Anion-exchange chromatography mass spectrometry provides extensive coverage of primary metabolic pathways revealing altered metabolism in IDH1 mutant cells.

Altered central carbon metabolism is a hallmark of many diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer. Identifying metabolic changes will open opportunities for better understanding aetiological processes and identifying new diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets. Comprehensive and robust analysis of primary metabolic pathways in cells, tissues and bio-fluids, remains technically challenging. We report on the development and validation of a highly reproducible and robust untargeted method using anion-exchange tandem mass spectrometry (IC-MS) that enables analysis of 431 metabolites, providing detailed coverage of central carbon metabolism. We apply the method in an untargeted, discovery-driven workflow to investigate the metabolic effects of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations in glioblastoma cells. IC-MS provides comprehensive coverage of central metabolic pathways revealing significant elevation of 2-hydroxyglutarate and depletion of 2-oxoglutarate. Further analysis of the data reveals depletion in additional metabolites including previously unrecognised changes in lysine and tryptophan metabolism.

Proteomics of skeletal muscle aging.

Extended human longevity has resulted in increasing numbers of elderly persons in the general population. However, old age is also associated with a variety of serious physical disorders. Frailty among sedentary elderly patients is related to the impaired structure and function of contractile fibers. Biochemical research into cellular mechanisms that underlie sarcopenia promises to acquire the scientific basis of evidence to aid the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The recent application of MS-based proteomic methodology has identified a large cohort of disease-specific markers of sarcopenia. This review critically examines the biomedical implications of the results obtained from the proteomic screening of both aged human muscle and established animal models of sarcopenia. Substantial alterations in proteins involved in key metabolic pathways, regulatory and contractile elements of the actomyosin apparatus, myofibrillar remodeling and the cellular stress response are discussed. A multi-factorial etiology appears to be the basis for a slower-twitching aged fiber population, which exhibits a shift to more aerobic-oxidative metabolism. It is hoped that the detailed biomedical characterization of the newly identified biomarkers of sarcopenia will translate into better treatment options for reversing age-dependent muscle degeneration, which could improve the standard of living for a large portion of society.

Rapid intraoperative molecular genetic classification of gliomas using Raman spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: The molecular genetic classification of gliomas, particularly the identification of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations, is critical for clinical and surgical decision-making. Raman spectroscopy probes the unique molecular vibrations of a sample to accurately characterize its molecular composition. No sample processing is required allowing for rapid analysis of tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Raman spectroscopy to rapidly identify the common molecular genetic subtypes of diffuse glioma in the neurosurgical setting using fresh biopsy tissue. In addition, classification models were built using cryosections, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections and LN-18 (IDH-mutated and wild-type parental cell) glioma cell lines. METHODS: Fresh tissue, straight from neurosurgical theatres, underwent Raman analysis and classification into astrocytoma, IDH-wild-type; astrocytoma, IDH-mutant; or oligodendroglioma. The genetic subtype was confirmed on a parallel section using immunohistochemistry and targeted genetic sequencing. RESULTS: Fresh tissue samples from 62 patients were collected (36 astrocytoma, IDH-wild-type; 21 astrocytoma, IDH-mutated; 5 oligodendroglioma). A principal component analysis fed linear discriminant analysis classification model demonstrated 79%-94% sensitivity and 90%-100% specificity for predicting the 3 glioma genetic subtypes. For the prediction of IDH mutation alone, the model gave 91% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Seventy-nine cryosections, 120 FFPE samples, and LN18 cells were also successfully classified. Meantime for Raman data collection was 9.5 min in the fresh tissue samples, with the process from intraoperative biopsy to genetic classification taking under 15 min. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy can be used for the rapid, intraoperative, classification of gliomas into common genetic subtypes.

The development of a high throughput drug-responsive model of white adipose tissue comprising adipogenic 3T3-L1 cells in a 3D matrix.

Adipose models have been applied to mechanistic studies of metabolic diseases (such as diabetes) and the subsequent discovery of new therapeutics. However, typical models are either insufficiently complex (2D cell cultures) or expensive and labor intensive (mice/in vivo). To bridge the gap between these models and in order to better inform pre-clinical studies we have developed a drug-responsive 3D model of white adipose tissue (WAT). Here, spheroids (680 ± 60 µm) comprising adipogenic 3T3-L1 cells encapsulated in 3D matrix were fabricated manually on a 96 well scale. Spheroids were highly characterised for lipid morphology, selected metabolite and adipokine secretion, and gene expression; displaying significant upregulation of certain adipogenic-specific genes compared with a 2D model. Furthermore, induction of lipolysis and promotion of lipogenesis in spheroids could be triggered by exposure to 8-br-cAMP and oleic-acid respectively. Metabolic and high content imaging data of spheroids exposed to an adipose-targeting drug, rosiglitazone, resulted in dose-responsive behavior. Thus, our 3D WAT model has potential as a powerful scalable tool for compound screening and for investigating adipose biology.

Lectin-based proteomic profiling of aged skeletal muscle: decreased pyruvate kinase isozyme M1 exhibits drastically increased levels of N-glycosylation.

Since various neuromuscular diseases are associated with abnormal glycosylation, it was of interest to determine whether this key post-translational modification is also altered in aged skeletal muscle. Lectins represent highly versatile carbohydrate-binding proteins that are routinely employed for the characterization of glycoproteins. Here, we used the lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) for the proteomic profiling of senescent fibers. WGA labeling of the soluble proteome from 3-month- versus 30-month-old rat gastrocnemius muscle, following two-dimensional gel electrophoretic separation, resulted in the identification of 13 distinct protein species. Analysis of WGA binding levels, in conjunction with mass spectrometric fingerprinting, revealed that one isoform of a major metabolic muscle protein exhibited a drastic alteration in the content of sialic acid and N-acetylglucosaminyl sugar residues. Pyruvate kinase isoform M1 with protein accession number gi|16757994|, exhibiting a pI of 6.6 and an apparent molecular mass of 57.8 kDa, showed a six fold increase in N-glycosylation and a three fold decrease in protein expression. In contrast to comparable levels of N-glycosylated proteins in young adult versus senescent muscle, as judged by fluorescein-conjugated WGA labeling of transverse muscle cryosections, staining with antibodies to the M1 isoform of pyruvate kinase showed reduced expression of this cytosolic element. Furthermore, activity assays demonstrated a reduced activity of this glycolytic enzyme in senescent muscle. This agrees with the idea that abnormal post-translational modifications in key metabolic enzymes may be involved in the conversion of aged muscle to slower twitch patterns and a drastic shift to more aerobic-oxidative metabolism.

Phosphoproteomic analysis of aged skeletal muscle.

One of the most important post-translational modifications is represented by phosphorylation on tyrosine, threonine and serine residues. Since abnormal phosphorylation is associated with various pathologies, it was of interest to perform a phosphoproteomic profiling of age-related skeletal muscle degeneration. We used the fluorescent phospho-specific Pro-Q Diamond dye to determine whether changes in the overall phosphorylation of the soluble skeletal muscle proteome differs significantly between young adult and senescent fibres. As an established model system of sarcopenia, we employed 30-month-old rat gastrocnemius fibres. Following the mass spectrometric identification of 59 major 2-D phosphoprotein landmark spots, the fluorescent dye staining survey revealed that 22 muscle proteins showed a differential expression pattern between 3-month- and 30-month-old muscle. Increased phosphorylation levels were shown for myosin light chain 2, tropomyosin alpha, lactate dehydrogenase, desmin, actin, albumin and aconitase. In contrast, decreased phospho-specific dye binding was observed for cytochrome c oxidase, creatine kinase and enolase. Thus, aging-induced alterations in phosphoproteins appear to involve the contractile machinery and the cytoskeleton, as well as the cytosolic and mitochondrial metabolism. This confirms that sarcopenia of old age is a complex neuromuscular pathology that is associated with drastic changes in the abundance and structure of key muscle proteins.

JMJD5 is a human arginyl C-3 hydroxylase.

Oxygenase-catalysed post-translational modifications of basic protein residues, including lysyl hydroxylations and Nε-methyl lysyl demethylations, have important cellular roles. Jumonji-C (JmjC) domain-containing protein 5 (JMJD5), which genetic studies reveal is essential in animal development, is reported as a histone Nε-methyl lysine demethylase (KDM). Here we report how extensive screening with peptides based on JMJD5 interacting proteins led to the finding that JMJD5 catalyses stereoselective C-3 hydroxylation of arginine residues in sequences from human regulator of chromosome condensation domain-containing protein 1 (RCCD1) and ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6). High-resolution crystallographic analyses reveal overall fold, active site and substrate binding/product release features supporting the assignment of JMJD5 as an arginine hydroxylase rather than a KDM. The results will be useful in the development of selective oxygenase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer and genetic diseases.

Publisher Correction: JMJD5 is a human arginyl C-3 hydroxylase.

The originally published version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Md. Saiful Islam, which was incorrectly given as Saiful Islam. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Aging skeletal muscle shows a drastic increase in the small heat shock proteins alphaB-crystallin/HspB5 and cvHsp/HspB7.

Most heat shock proteins operate as molecular chaperones and play a central role in the maintenance of normal cellular function. In skeletal muscle, members of the alpha-crystallin domain-containing family of small heat shock proteins are believed to form a cohort of essential stress proteins. Since alphaB-crystallin (alphaBC/HspB5) and the cardiovascular heat shock protein (cvHsp/HspB7) are both implicated in the molecular response to fibre transformation and muscle wasting, it was of interest to investigate the fate of these stress proteins in young adult versus aged muscle. The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, now generally referred to as sarcopenia, is one of the most striking features of the senescent organism. In order to better understand the molecular pathogenesis of age-related muscle wasting, we have performed a two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis, immunoblotting and confocal microscopy study of aged rat gastrocnemius muscle. Fluorescent labelling of the electrophoretically separated soluble muscle proteome revealed an overall relatively comparable protein expression pattern of young adult versus aged fibres, but clearly an up-regulation of alphaBC and cvHsp. This was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis, which showed a dramatic age-induced increase in these small heat shock proteins. Immunodecoration of other major stress proteins showed that they were not affected or less drastically changed in their expression in aged muscle. These findings indicate that the increase in muscle-specific small heat shock proteins constitutes an essential cellular response to fibre aging and might therefore be a novel therapeutic option to treat sarcopenia of old age.

Proteomic profiling reveals a severely perturbed protein expression pattern in aged skeletal muscle.

Extended longevity is often accompanied by frailty and increased susceptibility to a variety of crippling disorders. One of the most striking features of human aging is sarcopenia, which is defined as the age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength. Although various metabolic and functional defects in aging muscle fibres have been described over the last decade, it is not known whether a pathophysiological hierarchy exists within degenerative pathways leading to muscle wasting. Hence, in order to identify novel biomarkers of age-dependent skeletal muscle degeneration, we have here applied mass spectrometry-based proteomics for studying global muscle protein expression patterns. As a model system of sarcopenia, we have employed crude extracts from senescent rat gastrocnemius muscle, as compared to young adult tissue preparations. Using the highly sensitive protein dye Deep Purple for the analysis of the 2-D separated muscle proteome and peptide mass fingerprinting for the identification of individual protein spots, a differential expression pattern was observed for contractile proteins, metabolic factors, regulatory components and heat shock elements. A drastic increase was shown for alpha B-crystallin, myosin light chain MLC-1, phosphoglycerate kinase, adenylate kinase, triosephosphate isomerase, albumin, aconitase and nucleoside-diphosphate kinase in aged fibres. In contrast, the expression of pyruvate kinase, aldolase, creatine kinase, transferrin, alpha-tropomyosin and myosin light chain MLC-3 was decreased in old skeletal muscle. Comparative 2-D immunoblotting of selected candidate proteins has confirmed the effect of aging on the skeletal muscle proteome. These findings demonstrate a severely perturbed protein expression pattern in aged skeletal muscle, which reflects the underlying molecular alterations causing a drastic decline of muscle strength in the senescent organism. In the long-term, the systematic deduction of abnormal protein expression in aged muscle by proteomic profiling approaches may lead to the cataloguing of a cohort of novel therapeutic targets to treat muscular weakness in the aging population.

Proteomic profiling of pathological and aged skeletal muscle fibres by peptide mass fingerprinting (Review).

In contrast to the traditional biochemical study of single proteins or isolated pathways in health and disease, technical advances in the high-throughput screening of peptides by mass spectrometry have established new ways of identifying entire cellular protein populations in one swift analytical approach. This review discusses the recent progress in the biochemical analysis of skeletal muscle extracts and outlines the mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach for studying muscle tissues in normal and pathobiochemical processes using peptide mass fingerprinting. Individual topics covered include the most commonly inherited muscle disease, X-linked muscular dystrophy, the physiological process of fast-to-slow fibre transformation, and the role of fibre degeneration in age-related muscle wasting. Recent proteomic profiling studies of dystrophic muscles have revealed new disease markers in dystrophin-deficient fibres, such as adenylate kinase, the Ca2+-binding protein regucalcin and the small heat shock protein cvHSP. Since these muscle proteins are of low abundance, they have not previously been identified as biomarkers of muscular dystrophy, illustrating the increased sensitivity of modern mass spectrometric techniques. This review outlines comparative proteomic techniques that employ conventional labeling methods, such as Coomassie- or silver-staining. In addition, the most advanced proteomic screening approach currently available, fluorescence difference in-gel electrophoresis, is described and its potential for studying muscle proteomes is critically examined. As an alternative suggestion, the two-dimensional analysis of different protein samples separated in parallel on a single second dimension gel is introduced and the usefulness of this technique for direct comparative investigations is explained. The potential of studying protein complex formation by intraproteomics, estimating the composition of subcellular fraction by subproteomics, and analyzing total muscle protein extracts by mass spectrometry-based proteomics, is enormous. Proteomics is one of the most promising new analytical ways of comparing large muscle protein complements and has the potential to decisively improve modern biochemical and biomedical research into neuromuscular disorders.

ARFGAP1 is dynamically associated with lipid droplets in hepatocytes.

The ARF GTPase Activating Protein 1 (ARFGAP1) associates mainly with the cytosolic side of Golgi cisternal membranes where it participates in the formation of both COPI and clathrin-coated vesicles. In this study, we show that ARFGAP1 associates transiently with lipid droplets upon addition of oleate in cultured cells. Also, that addition of cyclic AMP shifts ARFGAP1 from lipid droplets to the Golgi apparatus and that overexpression and knockdown of ARFGAP1 affect lipid droplet formation. Examination of human liver tissue reveals that ARFGAP1 is found associated with lipid droplets at steady state in some but not all hepatocytes.

Subproteomic analysis of basic proteins in aged skeletal muscle following offgel pre-fractionation.

The progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass is a serious pathophysiological problem in the elderly, which warrants detailed biochemical studies into the underlying mechanism of age-related fiber degeneration. Over the last few years, mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has identified a considerable number of new biomarkers of muscle aging in humans and animal models of sarcopenia. However, interpretation of the proteomic findings is often complicated by technical and biological limitations. Although gel electrophoresis-based approaches represent a highly sensitive analytical way for the large-scale and high-throughput survey of global changes in skeletal muscle proteins during aging, often the presence of components with an isoelectric point in the basic range is underestimated. We, therefore, carried out a comparative subproteomic study of young versus aged rat muscle focusing on potential changes in muscle proteins with an alkaline isoelectric point, using a combination of offgel electrophoresis and two-dimensional (2D) slab gel electrophoresis. Offgel electrophoresis was successfully applied as a prefractionation step to enrich basic protein species from crude tissue extracts representing young adult versus senescent muscle specimens. Proteomics has demonstrated alterations in a small cohort of basic proteins during muscle aging. The mass spectrometric identification of altered proteins and immunoblotting revealed a decrease in the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and a concomitant increase in mitochondrial creatine kinase (CK) and ubiquinol cytochrome­c reductase. This agrees with the idea of a glycolytic-to-oxidative shift during muscle aging, which is indicative of an overall fast-to-slow transition process in senescent rat muscle. Thus, alterations in the abundance of metabolic enzymes appear to play a central role in the molecular pathogenesis of age­dependent muscle wasting.

Golgi and related vesicle proteomics: simplify to identify.

Despite more than six decades of successful Golgi research, the fundamental question as to how biosynthetic material is transported through the secretory pathway remains unanswered. New technologies such as live cell imaging and correlative microscopy have highlighted the plastic nature of the Golgi, one that is sensitive to perturbation yet highly efficient in regaining both structure and function. Single molecule-microscopy and super resolution-microscopy further adds to this picture. Various models for protein transport have been put forward, each with its own merits and pitfalls but we are far from resolving whether one is more correct than the other. As such, our laboratory considers multiple mechanisms of Golgi transport until proven otherwise. This includes the two classical modes of transport, vesicular transport and cisternal progression/maturation as well as more recent models such as tubular inter- and intra-cisternal connections (long lasting or transient) and inter-Golgi stack transport. In this article, we focus on an emerging inductive technology, mass spectrometry-based proteomics that has already enabled insight into the relative composition of compartments and subcompartments of the secretory pathway including mechanistic aspects of protein transport. We note that proteomics, as with any other technology, is not a stand-alone technology but one that works best alongside complementary approaches.

Drastic increase of myosin light chain MLC-2 in senescent skeletal muscle indicates fast-to-slow fibre transition in sarcopenia of old age.

The age-dependent decline in skeletal muscle mass and function is believed to be due to a multi-factorial pathology and represents a major factor that blocks healthy aging by increasing physical disability, frailty and loss of independence in the elderly. This study has focused on the comparative proteomic analysis of contractile elements and revealed that the most striking age-related changes seem to occur in the protein family representing myosin light chains (MLCs). Comparative screening of total muscle extracts suggests a fast-to-slow transition in the aged MLC population. The mass spectrometric analysis of the myofibril-enriched fraction identified the MLC2 isoform of the slow-type MLC as the contractile protein with the most drastically changed expression during aging. Immunoblotting confirmed an increased abundance of slow MLC2, concomitant with a switch in fast versus slow myosin heavy chains. Staining of two-dimensional gels of crude extracts with the phospho-specific fluorescent dye ProQ-Diamond identified the increased MLC2 spot as a muscle protein with a drastically enhanced phosphorylation level in aged fibres. Comparative immunofluorescence microscopy, using antibodies to fast and slow myosin isoforms, confirmed a fast-to-slow transformation process during muscle aging. Interestingly, the dramatic increase in slow MLC2 expression was restricted to individual senescent fibres. These findings agree with the idea that aged skeletal muscles undergo a shift to more aerobic-oxidative metabolism in a slower-twitching fibre population and suggest the slow MLC2 isoform as a potential biomarker for fibre type shifting in sarcopenia of old age.

Opposite pathobiochemical fate of pyruvate kinase and adenylate kinase in aged rat skeletal muscle as revealed by proteomic DIGE analysis.

Sarcopenia is the drastic loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength during ageing. In order to better understand the molecular pathogenesis of age-related muscle wasting, we have performed a DIGE analysis of young adult versus old rat skeletal muscle. Proteomic profiling revealed that out of 2493 separated 2-D spots, 69 proteins exhibited a drastically changed expression. Age-dependent alterations in protein abundance indicated dramatic changes in metabolism, contractile activity, myofibrillar remodelling and stress response. In contrast to decreased levels of pyruvate kinase (PK), enolase and phosphofructokinase, the mitochondrial ATP synthase, succinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and adenylate kinase (AK) were increased in senescent fibres. Higher expression levels of myoglobin and fatty acid binding-protein indicated a shift to more aerobic-oxidative metabolism in a slower-twitching aged fibre population. The drastic increase in alphaB-crystallin and myotilin demonstrated substantial filament remodelling during ageing. An immunoblotting survey of selected muscle proteins confirmed the pathobiochemical transition process in aged muscle metabolism. The proteomic analysis of aged muscle has identified a large cohort of new biomarkers of sarcopenia including opposite changes in PK and AK, which might be useful for the design of improved diagnostic procedures and/or therapeutic strategies to counteract ageing-induced muscle degeneration.

Reduced expression of sarcalumenin and related Ca2+ -regulatory proteins in aged rat skeletal muscle.

In skeletal muscle, Ca(2+)-cycling through the sarcoplasm regulates the excitation-contraction-relaxation cycle. Since uncoupling between sarcolemmal excitation and fibre contraction may play a key role in the functional decline of aged muscle, this study has evaluated the expression levels of key Ca(2+)-handling proteins in senescent preparations using immunoblotting and confocal microscopy. Sarcalumenin, a major luminal Ca(2+)-binding protein that mediates ion shuttling in the longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum, was found to be greatly reduced in aged rat tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius and soleus muscle as compared to adult specimens. Minor sarcolemmal components of Ca(2+)-extrusion, such as the surface Ca(2+)-ATPase and the Na(+)-Ca(2+)-exchanger, were also diminished in senescent fibres. No major changes were observed for calsequestrin, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase and the ryanodine receptor Ca(2+)-release channel. In contrast, the age-dependent reduction in the alpha(1S)-subunit of the dihydropryridine receptor was confirmed. Hence, this report has shown that downstream from the well-established defect in coupling between the t-tubular voltage sensor and the junctional Ca(2+)-release channel complex, additional age-related alterations exist in the expression of essential Ca(2+)-handling proteins. This may trigger abnormal luminal Ca(2+)-buffering and/or decreased plasmalemmal Ca(2+)-removal, which could exacerbate impaired signaling or disturbed intracellular ion balance in aged fibres, thereby causing contractile weakness.

Proteomic profiling of animal models mimicking skeletal muscle disorders.

Over the last few decades of biomedical research, animal models of neuromuscular diseases have been widely used for determining pathological mechanisms and for testing new therapeutic strategies. With the emergence of high-throughput proteomics technology, the identification of novel protein factors involved in disease processes has been decisively improved. This review outlines the usefulness of the proteomic profiling of animal disease models for the discovery of new reliable biomarkers, for the optimization of diagnostic procedures and the development of new treatment options for skeletal muscle disorders. Since inbred animal strains show genetically much less interindividual differences as compared to human patients, considerably lower experimental repeats are capable of producing meaningful proteomic data. Thus, animal model proteomics can be conveniently employed for both studying basic mechanisms of molecular pathogenesis and the effects of drugs, genetic modifications or cell-based therapies on disease progression. Based on the results from comparative animal proteomics, a more informed decision on the design of clinical proteomics studies could be reached. Since no one animal model represents a perfect pathobiochemical replica of all of the symptoms seen in complex human disorders, the proteomic screening of novel animal models can also be employed for swift and enhanced protein biochemical phenotyping.