"Sample Preparation Issues in Proteomic Analysis"

Thursday January 24th, 2002
Lynx Therapeutics 
Hayward, CA
   


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Schedule

4-5 pm coffee and conversation, poster viewing
5-5:30 Karin Rodland, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 
5:40-6:10   Martin Schurenberg, Bruker Daltonik GmBH
6:15-6:45   Diether Recktenwald, BD Biosciences 
Title Abstract

"Partial Purification of Membrane Proteins from Ovarian Tumor Cells for Proteomic Analysis" by Karin D. Rodland (presenter), David Springer, David Wunschel and Richard Zangar, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
karin.rodland@pnl.gov

 


 

  

Proteins expressed in and on the plasma membrane of mammalian cells play a key role sensing the cell's extracellular environment and modulating cellular behavior in response to changes in that environment.  In particular, acquisition of unregulated proliferation, invasiveness, and metastatic capability by tumor cells is likely to reflect changes in the expression of specific plasma  membrane proteins such as growth factor receptors, adhesion molecules and cellular proteases. We have begun an investigation of changes in plasma membrane protein expression in human ovarian cancer lines associated with progression from anchorage-dependent primary tumors to anchorage-independent invasive tumor cells growing as ascites. However, defining the range of plasma membrane proteins expressed by tumor cells presents several technical challenges, including purification of plasma membrane proteins from other cellular compartments, solubilization of integral membrane proteins, post-translational modifications of membrane proteins including glycosylation and phosphorylation, and compatibility of the plasma membrane preparation with mass spectrometry-based analysis methods.  We have developed a procedure for partial purification of membrane proteins based on a combination of differential centrifugation, affinity chromatography, and anion exchange chromatography.  This procedure is compatible with MALDI, LCQ-MS-MS and FTICR-MS and can be used for accurate mass tag determination.  Using this procedure we have succeeded in identifying a variety of integral membrane proteins, including receptor tyrosine kinases, seven-transmembrane domain receptors, membrane-associated ligands, proteases, and phosphatases, as well as adhesion molecules and histocompatibility  proteins.

"Improved Sensitivity, Speed and Success Rate for Protein Identification by MALDI-MS is Achieved by Targets Containing Hydrophilic Anchors" by Martin Schürenberg1 (presenter), Detlev Suckau1, Peter Hufnagel1 and Eckhard Nordhoff2, 1Bruker Daltonik GmbH, 2Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics
msch@bdal.de

 

We developed new sample targets for MALDI mass spectrometry that simplify high-throughput analysis of biomolecules as peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides and significantly improve the detection limits. These MALDI targets are coated with a hydrophobic layer. Embedded in this hydrophobic surface are non-coated spots with well-defined size between 200 and 800 µm diameter, which represent hydrophilic sample anchors. Each transferred sample drop contacts one anchor and this anchor causes the sample drop to shrink exactly to the dimension of the anchor area after evaporation of the solvent due to the strong water repellent nature of the hydrophobic surface. As a result of the sample concentration step during solvent evaporation the detection sensitivity is improved approximately 10-100-fold. The small sample area also reduces the need for “spot hunting” significantly, which increases the speed of automated spectra acquisition. Examples from model studies as well as from real life samples are shown, which elucidate the capabilities of the “AnchorChip” technique and demonstrate the gain in information content, sensitivity and speed of acquisition. We will show that with this new technology the automatic sample preparation of few 100 µm diameter sample areas can be done by standard robotic systems even without special devices like piezo-dispensers. Optional “on-anchor” washing / recrystallization efficiantly removes salts / buffers in proteomics applications. The automatic measurement is simplified and much faster because "spot hunting" is no longer necessary. Detection limits of ca. 300 amol in the fully automated operation mode and 10 amol in the manual mode were obtained with AnchoChip preparations.  In addition, the observation of an always strong increase of information content of spectra from the same sample suggest the presented method to be of paramount importance to high success rates of high throughput protein identification using MALDI

"Cell and Organelle Purification for Proteomics" by 
Bill Godfrey, Jita De, Martin Tapia, Rana Alsharif, Sujata Iyer, Diether
Recktenwald (presenter) BD Biosciences, and Colette Rudd, Sally Swedberg @ThermoFinnigan
diether_recktenwald@bdis.com

 

A goal of proteomics is the ability to detect all proteins in a particular biological subsystem, such as a cell type or cellular subfraction.  Subfractionation and purification of cellular samples from tissues is desired for obtaining relevant biological data about cell types or subcellular fractions. For functional genomics methods to isolate small numbers of specific cells followed by amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have been developed. For proteome analysis large quantities of purified cells are required, because no PCR like amplification is available for proteins. Biological starting materials are blood with suspended cells, which can be processed directly for high speed fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), or cell culture and tissues. Tissues have to be dis-aggregated before FACS sorting. This is performed mechanically and/or enzymatically. Remaining larger aggregates and debris can be removed during the sort by differences in light scatter properties. A special 130um sort nozzle has been developed for FACS sorters to optimally address the larger particles present in disaggregated tissue and cell preparations from cell culture. For blood cells smaller sort nozzles are recommended. Cell subsets for sorting are identified by their auto fluorescence, by reaction with fluorogenic reagents like enzyme substrates or DNA reactive dyes, by their fluorescence from fluorescent proteins from a transfection, or by reaction with specific fluorochromated antibodies or nucleic acid probes. Sorted cells can be homogenized and digested for protein analysis. For identification of cell surface proteins intact cells were treated with proteases to digest proteins outside of the cell membrane barrier for protein identification by mass spectrometric analysis of the resulting peptides. Isolated cells have been broken into subcellular fractions like membrane, and organelles. Subfraction particles like membrane pieces and organelles have been sorted by FACS with the same methods as cells to obtain highly enriched components, which can be used for protein identification by mass spectrometry, 2D gel electrophoresis, or on protein arrays. To demonstrate the technology, we have used liquid chromatography (LC) with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) as a sensitive method for identification of proteins from blood cell subsets highly purified by FACS. Several million cells were sorted and subjected to trypsin digestion for identification of cell surface proteins by mass spectrometry. In conclusion, the combination of magnetic and FACS cell and organelle purification methods with LC MS/MS allows the rapid analysis of the complete proteome of specific cells and cellular fractions.

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