Nucleobindin-2 Mediates Transforming Growth Factor-ß1-Driven Phenotypes in Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 1-High Uterine Carcinosarcoma.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is a hallmark of uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS). Here, shotgun proteomics analysis used to identify biomarkers associated with blebbistatin-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in UCS indicated up-regulation of nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2) in endometrial carcinoma (Em Ca) cells. Expression of N-cadherin, Snail, Slug, and ZEB1 was reduced in NUCB2 knockout Em Ca cells, whereas ZEB1, Twist1, and vimentin were up-regulated in NUCB2-overexpressing Em Ca cells. NUCB2 knockout reduced cell proliferation and migration, whereas NUCB2 overexpression had the opposite effect. Treatment of Em Ca cells with transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 dramatically altered morphology toward a fibroblastic appearance; concomitantly, expression of NUCB2 and ZEB1 increased. The NUCB2 promoter was also activated by transfection of Smad2. In UCS tissues, NUCB2 expression was significantly higher in sarcomatous compared with carcinomatous components, which was consistent with increased TGF-ß1 mRNA expression in stromal and sarcomatous components compared with carcinomatous components. In addition, NUCB2 score correlated positively with ZEB1 and vimentin scores, whereas ZEB1 score correlated positively with Slug and vimentin scores and inversely with the E-cadherin score. Collectively, these data indicate that TGF-ß-dependent up-regulation of NUCB2 and ZEB1 contributes to the phenotypic characteristics of sarcomatous components in UCS.

Fibrocyte Phenotype of ENTPD1+CD55+ Cells and Its Association with Pain in Osteoarthritic Synovium.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disorder characterized by cartilage erosion, structural changes, and inflammation. Synovial fibroblasts play a crucial role in OA pathophysiology, with abnormal fibroblastic cells contributing significantly to joint pathology. Fibrocytes, expressing markers of both hematopoietic and stromal cells, are implicated in inflammation and fibrosis, yet their marker and role in OA remain unclear. ENTPD1, an ectonucleotidase involved in purinergic signaling and expressed in specific fibroblasts in fibrotic conditions, led us to speculate that ENTPD1 plays a role in OA pathology by being expressed in fibrocytes. This study aimed to investigate the phenotype of ENTPD1+CD55+ and ENTPD1-CD55+ synovial fibroblasts in OA patients. Proteomic analysis revealed a distinct molecular profile in ENTPD1+CD55+ cells, including the upregulation of fibrocyte markers and extracellular matrix-related proteins. Pathway analysis suggested shared mechanisms between OA and rheumatoid arthritis. Correlation analysis revealed an association between ENTPD1+CD55+ fibrocytes and resting pain in OA. These findings highlight the potential involvement of ENTPD1 in OA pain and suggest avenues for targeted therapeutic strategies. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and validate potential therapeutic targets.

Assessment of inconsistencies in the solvent-accessible surfaces of proteins between crystal structures and solution structures observed by LC-MS.

Structural proteomics techniques are useful for identifying the binding sites of proteins. The surface of a target protein with and without a bound binding partner is artificially labeled using a hydroxy radical, deuterium, or a low-molecular-weight chemical, and the difference in the label strength with and without the bound partner is determined. Label strength maps are then prepared on the Protein Data Bank (PDB) structure to identify the binding surface. However, the surface-accessible sites determined using such structural proteomics methods are frequently inconsistent with those calculated based on PDB structures, speculating that the measurement determines chemical accessibility rather than solvent accessibility. In this study, the solvent-accessible surface of human serum albumin was analyzed using covalent protein labeling with varying concentrations of CH2O and then compared to surfaces derived from 27 PDB structures. The results indicated that inconsistencies in solvent-accessible surface area values calculated from PDB structures are not caused by the limited capabilities of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with covalent protein painting but instead are due to the lack of PDB data representing the structures in solution.

A novel peptide identified from visceral ganglia induces oocyte maturation, spermatozoa active motility, and spawning in the pen shell Atrinapectinata.

The identification of novel peptides that regulate reproduction is essential for studying reproductive physiology in bivalves. Therefore, we aimed to identify peptides that affect the reproductive physiology of bivalves. We identified an oocyte maturation-, sperm motility-, and spawning-inducing peptide from the visceral ganglia of the pen shell, Atrina pectinata. The peptide consisted of 26 amino acid residues (GFDSINFPGTIDGFKDYSSNKKERLL). This peptide induced oocyte maturation and sperm motility activation at less than 1 nM upon the treatment of gonad fragments and induced spawning at 1 nmol when injected into mature individuals. Mature eggs and sperms artificially spawned by peptide administration were fertilized, and we confirmed that the development proceeded normally to veliger (D-shape) larvae. These results indicated that GFDSINFPGTIDGFKDYSSNKKERLL stimulated the gonads of pen shells and induced oocyte maturation, sperm motility activation, and spawning.

BAC-DROP: Rapid Digestion of Proteome Fractionated via Dissolvable Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis and Its Application to Bottom-Up Proteomics Workflow.

The GeLC-MS workflow, which combines low-cost, easy-to-use sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), is very popular in current bottom-up proteomics. However, GeLC-MS requires that PAGE-separated proteins undergo overnight enzymatic digestion in a gel, resulting in more than 20 h of sample preparation for LC-MS. In this study, we overcame the limitations of GeLC-MS by developing a rapid digestion workflow for PAGE separation of proteins using N,N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) cross-linked gels that can be solubilized by reductive treatment. Making use of an established workflow called BAC-DROP (BAC-gel dissolution to digest PAGE-resolved objective proteins), crude proteome samples were fractionated based on molecular weight by BAC cross-linked PAGE. After fractionation, the gel fragments were reductively dissolved in under 5 min, and in-solution trypsin digestion of the protein released from the gel was completed in less than 1 h at 70 °C, equivalent to a 90-95% reduction in time compared to conventional in-gel trypsin digestion. The introduction of the BAC-DROP workflow to the MS assays for inflammatory biomarker CRP and viral marker HBsAg allowed for serum sample preparation to be completed in as little as 5 h, demonstrating successful marker quantification from a 0.5 µL sample of human serum.

Cytoplasmic EBP50 and elevated PARP1 are unfavorable prognostic factors in ovarian clear cell carcinoma.

Patients with ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) experience frequent recurrence, which is most likely due to chemoresistance. We used shotgun proteomics analysis and identified upregulation of ezrin-binding phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50) in recurrent OCCC samples. Cytoplasmic and/or nuclear (Cyt/N), but not membranous, EBP50 immunoreactivity was significantly higher in recurrent OCCC as compared with that of primary tumors. OCCC cells expressing cytoplasmic EBP50 were significantly less susceptible to cisplatin (CDDP)-induced apoptosis compared with cells expressing membranous EBP50. Abrogation of resistance following knockdown of cytoplasmic EBP50 was accompanied by decreased XIAP and BCL2, increased BAX and increased caspase-3 cleavage. We found that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase1 (PARP1), which is involved in DNA damage detection and repair, binds to EBP50 through its PDZ1 domain. CDDP treatment of cells expressing cytoplasmic (but not membranous) EBP50 increased nuclear PARP1 expression, whereas knockdown of EBP50 cells decreased PARP1 expression and activity following CDDP treatment. Finally, OCCC patients with a combination of Cyt/N EBP50 and high PARP1 score had worst the prognosis for overall and progression-free survival. Together, our data suggest that cytoplasmic EBP50 inhibits apoptosis and promotes OCCC survival through stabilization of PARP1 activity and modulation of the XIAP/BCL2/BAX axis. This may increase the likelihood of tumor recurrence, and we therefore suggest a combined analysis for EBP50 and PARP1 may have great utility in OCCC prediction and prognosis.

Highly accurate and precise quantification strategy using stable isotope dimethyl labeling coupled with GeLC-MS/MS.

Shotgun proteomics is a powerful method for comprehensively identifying and quantifying tryptic peptides, but it is difficult to analyze proteolytic events. One-dimensional gel and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GeLC-MS/MS) enables the separation of proteolytic fragments using SDS-PAGE followed by identification using LC-MS/MS. GeLC-MS/MS is thus an excellent method for identifying fragmentation. However, the lower reproducibility of gel extraction and nano flow LC-MS/MS can produce inaccurate results in comparative analyses of protein quantification among samples. In this study, a novel GeLC-MS/MS method coupled with stable isotope dimethyl labeling was developed. In the method, a mixture of light- and heavy-labeled samples is loaded onto an SDS-PAGE gel, and proteins with different isotopes in one extracted band are quantitatively analyzed by one-shot injection. This procedure enables accurate determination of the abundance ratio of peptides between two samples, even in cases of low peptide abundance, and it is not affected by the reproducibility of the gel extraction or LC-MS procedures. Therefore, our new GeLC-MS/MS method coupled with stable isotope dimethyl labeling provides high accuracy and comprehensive peptide comparisons, enabling the detection of proteolysis events caused by disease or physiological processes.

A highly efficient method for extracting peptides from a single mouse hypothalamus.

Living organisms contain a variety of endogenous peptides that function as significant regulators of many biological processes. Endogenous peptides are typically analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). However, due to the low efficiency of peptide extraction and low abundance of peptides in a single animal, LC-MS-based peptidomics studies have not facilitated an understanding of the individual differences and tissue specificity of peptide abundance. In this study, we developed a peptide extraction method followed by nano-flow LC-MS/MS analysis. This method enabled highly efficient and reproducible peptide extraction from sub-milligram quantities of hypothalamus dissected from a single animal. Diverse bioactive and authentic peptides were detected from a sample volume equivalent to 135 µg of hypothalamus. This method may be useful for elucidating individual differences and tissue specificity, as well as for facilitating the discovery of novel bioactive peptides and biomarkers and developing peptide therapeutics.

S100A4/non-muscle myosin II signaling regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stemness in uterine carcinosarcoma.

Uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) represents a true example of cancer associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which exhibits cancer stem cell (CSC)-like traits. Although S100A4 is an inducer of EMT, little is known about its involvement in UCS tumorigenesis. Herein, we focused on the functional role of S100A4 during development of UCS. Expression of S100A4 and molecules associated with its function were also examined in 35 UCS cases. In endometrial carcinoma cell lines, S100A4 promoter activity and mRNA levels were significantly increased by the transfection of NF-κB/p65, independent of a putative κB-binding site in the promoter. Cells stably overexpressing S100A4 showed enhancement of CSC properties, along with decreased cell proliferation and acceleration of cell migration. These phenotypes were abrogated in S100A4-knockdown cells. A combination of S100A4 antibody-mediated co-immunoprecipitation and shotgun proteomics analysis revealed that S100A4 strongly interacted with non-muscle myosin II (NMII) heavy chains, including myosin 9 and myosin 14. Specific inhibition of NMII by blebbistatin phenocopied S100A4 overexpression and induced a fibroblast-like morphology. In clinical samples, S100A4 score was significantly higher in sarcomatous as compared with carcinomatous components of UCS, and was positively correlated with ALDH1, Slug, and vimentin scores, and inversely with Ki-67 labeling indices. These findings suggest that an S100A4/NMII-related signaling cascade may contribute to the establishment and maintenance of EMT/CSC properties, along with changes in cell proliferation and migration capability. These events may be initiated in carcinomatous components in UCS and lead to divergent sarcomatous differentiation.

PACT/PRKRA and p53 regulate transcriptional activity of DMRT1.

The transcription factor DMRT1 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor) has two distinct functions, somatic-cell masculinization and germ-cell development in some vertebrate species, including mouse and the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. However, its transcriptional regulation remains unclear. We tried to identify DMRT1-interacting proteins from X. laevis testes by immunoprecipitation with an anti-DMRT1 antibody and MS/MS analysis, and selected three proteins, including PACT/PRKRA (Interferon-inducible double-stranded RNA dependent protein kinase activator A) derived from testes. Next, we examined the effects of PACT/PRKRA and/or p53 on the transcriptional activity of DMRT1. In transfected 293T cells, PACT/PRKRA and p53 significantly enhanced and repressed DMRT1-driven luciferase activity, respectively. We also observed that the enhanced activity by PACT/PRKRA was strongly attenuated by p53. Moreover, in situ hybridization analysis of Pact/Prkra mRNA in tadpole gonads indicated high expression in female and male germline stem cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that PACT/PRKRA and p53 might positively and negatively regulate the activity of DMRT1, respectively, for germline stem cell fate.

Identification and Function of GnRH-like Peptide in the Pacific Abalone, Haliotis discus hannai.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is an important regulator of reproductive function in various vertebrates and invertebrates. In the present study, we have identified the GnRH-like peptide cDNA and peptide from the cerebral ganglion (CG) of the Pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai. Pacific abalone GnRH-like peptide (hdhGnRH-like peptide) cDNA encodes precursor, which possesses the typical organization of the known mollusk GnRH-like peptide precursors, including a hydrophobic signal peptide, GnRH-like peptide, and a cleavage site followed by a GAP-like peptide region. Three hdhGnRH-like peptides, pQNYHFSNGWHAamide (hdhGnRH-11amide), pQNYHFSNGWHA (hdhGnRH-11OH), and pQNYHFSNGWHAG (hdhGnRH-12OH), were determined from the acid/acetone extract of the CG by mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. The hdhGnRH-like peptide mRNA expression was detected not only in the CG but also in gonads, and hdhGnRH-11amide was also detected in the extract of gonads. The mRNA expression of hdhGnRH-like peptide in the CG was lower in spawned males than in non-spawned animals, while no change in hdhGnRH-like peptide mRNA expression was shown in both ovulated and non-ovulated abalone. The hdhGnRH-11amide induces spawning and ovulation of both mature males and females in a concentration-dependent fashion following intramuscular injection. These results indicate that three hdhGnRH-like peptides are yielded from a single hdhGnRH-like peptide precursor, and that at least hdhGnRH-11amide is involved in the control of reproduction of the Pacific abalone.

Identification of plasma binding proteins for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide.

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), secreted from enteroendocrine K cells, has potent insulin-releasing and extrapancreatic glucoregulatory activities. However, exogenous GIP has less potent biological effects compared with another incretin hormone, GLP-1, which limits its use for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The fate and secretion of administered native GIP remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify plasma binding proteins for human GIP. Fluorescent-labelled GIP was added to fresh human plasma and subjected to clear native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (CN-PAGE). Then fluorescent protein bands were in-gel trypsin-digested and subjected to liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, revealing the presence of albumin, immunoglobulin G (IgG) and transferrin. In contrast to GIP, the binding of fluorescent GLP-1 and glucagon to plasma protein fractions were minimal. CN-PAGE analysis of synthetic GIP incubated with human serum albumin, purified IgG or transferrin, and subsequent western blot analysis revealed that GIP binds to each of these proteins. Taken together, these results indicate that GIP readily binds to albumin, IgG and transferrin, three plasma proteins highly abundant in the human peripheral circulation. Separation of protein complexes using CN-PAGE and the identification of in-gel digested proteins by LC-MS/MS analysis provide a promising strategy to identify plasma binding proteins for bioactive peptides.

Search for a Novel Allergen in Hen's Egg Allergy Using an IgE Immunoblotting Assay.

BACKGROUND: Food allergy is a serious health issue affecting roughly 4% of children, with a substantial effect on quality of life. Chicken egg allergy is frequently observed in infants. Therefore, some of them have to exclude hen's eggs from their daily diet to avoid allergenic symptoms. Hen's egg is composed of 2 soluble parts; one is egg white, which has been characterized as the major source of allergenicity, while the other is egg yolk, which is estimated as a miner source. Only 2 allergens from egg yolk, α-livetin (Gal d 5) and YGP42 (Gal d 6), have been described to date. METHODS: Sera from 53 patients allergic to hen's eggs and 2 patients allergic to sesame were obtained from the Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital. The study was performed using SDS-PAGE, IgE immunoblotting, and dot blotting. RESULTS: Seven bands of egg yolk were detected by IgE immunoblotting. Out of these bands, a possible new allergen was further characterized by LC-MS/MS. The 33-kDa band was identified as yolk glycoprotein (YGP40) by LC-MS/MS. A total of 21 of the 53 patients (47%) had YGP40 detected by dot blotting. CONCLUSIONS: We identified YGP40 as a new hen's egg yolk allergen and detected 4 sites of YGP40 as linear epitopes.

Identification of a novel serum biomarker for pancreatic cancer, C4b-binding protein α-chain (C4BPA) by quantitative proteomic analysis using tandem mass tags.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a devastating disease due to the lack of specific early diagnostic markers. To improve the outcomes, proteomic approaches are being developed for the discovery of novel biomarkers of PDAC. METHODS: Using tandem mass tag labelling and LC-MS/MS, we performed comparative analyses of pre- and postoperative sera from PDAC patients to identify specific serum biomarkers for PDAC. In validation studies, we evaluated the discriminatory power of candidate proteins. RESULTS: Among the 302 proteins analysed, 20 were identified as potential biomarkers, with C4b-binding protein α-chain (C4BPA) and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR) being selected for further analysis. The sera levels of C4BPA and PIGR were significantly higher in the preoperative PDAC patients than in the postoperative ones (P<0.008, P<0.036, respectively). In addition, serum C4BPA levels, but not PIGR, in patients with PDAC were significantly higher than those in healthy controls as well as in patients with pancreatitis and other malignancies including biliary tract cancers (BTC) (P<0.001). The respective area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) was 0.860 for C4BPA, 0.846 for CA19-9 and 0.930 for the combination of C4BPA and CA19-9 in PDAC vs non-cancer individuals. The respective AUC was 0.912 for C4BPA, 0.737 for CA19-9 in Stages I and II of PDAC, 0.854 for C4BPA and 0.264 for CA19-9 in PDAC vs BTC. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that C4BPA is a novel serum biomarker for detecting early stage PDAC, as well as for distinguishing PDAC from other gastroenterological cancers. Further analysis in large cohort studies will warrant C4BPA as a promising biomarker of PDAC in clinical use.

Fibrinogen alpha C chain 5.9 kDa fragment (FIC5.9), a biomarker for various pathological conditions, is produced in post-blood collection by fibrinolysis and coagulation factors.

BACKGROUND: Fibrinogen alpha C chain 5.9 kDa fragment (FIC5.9) is a new serum biomarker for chronic hepatitis that was discovered by proteomics analysis. Previous studies have shown that FIC5.9 is derived from the C-terminal region of fibrinogen alpha chain and the serum levels of FIC5.9 decrease in chronic hepatitis. It also have been reported that FIC5.9 cannot be detected in the blood stream of the systemic circulation and it is released from fibrinogen during blood clotting in collecting tube. However, the mechanism of FIC5.9 releasing from fibrinogen is unclear. METHODS: We formulated a hypothesis that FIC5.9 is released by enzymes that are activated by post-blood collection and may be coagulation and fibrinolysis factors. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms of FIC5.9 releasing from fibrinogen in healthy blood. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that thrombin acts as an initiator for FIC5.9 releasing, and that mainly plasmin cleaves N-terminal end of FIC5.9 and neutrophil elastase cleave C-terminal end of FIC5.9. CONCLUSION: FIC5.9 reflects minute changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis factors and may be associated with pathological conditions.

Discovery of colorectal cancer biomarker candidates by membrane proteomic analysis and subsequent verification using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) and tissue microarray (TMA) analysis.

Recent advances in quantitative proteomic technology have enabled the large-scale validation of biomarkers. We here performed a quantitative proteomic analysis of membrane fractions from colorectal cancer tissue to discover biomarker candidates, and then extensively validated the candidate proteins identified. A total of 5566 proteins were identified in six tissue samples, each of which was obtained from polyps and cancer with and without metastasis. GO cellular component analysis predicted that 3087 of these proteins were membrane proteins, whereas TMHMM algorithm predicted that 1567 proteins had a transmembrane domain. Differences were observed in the expression of 159 membrane proteins and 55 extracellular proteins between polyps and cancer without metastasis, while the expression of 32 membrane proteins and 17 extracellular proteins differed between cancer with and without metastasis. A total of 105 of these biomarker candidates were quantitated using selected (or multiple) reaction monitoring (SRM/MRM) with stable synthetic isotope-labeled peptides as an internal control. The results obtained revealed differences in the expression of 69 of these proteins, and this was subsequently verified in an independent set of patient samples (polyps (n = 10), cancer without metastasis (n = 10), cancer with metastasis (n = 10)). Significant differences were observed in the expression of 44 of these proteins, including ITGA5, GPRC5A, PDGFRB, and TFRC, which have already been shown to be overexpressed in colorectal cancer, as well as proteins with unknown function, such as C8orf55. The expression of C8orf55 was also shown to be high not only in colorectal cancer, but also in several cancer tissues using a multicancer tissue microarray, which included 1150 cores from 14 cancer tissues. This is the largest verification study of biomarker candidate membrane proteins to date; our methods for biomarker discovery and subsequent validation using SRM/MRM will contribute to the identification of useful biomarker candidates for various cancers. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000851.

Involvement of melanin-concentrating hormone 2 in background color adaptation of barfin flounder Verasper moseri.

In teleosts, melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) plays a key role in skin color changes. MCH is released into general circulation from the neurohypophysis, which causes pigment aggregation in the skin chromatophores. Recently, a novel MCH (MCH2) precursor gene, which is orthologous to the mammalian MCH precursor gene, has been identified in some teleosts using genomic data mining. The physiological function of MCH2 remains unclear. In the present study, we cloned the cDNA for MCH2 from barfin flounder, Verasper moseri. The putative prepro-MCH2 contains 25 amino acids of MCH2 peptide region. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with a high resolution mass analyzer were used for confirming the amino acid sequences of MCH1 and MCH2 peptides from the pituitary extract. In vitro synthesized MCH1 and MCH2 induced pigment aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. A mammalian cell-based assay indicated that both MCH1 and MCH2 functionally interacted with both the MCH receptor types 1 and 2. Mch1 and mch2 are exclusively expressed in the brain and pituitary. The levels of brain mch2 transcript were three times higher in the fish that were chronically acclimated to a white background than those acclimated to a black background. These results suggest that in V. moseri, MCH1 and MCH2 are involved in the response to changes in background colors, during the process of chromatophore control.

Efficient extraction of proteins from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues requires higher concentration of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane.

BACKGROUND: Numerous formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded clinical tissues have been created in the past decades and stored in pathological depositories at hospitals as well as in clinical laboratories worldwide. In addition to the archived tissues, formaldehyde-fixation is also mandatory for preparing proteomics samples from diseased patients or animal models in order to inactivate contagious agents. Protein extraction from formaldehyde-fixed tissues is hampered by the Schiff base formation between the amino groups of proteins and formaldehyde. Although achievement of the highest extraction efficiency of proteins from the formaldehyde-fixed tissues is essential for obtaining maximum proteomics information, no attention has been paid to the concentration dependence of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane on the extraction efficacy. We suspected that the concentration of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane affects the protein extraction efficiency because of its property as a primary amine that reverses the Schiff base formation between the primary amines of proteins and formaldehyde. Thus we pursued optimization of the component and protocol of protein extraction buffer to achieve better extraction efficiency of proteins from formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues. RESULTS: In order to simulate protein extraction from diseased tissues we made formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples from mouse liver slices and investigated the protein extraction efficiency and speed by changing the concentration of the protein extraction buffer component tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane under various extraction conditions. We find, as expected, that tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane significantly affects the performance of protein extraction from the formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples both in the extraction yield and in the extraction speed. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the concentration of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane in protein extraction buffer to be higher than 300 mM when extraction is conducted for 90 min at 90°C to achieve the most efficient protein extraction in a shorter time. The information will be essential for performing the most efficient protein extraction from formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples for proteomics analysis.

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal differences in the conformational stability of FtsZs derived from Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis.

FtsZ is highly conserved among bacteria and plays an essential role in bacterial cell division. The tense conformation of FtsZ bound to GTP assembles into a straight filament via head-to-tail associations, and then the upper subunit of FtsZ hydrolyzes GTP bound to the lower FtsZ subunit. The subunit with GDP bound disassembles accompanied by a conformational change in the subunit from the tense to relaxed conformation. Although crystal structures of FtsZ derived from several bacterial species have been determined, the conformational change from the relaxed to tense conformation has only been observed in Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ (SaFtsZ). Recent cryo-electron microscopy analyses revealed the three-dimensional reconstruction of the protofilament, in which tense molecules assemble via head-to-tail associations. However, the lower resolution of the protofilament suggested that the flexibility of the FtsZ protomers between the relaxed and tense conformations caused them to form in less-strict alignments. Furthermore, this flexibility may also prevent FtsZs other than SaFtsZ from crystalizing in the tense conformation, suggesting that the flexibility of bacterial FtsZs differs. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were performed using SaFtsZ and Bacillus subtilis FtsZ in several situations, which suggested that different features of the FtsZs affect their conformational stability.