Study of metalation of thioredoxin by gold(I) therapeutic compounds using combined liquid chromatography/capillary electrophoresis with inductively coupled plasma/electrospray MS/MS detection.

The reactivity of thioredoxin (Trx1) with the Au(I) drug auranofin (AF) and two therapeutic N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)2-Au(I) complexes (bis [1-methyl-3-acridineimidazolin-2-ylidene]gold(I) tetrafluoroborate (Au3BC) and [1,3-diethyl-4,5-bis(4methoxyphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) (Au4BC)) was investigated. Direct infusion (DI) electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) allowed information on the structure, stoichiometry, and kinetics of formation of Trx-Au adducts. The fragmentation of the formed adducts in the gas phase gave insights into the exact Au binding site within the protein, demonstrating the preference for Trx1 Cys32 or Cys35 of AF or the (NHC)2-Au(I) complex Au3BC, respectively. Reversed-phase HPLC suffered from the difficulty of elution of gold compounds, did not preserve the formed metal-protein adducts, and favored the loss of ligands (phosphine or NHC) from Au(I). These limitations were eliminated by capillary electrophoresis (CE) which enabled the separation of the gold compounds, Trx1, and the formed adducts. The ICP-MS/MS detection allowed the simultaneous quantitative monitoring of the gold and sulfur isotopes and the determination of the metallation extent of the protein. The hyphenation of the mentioned techniques was used for the analysis of Trx1-Au adducts for the first time.

Fast and Bioorthogonal Release of Isocyanates in Living Cells from Iminosydnones and Cycloalkynes.

Bioorthogonal click-and-release reactions are powerful tools for chemical biology, allowing, for example, the selective release of drugs in biological media, including inside animals. Here, we developed two new families of iminosydnone mesoionic reactants that allow a bioorthogonal release of electrophilic species under physiological conditions. Their synthesis and reactivities as dipoles in cycloaddition reactions with strained alkynes have been studied in detail. Whereas the impact of the pH on the reaction kinetics was demonstrated experimentally, theoretical calculations suggest that the newly designed dipoles display reduced resonance stabilization energies compared to previously described iminosydnones, explaining their higher reactivity. These mesoionic compounds react smoothly with cycloalkynes under physiological, copper-free reaction conditions to form a click pyrazole product together with a released alkyl- or aryl-isocyanate. With rate constants up to 1000 M-1 s-1, this click-and-release reaction is among the fastest described to date and represents the first bioorthogonal process allowing the release of isocyanate electrophiles inside living cells, offering interesting perspectives in chemical biology.

Upgrade of an old drug: Auranofin in innovative cancer therapies to overcome drug resistance and to increase drug effectiveness.

Auranofin is an oral gold(I) compound, initially developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, Auranofin is under investigation for oncological application within a drug repurposing plan due to the relevant antineoplastic activity observed both in vitro and in vivo tumor models. In this review, we analysed studies in which Auranofin was used as a single drug or in combination with other molecules to enhance their anticancer activity or to overcome chemoresistance. The analysis of different targets/pathways affected by this drug in different cancer types has allowed us to highlight several interesting targets and effects of Auranofin besides the already well-known inhibition of thioredoxin reductase. Among these targets, inhibitory-κB kinase, deubiquitinates, protein kinase C iota have been frequently suggested. To rationalize the effects of Auranofin by a system biology-like approach, we exploited transcriptomic data obtained from a wide range of cell models, extrapolating the data deposited in the Connectivity Maps website and we attempted to provide a general conclusion and discussed the major points that need further investigation.

On-Chip Sample Preparation Using a ChipFilter Coupled to NanoLC-MS/MS for Bottom-Up Proteomics.

Sample preparation is a crucial step in bottom-up proteomics. Analytical performances of bottom-up proteomics can be improved by the miniaturization of sample preparation. Many microfluidic devices have been designed in the field of proteomics, but many of them are not capable of handling complex samples and do not integrate the processing and digestion steps. We propose a ChipFilter Proteolysis (CFP) microfluidic device as a proteomics reactor for the miniaturization of protein sample processing and digestion steps, whose design is closely related to the experimental setup of filter-aided sample processing, even if no denaturing surfactant is required. The microchip has two reaction chambers of 0.6 µL volume separated by a protein filtration membrane in regenerated cellulose (10kD cutoff) that will concentrate or retain large polypeptides and will release small molecules. Cell lysis, protein concentration, and rapid chemical or enzymatic treatment can be performed in the ChipFilter. Complex proteomic samples like yeast protein extract or whole human cells proteome have been successfully analyzed with our microchip. Compared with the membrane-based commercial ultracentrifugation cartridge, our microfluidic device offered a better proteome coverage with 10 times less starting material and 8 times faster protocol duration.

Quantitative analysis of the cysteine redoxome by iodoacetyl tandem mass tags.

The redox conditions that reign inside a cell have a determining effect on a number of biological processes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are key redox players and have been linked to a number of pathologies. They have also been shown to play an important regulating role in cell signaling events. On the proteome level, thiol groups of cysteinyl side chains constitute the major targets of ROS and RNS. A number of analytical techniques based on mass spectrometry have been developed to characterize the cysteine redoxome, often facing a number of technical challenges, mostly related to the lability, heterogeneity, and low abundance of the oxidized forms. Furthermore, any posttranslational modification (PTM) quantification method needs to take the parent protein's expression level into account. While taking all these limitations into consideration, we have developed a quantitative analytical strategy named OxiTMT, based on chemical labeling with iodoacetyl isobaric tandem mass tags (iodoTMT). OxiTMT allowed the generation of quantitative redox data that could be normalized by the protein's expression profile in up to three different conditions. The method was tested on Escherichia coli with or without an oxidative treatment. Results showed the method to be adequate for the analysis of cysteine PTMs with a good coverage of the cysteine redoxome, especially for the low abundant oxidized species. Some of the challenges that face reporter ion quantification of PTMs by mass spectrometry were also assessed. This study serves as a proof of concept of the established protocol and consequent data treatment step. The use of tandem mass tags opens the ways towards the application of the method to the study of tissues and sera. Graphical abstract OxiTMT workflow.

Chronic Training Induces Metabolic and Proteomic Response in Male and Female Basketball Players: Salivary Modifications during In-Season Training Programs.

The aim of this study was to characterize the salivary proteome and metabolome of highly trained female and male young basketball players, highlighting common and different traits. A total of 20 male and female basketball players (10 female and 10 male) and 20 sedentary control subjects (10 female and 10 male) were included in the study. The athletes exercised at least five times per week for 2 h per day. Saliva samples were collected mid-season, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. and away from sport competition. The proteome and metabolome were analyzed by using 2DE and GC-MS techniques, respectively. A computerized 2DE gel image analysis revealed 43 spots that varied in intensity among groups. Between these spots, 10 (23.2%) were differentially expressed among male athletes and controls, 22 (51.2%) between female basketball players and controls, 11 spots (25.6%) between male and female athletes, and 13 spots (30.2%) between male and female controls. Among the proteins identified were Immunoglobulin, Alpha-Amylase, and Dermcidin, which are inflammation-related proteins. In addition, several amino acids, such as glutamic acid, lysine, ornithine, glycine, tyrosine, threonine, and valine, were increased in trained athletes. In this study, we highlight that saliva is a useful biofluid to assess athlete performance and confirm that the adaptation of men and women to exercise has some common features, but also some different sex-specific behaviors, including differential amino acid utilization and expression of inflammation-related proteins, which need to be further investigated. Moreover, in the future, it will be interesting to examine the influence of sport-type on these differences.

PPP2R1A regulates migration persistence through the NHSL1-containing WAVE Shell Complex.

The RAC1-WAVE-Arp2/3 signaling pathway generates branched actin networks that power lamellipodium protrusion of migrating cells. Feedback is thought to control protrusion lifetime and migration persistence, but its molecular circuitry remains elusive. Here, we identify PPP2R1A by proteomics as a protein differentially associated with the WAVE complex subunit ABI1 when RAC1 is activated and downstream generation of branched actin is blocked. PPP2R1A is found to associate at the lamellipodial edge with an alternative form of WAVE complex, the WAVE Shell Complex, that contains NHSL1 instead of the Arp2/3 activating subunit WAVE, as in the canonical WAVE Regulatory Complex. PPP2R1A is required for persistence in random and directed migration assays and for RAC1-dependent actin polymerization in cell extracts. PPP2R1A requirement is abolished by NHSL1 depletion. PPP2R1A mutations found in tumors impair WAVE Shell Complex binding and migration regulation, suggesting that the coupling of PPP2R1A to the WAVE Shell Complex is essential to its function.

Novel method to investigate protein carbonylation by iTRAQ strategy.

This paper reports a novel methodology for relative quantitative analysis of carbonylation sites in proteins by exploiting a new isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) derivative, iTRAQ hydrazide (iTRAQH), and the analytical power of linear ion trap instruments (QqLIT). Because of its operational simplicity, avoiding time-consuming enrichment procedures, this new strategy seems to be well suited for quantitative large-scale proteomic profiling of carbonylation.

Effect of Graphene Oxide on Liquid Water-Based Waterproofing Bituminous Membranes.

In this work, innovative graphene oxide-doped waterproofing bituminous membranes, also called roof bituminous membranes, were prepared and characterized in terms of physicochemical and vapor transport properties. The results showed that the introduction of a small amount of GO increased the mechanical resistance of the doped membranes compared to the native one. Moreover, the addition of the GO leads to a remarkable chemical stability of the membranes when exposed to UV radiation and high temperatures. Furthermore, a decrease in water vapor permeation was observed when GO was present in the membrane matrix compared to native bituminous membranes, demonstrating that an addition of GO can boost the waterproofing properties of these bituminous membranes.

Redox proteome analysis of auranofin exposed ovarian cancer cells (A2780).

The effects of Auranofin (AF) on protein expression and protein oxidation in A2780 cancer cells were investigated through a strategy based on simultaneous expression proteomics and redox proteomics determinations. Bioinformatics analysis of the proteomics data supports the view that the most critical cellular changes elicited by AF treatment consist of thioredoxin reductase inhibition, alteration of the cell redox state, impairment of the mitochondrial functions, metabolic changes associated with conversion to a glycolytic phenotype, induction of ER stress. The occurrence of the above cellular changes was extensively validated by performing direct biochemical assays. Our data are consistent with the concept that AF produces its effects through a multitarget mechanism that mainly affects the redox metabolism and the mitochondrial functions and results into severe ER stress. Results are discussed in the context of the current mechanistic knowledge existing on AF.

Lifestyle-specific S-nitrosylation of protein cysteine thiols regulates Escherichia coli biofilm formation and resistance to oxidative stress.

Communities of bacteria called biofilms are characterized by reduced diffusion, steep oxygen, and redox gradients and specific properties compared to individualized planktonic bacteria. In this study, we investigated whether signaling via nitrosylation of protein cysteine thiols (S-nitrosylation), regulating a wide range of functions in eukaryotes, could also specifically occur in biofilms and contribute to bacterial adaptation to this widespread lifestyle. We used a redox proteomic approach to compare cysteine S-nitrosylation in aerobic and anaerobic biofilm and planktonic Escherichia coli cultures and we identified proteins with biofilm-specific S-nitrosylation status. Using bacterial genetics and various phenotypic screens, we showed that impairing S-nitrosylation in proteins involved in redox homeostasis and amino acid synthesis such as OxyR, KatG, and GltD altered important biofilm properties, including motility, biofilm maturation, or resistance to oxidative stress. Our study therefore revealed that S-nitrosylation constitutes a physiological basis underlying functions critical for E. coli adaptation to the biofilm environment.

Dansyl-peptides matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric (MALDI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) features improve the liquid chromatography/MALDI-MS/MS analysis of the proteome.

Peptide tagging is a useful tool to improve matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometric (MALDI-MS/MS) analysis. We present a new application of the use of the dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl). DNS-Cl is a specific primary amine reagent widely used in protein biochemistry. It adds a fluorescent dimethylaminonaphthalene moiety to the molecule. The evaluation of MALDI-MS and MS/MS analyses of dansylated peptides shows that dansylation raises the ionization efficiency of the most hydrophilic species compared with the most hydrophobic ones. Consequently, higher Mascot scores and protein sequence coverage are obtained by combining MS and MS/MS data of native and tagged samples. The N-terminal DNS-Cl sulfonation improves the peptide fragmentation and promotes the generation of b-fragments allowing better peptide sequencing. In addition, we set up a labeling protocol based on the microwave chemistry. Peptide dansylation proved to be a rapid and cheap method to improve the performance of liquid chromatography (LC)/MALDI-MS/MS analysis at the proteomic scale in terms of peptide detection and sequence coverage.

Potential of Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (Orbitrap and Ion Cyclotron Resonance) for Speciation of the Selenium Metabolome in Selenium-Rich Yeast.

The evolution of the field of element speciation, from the targeted analysis for specific element species toward a global exploratory analysis for the entirety of metal- or metalloid-related compounds present in a biological system (metallomics), requires instrumental techniques with increasing selectivity and sensitivity. The selectivity of hyphenated techniques, combining chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis with element-specific detection (usually inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP MS), is often insufficient to discriminate all the species of a given element in a sample. The necessary degree of specificity can be attained by ultrahigh-resolution (R >100,000 in the m/z < 1,000 range for a 1 s scan) mass spectrometry based on the Fourier transformation of an image current of the ions moving in an Orbitrap or an ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) cell. The latest developments, allowing the separate detection of two ions differing by a mass of one electron (0.5 mDa) and the measurement of their masses with a sub-ppm accuracy, make it possible to produce comprehensive lists of the element species present in a biological sample. Moreover, the increasing capacities of multistage fragmentation often allow their de novo identification. This perspective paper critically discusses the potential state-of-the-art of implementation, and challenges in front of FT (Orbitrap and ICR) MS for a large-scale speciation analysis using, as example, the case of the metabolism of selenium by yeast.

Deciphering shell proteome within different Baltic populations of mytilid mussels illustrates important local variability and potential consequences in the context of changing marine conditions.

Molluscs defend themselves against predation and environmental stressors through the possession of mineralized shells. Mussels are widely used to predict the effects of abiotic factors such as salinity and pH on marine calcifiers in the context of changing ocean conditions. Shell matrix proteins are part of the molecular control regulating the biomineralization processes underpinning shell production. Under changing environmental conditions, differential expression of these proteins leads to the phenotypic plasticity of shells seen in many mollusc species. Low salinity decreases the availability of calcium and inorganic carbon in seawater and consequently energetic constraints often lead to thin, small and fragile shells in Mytilid mussels inhabiting Baltic Sea. To understand how the modulation of shell matrix proteins alters biomineralization, we compared the shell proteomes of mussels living under full marine conditions in the North Sea to those living in the low saline Baltic Sea. Modulation of proteins comprising the Mytilus biomineralization tool kit is observed. These data showed a relative increase in chitin related proteins, decrease in SD-rich, GA-rich shell matrix proteins indicating that altered protein scaffolding and mineral nucleation lead to impaired shell microstructures influencing shell resistance in Baltic Mytilid mussels. Interestingly, proteins with immunity domains in the shell matrix are also found to be modulated. Shell traits such as periostracum thickness, organic content and fracture resistance qualitatively correlates with the modulation of SMPs in Mytilid mussels providing key insights into control of biomineralization at molecular level in the context of changing marine conditions.

S-nitrosylation affects TRAP1 structure and ATPase activity and modulates cell response to apoptotic stimuli.

The mitochondrial chaperone TRAP1 has been involved in several mitochondrial functions, and modulation of its expression/activity has been suggested to play a role in the metabolic reprogramming distinctive of cancer cells. TRAP1 posttranslational modifications, i.e. phosphorylation, can modify its capability to bind to different client proteins and modulate its oncogenic activity. Recently, it has been also demonstrated that TRAP1 is S-nitrosylated at Cys501, a redox modification associated with its degradation via the proteasome. Here we report molecular dynamics simulations of TRAP1, together with analysis of long-range structural communication, providing a model according to which Cys501 S-nitrosylation induces conformational changes to distal sites in the structure of the protein. The modification is also predicted to alter open and closing motions for the chaperone function. By means of colorimetric assays and site directed mutagenesis aimed at generating C501S variant, we also experimentally confirmed that selective S-nitrosylation of Cys501 decreases ATPase activity of recombinant TRAP1. Coherently, C501S mutant was more active and conferred protection to cell death induced by staurosporine. Overall, our results provide the first in silico, in vitro and cellular evidence of the relevance of Cys501 S-nitrosylation in TRAP1 biology.

Quantitative identification of protein nitration sites.

Several labelling strategies have been developed targeting specific amino acid residues and/or PTMs. Methods specifically tailored for the qualitative and sometimes quantitative determination of PTMs have emerged. Many research groups have focused their attention towards o-nitrotyrosine residues, developing various methodologies for their identification, while direct quantification has remained elusive. So far the iTRAQ chemistry has been limited to primary amines. Here, we report a new strategy based on the use of iTRAQ reagents coupled to MS analysis for the selective labelling of o-nitrotyrosine residues. This method was proved to lead to the simultaneous localisation and quantification of nitration sites both in model proteins and in biological systems.

Investigation of serum proteome homeostasis during radiation therapy by a quantitative proteomics approach.

The purpose of the present study is to analyze the serum proteome of patients receiving Radiation Therapy (RT) at different stages of their treatment to discovery candidate biomarkers of the radiation-induced skin lesions and the molecular pathways underlying the radiation signatures. Six stages of RT treatment were monitored from patients treated because of brain cancer: before starting the treatment, during the treatment (four time points), and at 4 weeks from the last RT dose. Serum samples were analyzed by a proteomics approach based on the Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry (MS). RT induced clear changes in the expression levels of 36 serum proteins. Among these, 25 proteins were down- or up-regulated significantly before the emergence of skin lesions. Some of these were still deregulated after the completion of the treatment. Few days before the appearance of the skin lesions, the levels of some proteins involved in the wound healing processes were down-regulated. The pathway analysis indicated that after partial body irradiation, the expression levels of proteins functionally involved in the acute inflammatory and immune response, lipoprotein process and blood coagulation, were deregulated.

Effect of the Post-Spinning Solvent Exchange on the Performance of Asymmetric, Polyimide Hollow Fibers Prepared by Using a Triple-Orifice Spinneret.

Hollow fibers (HFs) are widely applied in different membrane operations, particularly in gas separation. The present work investigates the effect of post-spinning treatment on the gas transport properties of polyimide-based HFs. The membranes were spun by using both a conventional spinneret and a triple-orifice spinneret. A systematic analysis was carried out by considering different alcohols as the first fluid for the solvent exchange, with or without n-hexane as a second fluid. The HFs were characterized by exploring the change of the morphology and the permselective properties as a consequence of the operation conditions for spinning and post-treatments. According to the morphology, for a specific hollow fiber type, an optimal post-treatment was identified. The HFs prepared with the triple-orifice spinneret, using a solvent-rich shell fluid, can take advantage of the post-treatment using larger alcohols, while smaller alcohols should be preferred for the conventional spun HFs that present inside-outside double skin layers.

A rapid and selective mass spectrometric method for the identification of nitrated proteins.

The nitration of protein tyrosine residues represents an important posttranslational modification during development, oxidative stress, and biological aging. The major challenge in the proteomic analysis of nitroproteins is the need to discriminate modified proteins, usually occurring at substoichiometric levels, from the large amount of nonmodified proteins. Moreover, precise localization of the nitration site is often required to fully describe the biological process. Identification of the specific targets of protein oxidation was previously accomplished using immunoprecipitation techniques followed by immunochemical detection. Here, we report a totally new approach involving dansyl chloride labeling of the nitration sites which relies on the enormous potential of MS(n) analysis. The tryptic digest from the entire protein mixture is directly analyzed by MS on a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Discrimination between nitro- and unmodified peptide is based on two selectivity criteria obtained by combining a precursor ion scan and a MS3 analysis. The novel labeling procedure was successfully applied to the identification of 3-nitrotyrosine residues in complex protein mixtures.