Phosphopeptide screening using nanocrystalline titanium dioxide films as affinity matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization targets in mass spectrometry.

The use of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide films as affinity targets for the selective isolation and enrichment of phosphopeptides with subsequent analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is described. A strong affinity of phosphopeptides to anatase titanium dioxide surfaces is observed, and a standard protocol for the selective isolation and enrichment of phosphopeptides on titanium dioxide films using a proteolytic digest of alpha- and beta-casein was developed. All washing and elution procedures using these films can be processed directly on the MALDI target, thereby avoiding sample contamination and losses.

Mass spectrometry-assisted protease substrate screening.

Since sequencing of the human genome was completed, more than 500 genes have been annotated as proteases. Exploring the physiological role of each protease requires the identification of their natural substrates. However, the endogenous substrates of many of the human proteases are as yet unknown.

Renal cathepsin G and angiotensin II generation.

Background: Alternative pathways of angiotensin II biosynthesis play a significant role in the renin-angiotensin system. In this study porcine renal tissue was investigated for angiotensin II-generating enzymes.

Methods And Results: Protein extracts from porcine renal tissue were fractionated by liquid chromatography and tested for their angiotensin II-generating activity by the mass-spectrometry-assisted enzyme screening system (MES) and the active fractions were purified to near homogeneity.

Principle and applications of the protein-purification-parameter screening system.

For the purification of a target protein, liquid chromatography is the method of choice, if its activity has to be maintained. The selection of optimum parameters will improve in proportion to the number of individual parameters varied in initial experiments. Here a fast screening method is described, which utilizes automated parallel chromatographic experiments in the batch mode in 96-well plates.