Autoantibody profiling of Chinese patients with autoimmune hepatitis using immunoproteomic analysis.

In the present study, immunoproteomic analysis was utilized to systemically characterize global autoantibody profiles in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Sera from 21 patients with AIH and 15 healthy controls were analyzed for the antibody reactivity against the protein antigens of HepG2, a human hepatoma cell line. The lysates of HepG2 cells were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and then immunoblotted with each serum sample. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry or/and nanoelectrospray ionization MS/MS were then used to identify antigens, among which a bifunctional enzyme in mitochondrial, fumarate hydratase (FH), was further analyzed by ELISA using recombinant FH as a coating antigen. A total of 18 immunoreactive spots were identified as 13 proteins, 8 of which have not been reported in AIH. Immune reactivity to FH was detected in 66.67% of patients with AIH, 19.35% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), 12.31% of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 6.35% of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), 11.32% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 3.57% of normal individuals. The differences of prevalence between AIH patients and healthy controls as well as other diseases were of statistical significance (P<0.001). These data demonstrate the serological heterogeneity in AIH and suggest the diversity of the mechanisms underlying AIH. FH, recognized mainly in AIH rather than in viral hepatitis and other autoimmune diseases, may have utility in improved diagnosis of AIH.

Proteomic analysis of interleukin 6-induced differentiation in mouse myeloid leukemia cells.

Cytokine-induced differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells has important therapeutic implications, but the mechanism remains to be clarified. M1 cell, a mouse acute myeloid leukemia cell line, which underwent growth inhibition, terminal differentiation and apoptosis in response to IL-6, was selected as an experimental model to study on the molecular mechanisms of myeloid cell differentiation on a proteome-wide scale. Cell differentiation was evaluated by cell morphology and CD11b expression. With two-dimensional (2D) gel analyses, 17 protein spots showed obvious changes in quantity during the process of differentiation were found. With matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) or/and nano-electrospray ionization MS/MS (ESI-MS/MS) analysis, 15 protein spots were identified. The mRNA levels of these 15 proteins during differentiation were also examined using a semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Except two proteins, the mRNA levels demonstrated similar expression patterns to what the proteomic analysis revealed. The identified proteins were known to be involved in different cellular functions, including protein synthesis, transcription, signal transduction, cell cycle control, cell rescue and defense, cellular organization, and metabolism. Notably, seven proteins were not described before to be involved in differentiation. Our data provide novel information for a better understanding of the mechanisms by which terminal differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia cells induced by IL-6.

[Application of PSD-MALDI-TOF-MS to protein identification].

AIM: To identify protein spots on two dimentional protein electrophoresis (2DE) by post-source decay (PSD) technique associated with library search. METHODS: The PSD-MALDI-TOF-MS method was set up by a segment of ACTH and a peptide digested by trypsin for TPA. RESULTS: Two unknown protein spots on 2DE were identified as 40S ribosomal protein S12 and dnaK suppressor protein separately by established PSD-MALDI-TOF-MS method. CONCLUSION: PSD technique has greater application prospects in peoteomics.

A novel eIF5A complex functions as a regulator of p53 and p53-dependent apoptosis.

Although eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) was originally designated as an "initiation factor," recent data have shown it to be also involved in apoptosis. However, the actual function of eIF5A in apoptosis is still unknown. In this study, we performed yeast two-hybrid screens to identify eIF5A-interacting proteins to help us understand the mechanisms of eIF5A. Our results demonstrated that eIF5A and syntenin could engage in a specific interaction both in vitro and in vivo and functioned collaboratively to regulate p53 activity. Our findings, for the first time, revealed a new biological activity for eIF5A as the regulator of p53. Overexpression of eIF5A or its EFP domain resulted in up-regulation of p53, and silencing eIF5A by small interfering RNA reduced the p53 protein level. Further analysis by reverse transcription PCR showed eIF5A-activated p53 transcription. The effect of eIF5A on p53 transcriptional activity was further demonstrated by the increasing expressions of p21 and Bax, well known target genes of p53. In contrast, a point mutant of eIF5A, hypusination being abolished, was revealed to be functionally defective in p53 up-regulation. Overexpression of eIF5A led to a p53-dependent apoptosis or sensitized cells to induction of apoptosis by chemotherapeutic agents. However, when eIF5A interacted with its novel partner, syntenin, the eIF5A-induced increase in p53 protein level was significantly inhibited. Therefore, eIF5A seems to be a previously unrecognized regulator of p53 that may define a new pathway for p53-dependent apoptosis, and syntenin might regulate p53 by balancing the regulation of eIF5A signaling to p53 for apoptosis.

Proteomic analysis of ubiquitin-proteasome effects: insight into the function of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A.

The global effect of ubiquitin-proteasome (UP) inhibitors on leukemic cell proteome was analysed. A total of 39 protein spots, affected by UP inhibitors, were identified, including 11 new apoptosis-associated proteins. They are involved in different cellular functions and four were associated with caspase-3 activation. Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) was identified in two spots; however, the peptide mass-fingerprinting for the accumulated one included a peptide with lysine50, indicating that hypusine formation was suppressed during UP inhibitor-induced apoptosis. Hypusine modification ensues immediately following translation of eIF-5A precursor, unless cells are treated with the modification inhibitors diaminoheptane. However, UP inhibitors induced a much stronger accumulation of unmodified eIF-5A compared to the effect of diaminoheptane. We further showed the unmodified eIF-5A was regulated in a proteasome-dependent manner. Inhibition of hypusine formation by diaminoheptane triggered apoptosis, but of particular interest is the finding that eIF-5A expression inhibition by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides significantly enhanced the stimulating effect of GM-CSF on cell growth. Therefore, the eIF-5A accumulation played important roles in the apoptosis induced by UP inhibitors. Moreover, hypusine inhibition in apoptosis was further revealed to be associated with the subcellular localization of eIF-5A. Our data pave the way to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which UP system has been linked to apoptosis.

[Application of bio-mass spectrometry in cellular signal transduction].

The quickly developing techniques of biological mass spectrometry (bio-MS) in recent years realized the high throughput identification of proteins by determining the accurate mass values of trypsin digested peptides and the randomly selected peptide sequence tags, and have been successfully used in the studies of protein interactions and post-translational modification such as the phosphorylation. Compared to the conventional approaches, the above techniques can identify all the phosphorylated proteins (including their phosphorylated amino acid sites) involved in a multi-signal pathway in a single experiment, and they have been developed into a hot-spot of proteomics. The three strategies for the application of bio-MS in the above fields are briefly reviewed.

[Nano-ESI-MS/MS identification on apoptosis qssociated proteins induced by inhibiting ubiquitin-proteasome pathway].

CapLC-ESI-MS/MS and nano-ESI-MS/MS techniques were used to identify the apoptosis associated proteins induced by inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in Mo7e leukaemic cells. In 2-DE, spot H was found to initiate its overexpression at 2 h after the inhibition and reached its peak at 6 h. It was identified as Rho GDI beta protein after the tandem mass spectrum and after the sequence of its tryptic peptides were obtained by the ESI-MS/MS techniques. It was not revealed by peptide mass fingerprint using MALDI-TOF-MS. Other two spots induced by the inhibition appeared close to spot H were also revealed identical to Rho GDI brg;, possibly due to unknown modifications.

[Identification rhFKBP12 by ESI-quadrupole-oa-TOF tandem mass spectrometry].

AIM: To identify recombinant protein rhFKBP12 by new technique ESI-quadrupole-oa-TOF tandem mass spectrometry. METHODS: The molecular weight of rhFKBP12 was measured by ESI-MS. Digest rhFKBP12 by trypsin at 37 degrees C over night. The tryptic digested peptides were measured and then two doublely charged peptides were selected to measure their amino acid sequence by ESI-MS/MS. Search database with the measured amino acid sequence to identify rhFKBP12. RESULTS: The calculated molecular weight of rhFKBP12 was 11,819.54 and the measured value was 11,820.38. The measurement percent error was only 0.007%. The sequence measured by ESI-MS/MS was QVETMS and EEGVAQMSV and then the database search results with them were both hFKBP12. CONCLUSION: The study proves that the primary structure of rhFKBP12 is correct and there is no amino acid deletion, mutation and modification in its expression, refolding and purification. It also shows that ESI-MS/MS is a good method to identify protein with advantage of sensitivity, high speed and accuracy.

Sequencing Analysis of Oligodeoxynucleotide by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry.

A mixed matrix alpha-cyano 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (alpha-Cyano)/3-hydroxypicolinic acid (3HPA) was found to be a good matrix for the analysis of oligodeoxynucleotides by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry ( MALDI-TOF-MS). Using the mixed matrix, a similar sensitivity was obtained for the different oligodeoxynucleotides: d(T)(10), d(A)(10) and d(C)(10). This methodology can be used in combination with the partial digestion of oligodeoxynucleotides by 5'- and 3'-exonucleases as a powerful tool for sequencing analysis of oligonucleotides.