De novo protein sequence analysis of Macaca mulatta.

BACKGROUND: Macaca mulatta is one of the most utilized non-human primate species in biomedical research offering unique behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurobiochemcial similarities to humans. This makes it a unique organism to model various diseases such as psychiatric and neurodegenerative illnesses while also providing insight into the complexities of the primate brain. A major obstacle in utilizing rhesus monkey models for human disease is the paucity of protein annotations for this species (~42,000 protein annotations) compared to 330,210 protein annotations for humans. The lack of available information limits the use of rhesus monkey for proteomic scale studies which rely heavily on database searches for protein identification. While characterization of proteins of interest from Macaca mulatta using the standard database search engines (e.g., MASCOT) can be accomplished, searches must be performed using a 'broad species database' which does not provide optimal confidence in protein annotation. Therefore, it becomes necessary to determine partial or complete amino acid sequences using either manual or automated de novo peptide sequence analysis methods. RESULTS: The recently popularized MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometer yields a complex MS/MS fragmentation pattern difficult to characterize by manual de novo sequencing method on a proteomics scale. Therefore, PEAKS assisted de novo sequencing was performed on nucleus accumbens cytosolic proteins from Macaca mulatta. The most abundant peptide fragments 'b-ions and y-ions', the less abundant peptide fragments 'a-ions' as well as the immonium ions were utilized to develop confident and complete peptide sequences de novo from MS/MS spectra. The generated sequences were used to perform homology searches to characterize the protein identification. CONCLUSION: The current study validates a robust method to confidently characterize the proteins from an incomplete sequence database of Macaca mulatta, using the PEAKS de novo sequencing software, facilitating the use of this animal model in various neuroproteomics studies.

Methods for proteomics in neuroscience.

Proteomics reveals complex protein expression, function, interactions and localization in different phenotypes of neuron. As proteomics, regarded as a highly complex screening technology, moves from a theoretical approach to practical reality, neuroscientists have to determine the most-appropriate applications for this technology. Even though proteomics compliments genomics, it is in sheer contrast to the basically constant genome due to its dynamic nature. Neuroscientists have to surmount difficulties particular to the research in neuroscience; such as limited sample amounts, heterogeneous cellular compositions in samples and the fact that many proteins of interest are hydrophobic proteins. The necessity of exclusive technology, sophisticated software and skilled manpower tops the challenge. This review examines subcellular organelle isolation, protein fractionation and separation using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) as well as multi-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC) followed by mass spectrometry (MS). The methods for quantifying relative gene product expression between samples (e.g., two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) and iTRAQ) are elaborated. An overview of the techniques used currently to assign post-translational modification status on a proteomics scale is also evaluated. The feasible coverage of the proteome, ability to detect unique cell components such as post-synaptic densities and membrane proteins, resource requirements and quantitative as well as qualitative reliability of different approaches is also discussed. While there are many challenges in neuroproteomics, this field promises many returns in the future.

Biomarkers for the development of new medications for cocaine dependence.

There has been significant progress in personalized drug development. In large part, this has taken place in the oncology field and been due to the ability of researchers/clinicians to discover and develop novel drug development tools (DDTs), such as biomarkers. In cancer treatment research, biomarkers have permitted a more accurate pathophysiological characterization of an individual patient, and have enabled practitioners to target mechanistically the right drug, to the right patient, at the right time. Similar to cancer, patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) present clinically with heterogeneous symptomatology and respond variably to therapeutic interventions. If comparable biomarkers could be identified and developed for SUDs, significant diagnostic and therapeutic advances could be made. In this review, we highlight current opportunities and difficulties pertaining to the identification and development of biomarkers for SUDs. We focus on cocaine dependence as an example. Putative diagnostic, pharmacodynamic (PD), and predictive biomarkers for cocaine dependence are discussed across a range of methodological approaches. A possible cocaine-dependent clinical outcome assessment (COA)--another type of defined DDT--is also discussed. At present, biomarkers for cocaine dependence are in their infancy. Much additional research will be needed to identify, validate, and qualify these putative tools prior to their potential use for medications development and/or application to clinical practice. However, with a large unmet medical need and an estimated market size of several hundred million dollars per year, if developed, biomarkers for cocaine dependence will hold tremendous value to both industry and public health.

Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis for comparative proteomics profiling.

Quantitative proteomics is the workhorse of the modern proteomics initiative. The gel-based and MuDPIT approaches have facilitated vital advances in the measurement of protein expression alterations in normal and disease phenotypic states. The methodological advance in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) has been the multiplexing fluorescent two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). 2D-DIGE is based on direct labeling of lysine groups on proteins with cyanine CyDye DIGE Fluor minimal dyes before isoelectric focusing, enabling the labeling of 2-3 samples with different dyes and electrophoresis of all the samples on the same 2D gel. This capability minimizes spot pattern variability and the number of gels in an experiment while providing simple, accurate and reproducible spot matching. This protocol can be completed in 3-5 weeks depending on the sample size of the experiment and the level of expertise of the investigator.

Effect of staining reagent on peptide mass fingerprinting from in-gel trypsin digestions: a comparison of SyproRuby and DeepPurple.

As the new fluorescent stains such as SyproRuby and DeepPurple are getting widespread recognition for proteome analyses by the traditional 2-D gel method, it becomes important to test the feasibility of these stains with respect to staining reproducibility, protein quantitation, and compatibility of the stain with downstream MS. The binding of epicocconone, active ingredient of DeepPurple, to one of the primary cleavage sites of trypsin (lysine residue) raises the possibility of incomplete cleavage and interference with PMF. However, the current study tests and concludes that the DeepPurple stain can result in increased peptide recovery compared to SyproRuby stain and can improve MS-based identification of lower intensity proteins spots.

Comparative proteomes of the proliferating C(2)C(12) myoblasts and fully differentiated myotubes reveal the complexity of the skeletal muscle differentiation program.

When cultured in low serum-containing growth medium, the mouse C(2)C(12) cells exit cell cycle and undergo a well-defined program of differentiation that culminates in the formation of myosin heavy chain-positive bona fide multinucleated muscle cells. To gain an understanding into this process, we compared total, membrane- and nuclear-enriched proteins, and phospho-proteins from the proliferating C(2)C(12) cells and the fully differentiated myotubes by the combined methods of two-dimensional PAGE, quantitative PDQuest image analysis, and MS. Quantification of more than 2,000 proteins from C(2)C(12) myoblasts and myotubes revealed that a vast majority of the abundant proteins appear to be relegated to the essential, housekeeping and structural functions, and their steady state levels remain relatively constant. In contrast, 75 proteins were highly regulated during the phenotypic conversion of rapidly dividing C(2)C(12) myoblasts into fully differentiated, multi-nucleated, post-mitotic myotubes. We found that differential accumulation of 26 phospho-proteins also occurred during conversion of C(2)C(12) myoblasts into myotubes. We identified the differentially expressed proteins by MALDI-TOF-MS and LC-ESI-quadrupole ion trap MS/MS. We demonstrate that more than 100 proteins, some shown to be associated with muscle differentiation for the first time, that regulate inter- and intracellular signaling, cell shape, proliferation, apoptosis, and gene expression impinge on the mechanism of skeletal muscle differentiation.

Paraffin-wax-coated plates as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization sample support for high-throughput identification of proteins by peptide mass fingerprinting.

We compared trysin-digested protein samples desalted by ZipTip(C18) reverse-phase microcolumns with on-plate washing of peptides deposited either on paraffin-coated plates (PCP), Teflon-based AnchorChip plates, or stainless steel plates, before analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Trypsinized bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin and 16 protein spots extracted from silver-stained two-dimensional gels of murine C(2)C(12) myoblasts or human leukocytes, prepared by the above two methods, were subjected to MALDI on PCP, AnchorChip plates, or uncoated stainless steel plates. Although most peptide mass peaks were identical regardless of the method of desalting and concentrating of protein samples, samples washed and concentrated by the PCP-based method had peptide peaks that were not seen in the samples prepared using the ZipTip(C18) columns. The mass spectra of peptides desalted and washed on uncoated stainless steel MALDI plates were consistently inferior due to loss of peptides. Some peptides of large molecular masses were apparently lost from samples desalted by ZipTip(C18) microcolumns, thus diminishing the quality of the fingerprint needed for protein identification. We demonstrate that the method of washing of protein samples on paraffin-coated plates provides an easy, reproducible, inexpensive, and high-throughput alternative to ZipTip(C18)-based purification of protein prior to MALDI-TOF-MS analysis.