Loss of mismatch repair signaling impairs the WNT-bone morphogenetic protein crosstalk and the colonic homeostasis.

The fine balance between proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in the colonic epithelium is tightly controlled by the interplay between WNT, Notch, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. How these complex networks coordinate the colonic homeostasis, especially if cancer predisposing mutations such as mutations in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) are present, is unclear. Inactivation of the MMR system has long been linked to colorectal cancer; however, little is known about its role in the regulation of the colonic homeostasis.

XK-related protein 5 (XKR5) is a novel negative regulator of KIT/D816V-mediated transformation.

In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which the oncogenic mutant KIT/D816V causes transformation of cells, we investigated proteins that selectively bind KIT/D816V, but not wild-type KIT, as potential mediators of transformation. By mass spectrometry several proteins were identified, among them a previously uncharacterized protein denoted XKR5 (XK-related protein 5), which is related to the X Kell blood group proteins. We could demonstrate that interaction between XKR5 and KIT/D816V leads to phosphorylation of XKR5 at Tyr 369, Tyr487, and Tyr 543.

Sequential Elution from IMAC (SIMAC): An Efficient Method for Enrichment and Separation of Mono- and Multi-phosphorylated Peptides.

Phosphoproteomics relies on methods for efficient purification and sequencing of phosphopeptides from highly complex biological systems, especially when using low amounts of starting material. Current methods for phosphopeptide enrichment, e.g.

The Use of Titanium Dioxide for Selective Enrichment of Phosphorylated Peptides.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has very high affinity for phosphopeptides and in recent years it has become one of the most popular methods for phosphopeptide enrichment from complex biological samples. Peptide loading onto TiO2 resin in a highly acidic environment in the presence of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), phthalic acid, lactic acid, or glycolic acid has been shown to improve selectivity significantly by reducing unspecific binding of non-phosphorylated peptides. The phosphopeptides bound to the TiO2 are subsequently eluted from the chromatographic material using an alkaline buffer.

Phosphopeptide Enrichment by Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography.

Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) has been the method of choice for phosphopeptide enrichment prior to mass spectrometric analysis for many years and it is still used extensively in many laboratories. Using the affinity of negatively charged phosphate groups towards positively charged metal ions such as Fe(3+), Ga(3+), Al(3+), Zr(4+), and Ti(4+) has made it possible to enrich phosphorylated peptides from peptide samples. However, the selectivity of most of the metal ions is limited, when working with highly complex samples, e.

Characterization of human myotubes from type 2 diabetic and nondiabetic subjects using complementary quantitative mass spectrometric methods.

Skeletal muscle is a key tissue site of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Human myotubes are primary skeletal muscle cells displaying both morphological and biochemical characteristics of mature skeletal muscle and the diabetic phenotype is conserved in myotubes derived from subjects with type 2 diabetes. Several abnormalities have been identified in skeletal muscle from type 2 diabetic subjects, however, the exact molecular mechanisms leading to the diabetic phenotype has still not been found.

Quantitative iTRAQ-Based Proteomic Identification of Candidate Biomarkers for Diabetic Nephropathy in Plasma of Type 1 Diabetic Patients.

INTRODUCTION: As part of a clinical proteomics programme focused on diabetes and its complications, it was our goal to investigate the proteome of plasma in order to find improved candidate biomarkers to predict diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: Proteins derived from plasma from a cross-sectional cohort of 123 type 1 diabetic patients previously diagnosed as normoalbuminuric, microalbuminuric or macroalbuminuric were enriched with hexapeptide library beads and subsequently pooled within three groups. Proteins from the three groups were compared by online liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry in three identical repetitions using isobaric mass tags (iTRAQ).

Strategies for quantitation of phosphoproteomic data.

Recent developments in phosphoproteomic sample-preparation techniques and sensitive mass spectrometry instrumentation have led to large-scale identifications of phosphoproteins and phosphorylation sites from highly complex samples. This has facilitated the implementation of different quantitation strategies in order to study the biological role of protein phosphorylation during disease progression, differentiation or during external stimulation of a cellular system. In this article, a brief summary of the most popular strategies for phosphoproteomic studies is given; however, the main focus will be on different quantitation strategies.

Undesirable charge-enhancement of isobaric tagged phosphopeptides leads to reduced identification efficiency.

The study of cellular dynamics by proteomics using mass spectrometry requires a quantitation strategy that is robust, sensitive, and of sufficient resolution to deal with subtle changes in protein expression or post-translational modification. The major quantitation strategies are stable isotopic labeling of proteins and peptides for in vitro cell culture systems (stable isotope labeling using amino acids in cell culture, SILAC) or isobaric peptide labels such as isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) and tandem mass tags (TMT) for both in vitro and in vivo systems. These quantitation strategies have also been successfully applied to phosphoproteomics studies for the investigation of signal transduction pathways.

Technologies for plasma membrane proteomics.

Cell-cell and intracellular signaling are critical mechanisms by which an organism can respond quickly and appropriately to internal or environmental stimuli. Transmission of the stimulus to effector proteins must be coordinated, rapid and transient such that the response is not exaggerated and the overall balance of the cell or tissue is retained. Proteomics technology has traditionally been adept at analyzing effector proteins (such as cytoskeletal and heat shock proteins, and those involved in metabolic processes) in studies examining the effects of altered environmental or nutritional conditions, drugs, or genetic manipulation, since these proteins are often highly abundant, soluble and therefore amenable to analysis.

Enrichment and separation of mono- and multiply phosphorylated peptides using sequential elution from IMAC prior to mass spectrometric analysis.

Phospho-proteomics relies on methods for efficient purification and sequencing of phosphopeptides from highly complex biological systems using low amounts of starting material. Current methods for phosphopeptide enrichment, e.g.

The use of titanium dioxide micro-columns to selectively isolate phosphopeptides from proteolytic digests.

Titanium dioxide has very high affinity for phosphopeptides and it has become an efficient alternative to already existing methods for phosphopeptide enrichment from complex samples. Peptide loading in a highly acidic environment in the presence of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), phthalic acid, or glycolic acid has been shown to improve selectivity significantly by reducing unspecific binding from nonphosphorylated peptides. The enriched phosphopeptides bound to the titanium dioxide are subsequently eluted from the micro-column using an alkaline buffer.

Enrichment and characterization of phosphopeptides by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and mass spectrometry.

The combination of immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and mass spectrometry is a widely used technique for enrichment and sequencing of phosphopeptides. In the IMAC method, negatively charged phosphate groups interact with positively charged metal ions (Fe3+, Ga3+, and Al3+) and this interaction makes it possible to enrich phosphorylated peptides from rather complex peptide samples. Phosphopeptide enrichment by IMAC is sensitive and specific for peptide mixtures derived from pure proteins or simple protein mixtures.

Analytical strategies for phosphoproteomics.

Protein phosphorylation is a key regulator of cellular signaling pathways. It is involved in most cellular events in which the complex interplay between protein kinases and protein phosphatases strictly controls biological processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Defective or altered signaling pathways often result in abnormalities leading to various diseases, emphasizing the importance of understanding protein phosphorylation.

TiO(2)-based phosphoproteomic analysis of the plasma membrane and the effects of phosphatase inhibitor treatment.

Phosphorylation of plasma membrane proteins frequently initiates signal transduction pathways or attenuate plasma membrane transport processes. Because of the low abundance and hydrophobic features of many plasma membrane proteins and the low stoichiometry of protein phosphorylation, studies of the plasma membrane phosphoproteome are challenging. We present an optimized analytical strategy for plasma membrane phosphoproteomics that combines efficient plasma membrane protein preparation with TiO(2)-based phosphopeptide enrichment and high-performance mass spectrometry for phosphopeptide sequencing.

SIMAC (sequential elution from IMAC), a phosphoproteomics strategy for the rapid separation of monophosphorylated from multiply phosphorylated peptides.

The complete analysis of phosphoproteomes has been hampered by the lack of methods for efficient purification, detection, and characterization of phosphorylated peptides from complex biological samples. Despite several strategies for affinity enrichment of phosphorylated peptides prior to mass spectrometric analysis, such as immobilized metal affinity chromatography or titanium dioxide, the coverage of the phosphoproteome of a given sample is limited. Here we report a simple and rapid strategy, SIMAC (sequential elution from IMAC), for sequential separation of monophosphorylated peptides and multiply phosphorylated peptides from highly complex biological samples.

Highly selective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides using titanium dioxide.

The characterization of phosphorylated proteins is a challenging analytical task since many of the proteins targeted for phosphorylation are low in abundance and phosphorylation is typically substoichiometric. Highly efficient enrichment procedures are therefore required. Here we describe a protocol for selective phosphopeptide enrichment using titanium dioxide (TiO2) chromatography.

Analysis of posttranslational modifications of proteins by tandem mass spectrometry.

Protein activity and turnover is tightly and dynamically regulated in living cells. Whereas the three-dimensional protein structure is predominantly determined by the amino acid sequence, posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins modulates their molecular function and the spatial-temporal distribution in cells and tissues. Most PTMs can be detected by protein and peptide analysis by mass spectrometry (MS), either as a mass increment or a mass deficit relative to the nascent unmodified protein.

Highly selective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides from peptide mixtures using titanium dioxide microcolumns.

Reversible phosphorylation of proteins regulates the majority of all cellular processes, e.g. proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.