pFind Studio: a computational solution for mass spectrometry-based proteomics
2021
Journal of Proteomics2021. de Jong, L et al.
Univ Amsterdam, Swammerdam Inst Life Sci, Mass Spectrometry Biomol, Sci Pk 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, Netherlands.
ABSTRACT:In vivo chemical cross-linking combined with LCMSMS of digested extracts (in vivo CX-MS) can reveal stable and dynamic protein-protein interactions at proteome-wide scale and at peptide level. In vivo CX-MS requires a membrane permeable and cleavable cross-linker and a fast and sensitive search engine to identify the linked peptides. Here we explore the use of the search engine pLink 2 to identify cross-links induced in exponentially growing Bacillus subtilis cells treated in culture with bis(succinimidyl)-3-azidomethyl-glutarate (BAMG). Cross linked peptide pairs were identified by pLink 2 in very short time at an overall FDR of < 5%. To also obtain a FDR < 5% for non-redundant inter-protein cross-linked peptide pairs additional threshold values were applied for matched fragment intensity and for the numbers of unambiguous y and b ions assigned to both composite peptides. Also the massand charge-dependent retention times of target peptides purified by diagonal strong cation exchange chromatography were used as a criterion to distinguish true from false positives. After application of the composite filter new protein-protein interactions were revealed among others between the global transcriptional repressor AbrB and elongation factor Tu and between the essential protein YlaN of unknown function and the ferric uptake repressor Fur. Significance: Important for reliable identification of PPIs by chemical cross-linking in vivo is a low FDR of non redundant inter-protein peptide pairs. Here we describe how to recognize the presence of spurious interactions in a dataset of cross-linked peptide pairs enriched by 2D strong cation exchange chromatography and identified by LCMSMS by taking into account chromatographic behavior of cross-linked peptide pairs and protein abundance of corresponding peptides. Based on these criteria we assessed that the FDR of the fraction of non -redundant inter-protein cross-linked peptide pairs was approx. 20-25% by interrogating an entire species specific database at an overall FDR of 5% or 0.1% with a search engine that otherwise scores best in sensitivity among other search engines. We have defined a composite filter to decrease this high FDR of inter-protein cross-linked peptide pairs to only about 2%.
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Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry2021. Luis Javier Gonzlez et al.
Ctr Genet Engn & Biotechnol CIGB, Dept Prote, Ave 31,E 158 & 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; Ctr Genet Engn & Biotechnol CIGB, Anim Biotechnol Dept, Ave 31,E 158 & 190, Havana 10600, Cuba
ABSTRACT:A peptide from the P0 acidic ribosomal protein (pP0) of ticks conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin from Megathura crenulata has shown to be effective against different tick species when used in host vaccination. Turning this peptide into a commercial anti-tick vaccine will depend on finding the appropriate, technically and economically feasible way to present it to the host immune system. Two conjugates (p64K-Cys(1)pP0 and p64K-beta Ala(1)pP0) were synthesized using the p64K carrier protein from Neisseria meningitidis produced in Escherichia coli, the same cross-linking reagent, and two analogues of pP0. The SDS-PAGE analysis of p64K-Cys(1)pP0 showed a heterogeneous conjugate compared to p64K-beta Ala(1)pP0 that was detected as a protein band at 91kDa. The pP0/p64K ratio determined by MALDI-MS for p64K-Cys(1)pP0 ranged from 1 to 8, being 3-5 the predominant ratio, while in the case of p64K-beta Ala(1)pP0 this ratio was 5-7. Cys(1)pP0 was partially linked to 35 out of 39 Lys residues and the N-terminal end, while beta Ala(1)pP0 was mostly linked to the six free cysteine residues, to the N-terminal end, and, in a lesser extent, to Lys residues. The assignment of the conjugation sites and side reactions were based on the identification of type 2 peptides. Rabbit immunizations showed the best anti-pP0 titers and the highest efficacy against Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks when the p64K-Cys(1)pP0 was used as vaccine antigen. The presence of high molecular mass aggregates observed in the SDS-PAGE analysis of p64K-Cys(1)pP0 could be responsible for a better immune response against pP0 and consequently for its better efficacy as an anti-tick vaccine.
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Scientific reports2021. Schmauder, Lukas et al.
Department of Chemistry, Center for Integrated Protein Research, Technische Universitt Mnchen, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
ABSTRACT:The molecular chaperones Hsc70 and Hsp90 are required for proteostasis control and specific folding of client proteins in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. Especially in eukaryotes these ATP-driven molecular chaperones are interacting with cofactors that specify the client spectrum and coordinate the ATPase cycles. Here we find that a Hsc70-cofactor of the Hsp40 family from nematodes, DNJ-13, directly interacts with the kinase-specific Hsp90-cofactor CDC-37. The interaction is specific for DNJ-13, while DNJ-12 another DnaJ-like protein of C. elegans, does not bind to CDC-37 in a similar manner. Analytical ultracentrifugation is employed to show that one CDC-37 molecule binds to a dimeric DNJ-13 protein with low micromolar affinity. We perform cross-linking studies with mass spectrometry to identify the interaction site and obtain specific cross-links connecting the N-terminal J-domain of DNJ-13 with the N-terminal domain of CDC-37. Further AUC experiments reveal that both, the N-terminal part of CDC-37 and the C-terminal domain of CDC-37, are required for efficient interaction. Furthermore, the presence of DNJ-13 strengthens the complex formation between CDC-37 and HSP-90 and modulates the nucleotide-dependent effects. These findings on the interaction between Hsp40 proteins and Hsp90-cofactors provide evidence for a more intricate interaction between the two chaperone systems during client processing. 2021. The Author(s).
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Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry2021. Huang, R et al.
ShanghaiTech Univ, Shanghai Inst Adv Immunochem Studies, Shanghai 201210, Peoples R China
ABSTRACT:Cross-linking mass spectrometry methods have not been successfully applied to protein-protein interaction discovery at a proteome- wide level mainly due to the computation complexity (O (n(2))) issue. In a previous report, we proposed a decision tree searching strategy (DTSS), which can reduce complexity by orders of magnitude. In this study, we further found that the monolinked peptides carry out the information on the retention time of the corresponding cross-linked pairs; therefore, the retention time of cross-linked peptide pairs can be predicted accurately. By utilizing the retention time as an extra filter, the false positive rate can be reduced by around 86% with a sensitivity loss of 10%. The method combined with DTSS (T-DTSS) not only benefits improving identification confidence but also leads to lower cutoff scores and facilitates substantially increasing inter-cross-link identification. T-DTSS was successfully applied to the identification of inter-cross-links obtained from Escherichia coli cell lysate cross-linked by a newly synthesized enrichable crosslinker, pDSBE. The approach can be applicable to both cleavable and noncleavable methods.
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Biochemical Journal2021. Friedrich, MG et al.
Univ Wollongong, Illawarra Hlth & Med Res Inst, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
ABSTRACT:Long-lived proteins (LLPs) are susceptible to the accumulation of both enzymatic and spontaneous post-translational modifications (PTMs). A prominent PTM observed in LLPs is covalent protein-protein crosslinking. In this study, we examined aged human lenses and found several proteins to be crosslinked at Glu and Gln residues. This new covalent bond involves the amino group of Lys or an alpha-amino group. A number of these crosslinks were found in intermediate filament proteins. Such crosslinks could be reproduced experimentally by incubation of Glu- or Gln-containing peptides and their formation was consistent with an amino group attacking a glutarimide intermediate. These findings show that both Gln and Glu residues can act as sites for spontaneous covalent crosslinking in LLPs and they provide a mechanistic explanation for an otherwise puzzling observation, that a major fraction of A beta in the human brain is crosslinked via Glu 22 and the N-terminal amino group.
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PNAS2021. Hevler, JF et al.
Univ Utrecht, Utrecht Inst Pharmaceut Sci, Bijvoet Ctr Biomol Res, Biomol Mass Spectrometry & Prote, NL-3584 CH Utrecht, Netherlands.
ABSTRACT:Combining mass spectrometry-based chemical cross-linking and complexome profiling, we analyzed the interactome of heart mitochondria. We focused on complexes of oxidative phosphorylation and found that dimeric apoptosis-inducing factor 1 (AIFM1) forms a defined complex with similar to 10% of monomeric cytochrome c oxidase (COX) but hardly interacts with respiratory chain supercomplexes. Multiple AIFM1 intercross-links engaging six different COX subunits provided structural restraints to build a detailed atomic model of the COX-AIFM1(2) complex (PDBDEV_00000092). An application of two complementary proteomic approaches thus provided unexpected insight into the macromolecular organization of the mitochondrial complexome. Our structural model excludes direct electron transfer between AIFM1 and COX. Notably, however, the binding site of cytochrome c remains accessible, allowing formation of a ternary complex. The discovery of the previously overlooked COX-AIFM12 complex and clues provided by the structural model hint at potential roles of AIFM1 in oxidative phosphorylation biogenesis and in programmed cell death.
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Nature communications2021. Lu, S et al.
Univ Calif San Diego, Dept Cellular & Mol Med, San Diego, CA 92093 USA.
ABSTRACT:The multifunctional nucleocapsid (N) protein in SARS-CoV-2 binds the similar to 30kb viral RNA genome to aid its packaging into the 80-90nm membrane-enveloped virion. The N protein is composed of N-terminal RNA-binding and C-terminal dimerization domains that are flanked by three intrinsically disordered regions. Here we demonstrate that the N protein's central disordered domain drives phase separation with RNA, and that phosphorylation of an adjacent serine/arginine rich region modulates the physical properties of the resulting condensates. In cells, N forms condensates that recruit the stress granule protein G3BP1, highlighting a potential role for N in G3BP1 sequestration and stress granule inhibition. The SARS-CoV-2 membrane (M) protein independently induces N protein phase separation, and three-component mixtures of N+M+RNA form condensates with mutually exclusive compartments containing N+M or N+RNA, including annular structures in which the M protein coats the outside of an N+RNA condensate. These findings support a model in which phase separation of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein contributes both to suppression of the G3BP1-dependent host immune response and to packaging genomic RNA during virion assembly. The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein binds the viral RNA genome and contains two ordered domains flanked by three intrinsically-disordered regions. Here, the authors show that RNA binding induces liquid-liquid phase separation of N, which is driven by its central intrinsically-disordered region and is modulated by phosphorylation. The SARS-CoV-2 Membrane (M) protein also phase-separates with N, and three-component mixtures of N+M+RNA form mutually exclusive compartments containing N+M or N+RNA.
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Science2021. Chen, XZ et al.
Fudan Univ, Shanghai Canc Ctr, Inst Biomed Sci, State Key Lab Genet Engn, Shanghai 200032, Peoples R China.
ABSTRACT:Transcription factor IID (TFIID) recognizes core promoters and supports preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly for RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-mediated eukaryotic transcription. We determined the structures of human TFIID-based PIC in three stepwise assembly states and revealed two-track PIC assembly: stepwise promoter deposition to Pol II and extensive modular reorganization on track I (on TATA-TFIID-binding element promoters) versus direct promoter deposition on track II (on TATA-only and TATA-less promoters). The two tracks converge at an similar to 50-subunit holo PIC in identical conformation, whereby TFIID stabilizes PIC organization and supports loading of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)activating kinase (CAK) onto Pol II and CAK-mediated phosphorylation of the Pol II carboxyl-terminal domain. Unexpectedly, TBP of TFIID similarly bends TATA box and TATA-less promoters in PIC. Our study provides structural visualization of stepwise PIC assembly on highly diversified promoters.
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Science2021. Fianu, I et al.
Max Planck Inst Biophys Chem, Dept Mol Biol, D-37077 Gottingen, Germany.
ABSTRACT:Integrator and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) form a complex that dephosphorylates paused RNA polymerase II (Pol II), cleaves the nascent RNA, and terminates transcription. We report the structure of the pretermination complex containing a human Integrator-PP2A complex bound to paused Pol II. Integrator binds Pol II and the pausing factors DSIF and NELF to exclude binding of the elongation factors SPT6 and PAF1 complex. Integrator also binds the C-terminal domain of Pol II and positions PP2A to counteract Pol II phosphorylation and elongation. The Integrator endonuclease docks to the RNA exit site and opens to cleave nascent RNA about 20 nucleotides from the Pol II active site. Integrator does not bind the DNA clamps formed by Pol II and DSIF, enabling release of DNA and transcription termination.
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Nature2021. Kokic, G et al.
Max Planck Inst Biophys Chem, Dept Mol Biol, Gottingen, Germany.
ABSTRACT:Transcription-coupled DNA repair removes bulky DNA lesions from the genome(1,2) and protects cells against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation(3). Transcription-coupled DNA repair begins when RNA polymerase II (Pol II) stalls at a DNA lesion and recruits the Cockayne syndrome protein CSB, the E3 ubiquitin ligase, CRL4(CSA) and UV-stimulated scaffold protein A (UVSSA)(3). Here we provide five high-resolution structures of Pol II transcription complexes containing human transcription-coupled DNA repair factors and the elongation factors PAF1 complex (PAF) and SPT6. Together with biochemical and published(3,4) data, the structures provide a model for transcription-repair coupling. Stalling of Pol II at a DNA lesion triggers replacement of the elongation factor DSIF by CSB, which binds to PAF and moves upstream DNA to SPT6. The resulting elongation complex, ECTCR, uses the CSA-stimulated translocase activity of CSB to pull on upstream DNA and push Pol II forward. If the lesion cannot be bypassed, CRL4(CSA) spans over the Pol II clamp and ubiquitylates the RPB1 residue K1268, enabling recruitment of TFIIH to UVSSA and DNA repair. Conformational changes in CRL4(CSA) lead to ubiquitylation of CSB and to release of transcription-coupled DNA repair factors before transcription may continue over repaired DNA.
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