Boris Neumann

Metal-Coded Affinity Tag Labeling: A Demonstration of Analytical Robustness and Suitability for Biological Applications

Quantitative peptide and protein analysis is one of the most promising fields in modern life science. Besides stable isotope coded labeling, metal chelate complexes are an alternative tool for quantification. The development of metal-coded affinity tags (MeCAT) was aimed to provide a robust tool for the quantification of peptides and proteins by utilizing lanthanide-harboring metal tags. It was shown that MeCAT is suited for relative quantification of proteins via standard mass spectrometric methods. The approach of tagging biomolecules with MeCAT offers the unique advantage of absolute quantification via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), a well-established technique for assessing concentrations down to low attomole ranges. This work investigates the compatibility of MeCAT labeling to analysis workflows such as nano liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC/ESI-MS(n)). Focus was given toward the separation behavior of labeled peptides and the dynamic range of detection and peptide charge distribution. Furthermore, the stability of MeCAT under harsh analytical conditions was investigated. With the application of the MeCAT technique to a standard analysis scheme in proteomics, such as the investigation of changes in an Escherichia coli proteome, we successfully addressed the suitability to utilize MeCAT on biological samples. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MeCAT complexes are stable under a variety of conditions and that by applying LC/ESI-MS it is possible to cover a dynamic range of 2 orders of magnitude down to the low femtomole range with an average standard deviation below 15%. Therefore, this technique is suitable to common proteomic workflows and enables relative as well as absolute differential peptide quantification.

Application of metal-coded affinity tags (MeCAT): absolute protein quantification with top-down and bottom-up workflows by metal-coded tagging.

As the quantification of peptides and proteins extends from comparative analyses to the determination of actual amounts, methodologies for absolute protein quantification are desirable. Metal-coded affinity tags (MeCAT) are chemical labels for peptides and proteins with a lanthanide-bearing chelator as a core. This modification of analytes with non-naturally occurring heteroelements adds the analytical possibilities of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to quantitative proteomics. We here present the absolute quantification of recombinantly expressed aprotinin out of its host cell protein background using two independent MeCAT methodologies. A bottom-up strategy employs labeling of primary amino groups on peptide level. Synthetic peptides with a MeCAT label which are externally quantified by flow injection analysis (FIA)-ICPMS serve as internal standard in nanoHPLC-ESI-MS/MS. In the top-down approach, protein is labeled on cysteine residues and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Flow injection analysis of dissolved gel spots by ICPMS yields the individual protein amount via its lanthanide label content. The enzymatic determination of the fusion protein via its β-galactosidase activity found 8.3 and 9.8 ng/μg (nanogram fusion protein per microgram sample) for batches 1 and 2, respectively. Using MeCAT values of 4.0 and 5.4 ng/μg are obtained for top-down analysis, while 14.5 and 15.9 ng/μg were found in the bottom-up analysis.

Development of a calibration and standardization procedure for LA-ICP-MS using a conventional ink-jet printer for quantification of proteins in electro- and Western-blot assays

We developed new procedures for internal standardization and calibration to be used for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for elemental micro mapping imaging of biological samples like Western blot membranes and tissue sections. These procedures are based on printing of metal spiked inks onto the top of thin layer samples for simultaneous internal standardization and calibration of LA-ICP-MS. In the case of internal standardization the ink is spiked with indium as an internal standard and homogenously printed over the entire membrane (size 56 cm2) prior to LA-ICP-MS detection, a standard deviation (RSD) value of 2% was achieved. In the second approach the metal content of lanthanide tagged proteins and antibodies after biological work flows was quantified by LA-ICP-MS on nitro-cellulose membranes. In this case the inks spiked with varying metals were printed with different densities on the same nitrocellulose membranes in well-defined squares to produce matrix-matched calibration standards. For validation and calibration the ink squares were excised and the specific metal content was measured by liquid ICP-MS after solubilization of the membrane slice. For the printed calibration standard limits of detection (LOD) of <4 fmol for different metals and relative process standard deviations of 1–2% only were determined via LA-ICP-MS.

Dietary phytoestrogen supplementation induces sex differences in the myocardial protein pattern of mice: A comparative proteomics study

Elevated cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women and beneficial actions of estrogen replacement in animal models have been related to protective effects of estrogens. However, randomized trials of hormone replacement therapy with synthetic estrogens in humans failed confirmation and phytoestrogens, natural plant hormones with agonistic properties for estrogen receptors, could represent potential alternatives. The aim of the present study is to characterize an animal model for alternative hormone replacement with genistein as a natural estrogenic compound. We performed a 2‐DE/ESI‐LC‐MS approach in order to identify protein species varying with genistein receipt and sex in their relative abundance in the healthy murine heart (http://www.mpiib‐berlin.mpg.de/2D‐PAGE). Oral genistein treatment revealed a substantial effect on the relative abundance of both estrogen receptors. Several enzymes of the fatty acid metabolism and their transcriptional regulators varied differentially in male and in female animals, at the transcript and/or the protein species level. Increased levels of enzyme species involved in the oxidative phosphorylation and generation of ROS were accompanied by decreased amounts of antioxidants in male mice receiving genistein compared with control males, which have been previously associated with various pathological conditions. Exposure of female animals to genistein provoked an increased abundance of two species of LIM domain‐binding protein and one species of desmin. These proteins have been associated with cardiac hypertrophy and our data warrant caution for the use of them as molecular markers, since the animals did not exhibit any histological signs of cardiac hypertrophy.

Adaptation of proteomic techniques for the identification and characterization of protein species from murine heart

Disturbed energy metabolism with impaired fatty acid oxidation, ATP synthesis and changing levels of contractile proteins has been observed during the development and manifestation of cardiovascular diseases, with the latter showing sexual differences in terms of onset, manifestation and progress. Estrogenic compounds, such as estrogens and phytoestrogens, are known to exert beneficial effects on several cardiovascular parameters. However, global studies implying the normal, non-failing myocardium are rare. Thus, identifying and characterizing protein patterns involved in the maintenance of normal heart physiology at the protein species level will help understanding disease conditions. In this study, we performed an adapted 2-DE/MS approach in order to identify and characterize post-translational modified and truncated protein species from murine heart. Female and male animals of different age were receiving the phytoestrogen genistein and comparative analyses were performed to identify sex and genistein treatment-related effects. Selected 2-DE spots that exposed varying abundance between animal groups and identified as identical proteins were subject to multi-protease cleavage to generate an elevated sequence coverage enabling characterization of post-translational modifications and truncation loci via high-resolution MS. Several truncated, phosphorylated and acetylated species were identified for mitochondrial ATP synthase, malate dehydrogenase and trifunctional enzyme subunit alpha. However, confirmation of several of these modifications by manual spectra interpretation failed. Thus, our results warrant caution for the blind trust in software output. For the regulatory light chain of myosin, we identified an N-terminal processed species, which so far has been related to ischemic conditions only. We tried to unravel the information content of protein species separated by high-resolution 2-DE as an alternative to high-throughput proteomics, which mainly is interested in lists of protein names, ignoring the protein species identity.

Internal standardization of LA-ICP-MS immuno imaging via printing of universal metal spiked inks onto tissue sections

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimen from biopsy materials are a widespread sample format for pathologists and medical researchers. Pathologists are archiving vast numbers of FFPE samples which can be stored for decades. Conventional immunohistochemical staining (IHC) of biomarkers on FFPE tissue sections is one of the most important analytical techniques for cancer diagnosis and pathology in general. However standardization for IHC samples and quality management is tedious and differs significantly from clinic to clinic. Combining established IHC staining strategies with modern mass spectrometry mediated methods would increase its potential and enable access of large FFPE archives for multiplexed quantitation purposes. In this work element mass spectrometry and a new ink-jet printed internal standardization approach was successfully combined with IHC staining to facilitate quantitative multiplex assays for archived FFPE samples. The printing strategy improves elemental image resolution and reproducibility of paraffin embedded breast cancer tissue sections in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) using conventional IHC staining as a model system to investigate the new capabilities of this technique. For the internal standardization we applied a conventional CD-ink-jet printer to print a metal spiked ink onto the top of thin layer tissue sections with constant density. Printing was carried out in a direct comparison to an iodination of the tissue section as previously described as an alternative standardization method. The use of the printed internal standard allowed correction of the fluctuation during the laser ablation process and compensated instrumental drift effects. Mediated by the ink correction approach we achieved better signal-to-background-ratios (SBR) of 74 and better spatial resolution of 30 μm compared to iodination (SBR = 23). This improved performance was demonstrated on tumorous areas in FFPE breast cancer tissue sections and allowing detection of Her-2 in tumorous areas of this tissue with significantly improved contrast.

An approach for quantification of platinum distribution in tissues by LA-ICP-MS imaging using isotope dilution analysis

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been revealed as a convenient technique for trace elemental imaging in tissue sections, providing elemental 2D distribution at a quantitative level. For quantification purposes, in the last years several approaches have been proposed in the literature such as the use of CRMs or matrix matched standards. The use of Isotope Dilution (ID) for quantification by LA-ICP-MS has been also described, being mainly useful for bulk analysis but not feasible for spatial measurements so far. In this work, a quantification method based on ID analysis was developed by printing isotope-enriched inks onto kidney slices from rats treated with antitumoral Pt-based drugs using a commercial ink-jet device, in order to perform an elemental quantification in different areas from bio-images. For the ID experiments 194Pt enriched platinum was used. The methodology was validated by deposition of natural Pt standard droplets with a known amount of Pt onto the surface of a control tissue, where could be quantified even 50pg of Pt, with recoveries higher than 90%. The amount of Pt present in the whole kidney slices was quantified for cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin-treated rats. The results obtained were in accordance with those previously reported. The amount of Pt distributed between the medullar and cortical areas was also quantified, observing different behavior for the three drugs.

Protein analysis of the spermatophore reveals diverse compositions in both the ampulla and the spermatophylax in a bushcricket

Nuptial gifts are male mating investments, which, in bushcrickets, comprise the sperm‐containing ampulla and the attached spermatophylax. The functions of the spermatophylax are to deter females from premature removal of the sperm‐containing ampulla, which is a nutrient resource for females, as well as a source of compounds that influence female behaviour to increase male evolutionary fitness. Placing these functions into a proteomic perspective, we analyze the protein composition of nuptial gifts from male Poecilimon ampliatus (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878) bushcrickets using large two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with nano‐liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and de novo sequencing. We separate the proteins with high resolution and detect approximately 600 protein spots in the seminal fluid (ampulla) and 300 in the spermatophylax. There is only a small fraction of overlap in protein spots, whereas the majority differ between the two compartments. As a result of the lack of a sequenced genome and protein data for this non‐model insect, we are unable to identify the proteins. We discuss the diversity of proteins, as well as their size range, in light of potential protein costs and potential functions.

Dual Internal Standards with Metals and Molecules for MALDI Imaging of Kidney Lipids

The quest for internal standards useful in MALDI imaging studies goes on to get not only lateral distribution but also reliable relative quantitative information. We developed a method based on application of matrix and dual internal standards to allow intra- and intersample normalization of lipids intensities in kidney sections of control and cisplatin-treated Wistar rats. An inkjet printer was used to deposit a custom-prepared ink with DHB as MALDI matrix, a primary lipids-based internal standard, and a spiked lanthanide as a secondary internal standard. We applied different laser energy and varied the amounts of matrix-internal standards mixture to evaluate the normalization potential of the internal standards. Successful correction of intensity artifacts caused by instrumental drifts was possible, but not those resulting from uneven matrix application. ICP-MS absolute quantification of the lanthanide in the printed layer ensured the reproducibility of the matrix and internal standards application with RSD of 10-15%. Internal standard-normalized data allowed intrasample modification of the MALDI image to make it compatible with the optical image. Normalization to internal standards corrected a 2-fold difference in lipids intensity, which allowed a meaningful comparison of tissue lipids in control and cisplatin-treated kidneys. More importantly, normalization of lipid relative abundances based on the same adduct type (H+, Na+, and K+) for analyte and internal standard corrected for different ionization efficiencies showing a realistic signal level and enabling reliable comparison of different samples on relative quantitative basis.