by LC/MS/MS, while the total analysis consists of extraction by acid assisted microwave hydrolysis and analysis by LC/MS/MS. Calibration standards used for calculations are extracted with all samples in the batch. A single laboratory validation (SLV) was performed following the guidelines of the AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals (SPIFAN) utilizing the kit of materials provided. The results achieved meet the requirements of SMPR 2012.010 and 2012.013 for L-carnitine and total choline, respectively.

Sample Preparation Approaches for iTRAQ Labeling and Quantitative Proteomic Analyses in Systems Biology.

Among a variety of global quantification strategies utilized in mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) are an attractive option for examining the relative amounts of proteins in different samples. The inherent complexity of mammalian proteomes and the diversity of protein physicochemical properties mean that complete proteome coverage is still unlikely from a single analytical method. Numerous options exist for reducing protein sample complexity and resolving digested peptides prior to MS analysis. Indeed, the reliability and efficiency of protein identification and quantitation from an iTRAQ workflow strongly depend on sample preparation upstream of MS. Here we describe our methods for: (1) total protein extraction from immortalized cells; (2) subcellular fractionation of murine tissue; (3) protein sample desalting, digestion, and iTRAQ labeling; (4) peptide separation by strong cation-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography; and (5) peptide separation by isoelectric focusing.

Abstract LB-C12: Functional proteomics elucidates signaling adaptation driven by combination therapy in BRAF mutant melanoma cell line models

Abstract Targeted kinase inhibition is a promising treatment modality for melanoma, which has significantly increased available clinical strategies and improved survival outcomes for patients, whose tumors harbor the BRAF V600E mutation. However, responses are transient and multiple mechanisms for drug resistance can contribute to therapeutic escape. Therefore, a novel multiplexed proteomics approach provides an optimal choice for comprehensively dissecting multiple mechanisms of resistance to BRAFi and combination therapy within one experiment. A large-scale quantitative expression proteomics and phosphoproteomics analysis (SysQuant) was carried out on BRAF V600E mutant melanoma cell lines treated with two different clinically relevant kinase inhibitor combinations: 1) BRAFi/MEKi and 2) BRAFi/PI3Ki. Changes in protein expression and phosphorylation in response to each treatment are determined by comparison to vehicle controls. Cell line models all harbor BRAF V600E mutations, but differ in PTEN status (A375 is WT, while WM793 is PTEN null). Briefly, cells were treated with either drug combination (as above) and harvested at 1hr, 6hrs, 24hrs and 48hrs post-treatment. Control cells were treated with DMSO. Samples were lysed, reduced, alkylated and digested with trypsin. Tryptic peptides from each sample were chemically labeled or “barcoded” with TMT-10plex reagents (4 BRAFi/MEKi time points, 4 BRAFi/PI3Ki time points, 1 DMSO control and a pooled reference sample) and combined for LC-MS/MS. After peptide fractionation with strong cation exchange chromatography and phosphopeptide enrichment, LC-MS/MS peptide sequencing and relative quantification was performed using an Orbitrap Fusion mass spectrometer (Thermo). Raw MS data was searched by Proteome Discoverer and analyzed by in-house R-scripts and Perseus statistical software package. Pathway analysis was done in GeneGO (Metacore). The SysQuant workflow identified >9,000 protein groups and >17,000 unique phosphosites per cell line across different treatments. Principal component analysis of the phosphoproteomics data revealed signaling differences across different treatment conditions and drug combinations are mainly driven by BRAFi and the time post-treatment. K-means clustering was also used to examine trends in the data; as an example, this technique could be used to track signaling changes that correlate with reduction and recovery in ERK signaling. The SysQuant approach provides a systems view of global signaling changes occurring in response to drug treatment. The ability to multiplex samples with TMT allows quantitative deduction of protein expression and phosphorylation patterns that are common or unique in different cell lines, time post-treatment and the effect of combination treatments. This proteomics approach ties protein expression and phosphorylation status in response to combination therapy and generates several hypotheses for further testing with the goal of developing novel combination therapy strategies. Citation Format: Ritin Sharma, Inna Fedorenko, Sasa Koncarevic, Vikram Mitra, Stefan Selzer, Gitte Boehm, Ian Pike, Keiran Smalley, John M. Koomen. Functional proteomics elucidates signaling adaptation driven by combination therapy in BRAF mutant melanoma cell line models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr LB-C12.

Comprehensive proteomic analysis of the wheat pathogenic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici.

Zymoseptoria tritici causes Septoria tritici blotch disease of wheat. To obtain a comprehensive protein dataset of this fungal pathogen, proteomes of Z. tritici growing in nutrient-limiting and rich media and in vivo at a late stage of wheat infection were fractionated by 1D gel or strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. A total of 5731, 5376 and 3168 Z. tritici proteins were confidently identified from these conditions, respectively. Of these in vitro and in planta proteins, 9 and 11% were predicted to contain signal peptides, respectively. Functional classification analysis revealed the proteins were involved in the various cellular activities. Comparison of three distinct protein expression profiles demonstrates the elevated carbohydrate, lipid and secondary metabolisms, transport, protein processing and energy production specifically in the host environment, in contrast to the enhancement of signaling, defense, replication, transcription and cell division in vitro. The data provide useful targets towards a better understanding of the molecular basis of Z. tritici growth, development, stress response and pathogenicity.

Low-bias phosphopeptide enrichment from scarce samples using plastic antibodies.

Phosphospecific enrichment techniques and mass spectrometry (MS) are essential tools for comprehending the cellular phosphoproteome. Here, we report a fast and simple approach for low sequence-bias phosphoserine (pS) peptide capture and enrichment that is compatible with low biological or clinical sample input. The approach exploits molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs, “plastic antibodies”) featuring tight neutral binding sites for pS or pY that are capable of cross-reacting with phosphopeptides of protein proteolytic digests. The versatility of the resulting method was demonstrated with small samples of whole-cell lysate from human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cells, human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, mouse brain or human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Following pre-fractionation of trypsinized proteins by strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography, pS-MIP enrichment led to the identification of 924 phosphopeptides in the HEK 293T whole-cell lysate, exceeding the number identified by TiO2-based enrichment (230). Moreover, the phosphopeptides were extracted with low sequence bias and showed no evidence for the characteristic preference of TiO2 for acidic amino acids (aspartic and glutamic acid). Applying the method to human CSF led to the discovery of 47 phosphopeptides belonging to 24 proteins and revealed three previously unknown phosphorylation sites.

Enrichment of protein N-termini by charge reversal of internal peptides.

Protein N-termini provide useful information for the understanding of posttranslational processing of proteins. The majority of proteins undergo N-terminal processing, such as proteolytic truncation or modifications like acetylation. Multiple methods currently exist for the enrichment of N-terminal peptides for proteomic analyses. Here, we report a novel, simple, and straightforward N-terminomic strategy, based on charge reversal of internal peptides followed by their removal through strong cation exchange chromatography. Our initial proof-of-concept study shows the feasibility of this technique, yielding over 3000 identifications of protein N-termini. We further show the application of this strategy in investigating the N-terminome of mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells deficient for both cathepsin B and L in comparison to wild type) control cells. Finally, we demonstrate that this workflow can be used in combination with a gel-based strategy, allowing preseparation of proteins and thus providing an estimate of the molecular weight of the identified cleavage products.

Online Peptide Fractionation Using a Multiphasic Microfluidic Liquid Chromatography Chip Improves Reproducibility and Detection Limits for Quantitation in Discovery and Targeted Proteomics*[S

Comprehensive proteomic profiling of biological specimens usually requires multidimensional chromatographic peptide fractionation prior to mass spectrometry. However, this approach can suffer from poor reproducibility because of the lack of standardization and automation of the entire workflow, thus compromising performance of quantitative proteomic investigations. To address these variables we developed an online peptide fractionation system comprising a multiphasic liquid chromatography (LC) chip that integrates reversed phase and strong cation exchange chromatography upstream of the mass spectrometer (MS). We showed superiority of this system for standardizing discovery and targeted proteomic workflows using cancer cell lysates and nondepleted human plasma. Five-step multiphase chip LC MS/MS acquisition showed clear advantages over analyses of unfractionated samples by identifying more peptides, consuming less sample and often improving the lower limits of quantitation, all in highly reproducible, automated, online configuration. We further showed that multiphase chip LC fractionation provided a facile means to detect many N- and C-terminal peptides (including acetylated N terminus) that are challenging to identify in complex tryptic peptide matrices because of less favorable ionization characteristics. Given as much as 95% of peptides were detected in only a single salt fraction from cell lysates we exploited this high reproducibility and coupled it with multiple reaction monitoring on a high-resolution MS instrument (MRM-HR). This approach increased target analyte peak area and improved lower limits of quantitation without negatively influencing variance or bias. Further, we showed a strategy to use multiphase LC chip fractionation LC-MS/MS for ion library generation to integrate with SWATH(TM) data-independent acquisition quantitative workflows. All MS data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001464.