Biomedical subjects

Elaine Scrivener

Publications and source records attributed to Elaine Scrivener.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Analysis of the dynamic Bacillus subtilis Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphoproteome implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes.

The physiological role of proteins phosphorylated on serine/threonine/tyrosine (Ser/Thr/Tyr) residues or the identity of the corresponding kinases and phosphatases is generally poorly understood in bacteria. As a first step in analysing the importance of such phosphorylation, we sought to establish the nature of the Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphoproteome in Bacillus subtilis, using in vivo labelling with [(32)P]-orthophosphate, one-unit pH 2-DE, combined with MS. Highly reproducible 2-D profiles of phosphoproteins were obtained with early stationary-phase cells. The 2-D profiles contained at least 80 clearly labelled spots in the pH range 4-7. Forty-six spots were analysed by MS (confirmed in most cases by LC-MS/MS), identifying a total of 29 different proteins, with 19 identified for the first time as bacterial phosphoproteins. These phosphoproteins are implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes, including carbon and energy metabolism, transport, stress and development. Significant changes to the profiles were obtained as a result of cold, heat or osmotic shock, demonstrating that, in stationary-phase cells, the phosphoproteome is dynamic. An initial comparative study indicated that at least 25 [(32)P]-labelled spots were also stained by Pro-Q Diamond, with apparently six additional phosphoproteins uniquely detected by Pro-Q.

Bacillus subtilis↗

PubMed2005

Performance validation of an improved Xenon-arc lamp-based CCD camera system for multispectral imaging in proteomics.

Advances in gel-based nonradioactive protein expression and PTM detection using fluorophores has served as the impetus for developing analytical instrumentation with improved imaging capabilities. We describe a CCD camera-based imaging instrument, equipped with both a high-pressure Xenon arc lamp and a UV transilluminator, which provides broad-band wavelength coverage (380-700 nm and UV). With six-position filter wheels, both excitation and emission wavelengths may be selected, providing optimal measurement and quantitation of virtually any dye and allowing excellent spectral resolution among different fluorophores. While spatial resolution of conventional fixed CCD camera imaging systems is typically inferior to laser scanners, this problem is circumvented with the new instrument by mechanically scanning the CCD camera over the sample and collecting multiple images that are subsequently automatically reconstructed into a complete high-resolution image. By acquiring images in succession, as many as four different fluorophores may be evaluated from a gel. The imaging platform is suitable for analysis of the wide range of dyes and tags commonly encountered in proteomics investigations. The instrument is unique in its capabilities of scanning large areas at high resolution and providing accurate selectable illumination over the UV/visible spectral range, thus maximizing the efficiency of dye multiplexing protocols.

Arabidopsis Proteins↗

PubMed2003

Combinatorial peptidomics: a generic approach for protein expression profiling.

Traditional approaches to protein profiling were built around the concept of investigating one protein at a time and have long since reached their limits of throughput. Here we present a completely new approach for comprehensive compositional analysis of complex protein mixtures, capable of overcoming the deficiencies of current proteomics techniques. The Combinatorial methodology utilises the peptidomics approach, in which protein samples are proteolytically digested using one or a combination of proteases prior to any assay being carried out. The second fundamental principle is the combinatorial depletion of the crude protein digest (i.e. of the peptide pool) by chemical crosslinking through amino acid side chains. Our approach relies on the chemical reactivities of the amino acids and therefore the amino acid content of the peptides (i.e. their information content) rather than their physical properties. Combinatorial peptidomics does not use affinity reagents and relies on neither chromatography nor electrophoretic separation techniques. It is the first generic methodology applicable to protein expression profiling, that is independent of the physical properties of proteins and does not require any prior knowledge of the proteins. Alternatively, a specific combinatorial strategy may be designed to analyse a particular known protein on the basis of that protein sequence alone or, in the absence of reliable protein sequence, even the predicted amino acid translation of an EST sequence. Combinatorial peptidomics is especially suitable for use with high throughput micro- and nano-fluidic platforms capable of running multiple depletion reactions in a single disposable chip.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Peptidomics: A new approach to affinity protein microarrays.

Protein microarrays for diagnostic and proteomic analyses are being developed using a number of different techniques for each of the steps required including immobilisation methods, assay and detection systems. This is extremely different to the development of DNA microarrays which is now a well established technology that has demonstrated the capabilities of transcriptomics to deliver validated differential transcripts. As mRNA and protein levels do not always correlate, protein microarrays would seem to be an obvious successor to DNA arrays. Unlike nucleic acids, however, protein targets are typically nonhomogeneous in physicochemical properties and affinity capture agents are often poorly characterised making the experiments difficult to perfect and reproduce. Moreover, running multiple affinity assays in parallel (multiplexing) is compromised by the heterogeneity of antibody affinities to their protein targets. In the peptidomic approach presented here the assayed mixture of proteins is enzymatically digested prior to affinity capture to form a mixture of short peptides that are more similar in their physicochemical properties than intact proteins. These peptides can be predicted by in silico digestion of individual proteins, e.g. from protein databases allowing design of nonhomologous reagents for the screening of affinity agent libraries. The use of mass spectrometry (e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry) for a direct confirmation of the identity of the species captured, provides a further advantage compared to the more usual method of detection in which fluorescently labelled captured species are scanned to give a spatially resolved image of the array.

Peptides↗