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Biomedical subjects

Kim K Hixson

Publications and source records attributed to Kim K Hixson.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Protein composition of the vaccinia virus mature virion.

The protein content of vaccinia virus mature virions, purified by rate zonal and isopycnic centrifugations and solubilized by SDS or a solution of urea and thiourea, was determined by the accurate mass and time tag technology which uses both tandem mass spectrometry and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to detect tryptic peptides separated by high-resolution liquid chromatography. Eighty vaccinia virus-encoded proteins representing 37% of the 218 genes annotated in the complete genome sequence were detected in at least three analyses. Ten proteins accounted for approximately 80% of the virion mass. Thirteen identified proteins were not previously reported as components of virions. On the other hand, 8 previously described virion proteins were not detected here, presumably due to technical reasons including small size and hydrophobicity. In addition to vaccinia virus-encoded proteins, 24 host proteins omitting isoforms were detected. The most abundant of these were cytoskeletal proteins, heat shock proteins and proteins involved in translation.

Centrifugation, Isopycnic↗

The proteome of dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganism Geobacter sulfurreducens under various growth conditions.

The proteome of Geobacter sulfurreducens, a model for the Geobacter species that predominate in many Fe(III)-reducing subsurface environments, was characterized with ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry using accurate mass and time (AMT) tags as well as with more traditional two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). Cells were grown under six different growth conditions in order to enhance the potential that a wide range of genes would be expressed. The AMT tag approach was able to identify a much greater number of proteins than could be detected with the 2-D PAGE approach. With the AMT approach over 3,000 gene products were identified, representing about 90% of the total predicted gene products in the genome. A high proportion of predicted proteins in most protein role categories were detected; the highest number of proteins was identified in the hypothetical protein role category. Furthermore, 91 c-type cytochromes of 111 predicted genes in the G. sulfurreducens genome were identified. Differences in the abundance of cytochromes and other proteins under different growth conditions provided information for future functional analysis of these proteins. These results demonstrate that a high percentage of the predicted proteins in the G. sulfurreducens genome are produced and that the AMT tag approach provides a rapid method for comparing differential expression of proteins under different growth conditions in this organism.

Bacterial Proteins↗

More sensitive and quantitative proteomic measurements using very low flow rate porous silica monolithic LC columns with electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry.

The sensitivity of proteomics measurements using liquid chromatography (LC) separations interfaced with electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) improves approximately inversely with liquid flow rate (for the columns having the same separation efficiency, linear velocity, and porosity), making attractive the use of smaller inner diameter LC columns. We report the development and initial application of 10 microm i.d. silica-based monolithic LC columns providing more sensitive proteomics measurements. A 50-microm-i.d. micro solid-phase extraction precolumn was used for ease of sample injection and cleanup prior to the reversed-phase LC separation, enabling the sample volume loading speed to be increased by approximately 50-fold. Greater than 10-fold improvement in sensitivity was obtained compared to analyses using more conventional capillary LC, enabling e.g. the identification of >5000 different peptides by MS/MS from 100-ng of a Shewanella oneidensis tryptic digest using an ion trap MS. The low nL/min LC flow rates provide more uniform responses for different peptides, and provided improved quantitative measurements compared to conventional separation systems without the use of internal standards or isotopic labeling. The improved sensitivity allowed LC-MS measurements of immunopurified protein phosphatase 5 that were in good agreement with quantitative Western blot analyses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Biomarker candidate identification in Yersinia pestis using organism-wide semiquantitative proteomics.

The accurate mass and time tag mass spectrometry method and clustering analysis were used to compare the abundance change of 992 Yersinia pestis proteins under four contrasting growth conditions (26 and 37 degrees C, with or without Ca2+) that mimicked growth states in either a flea vector or mammalian host. Eighty-nine proteins were observed to have similar abundance change profiles to 29 known virulence associated proteins, providing identification of additional biomarker candidates. Eighty-seven hypothetical proteins, which clustered into 5 distinct clusters of like-protein abundance change, were identified as unique biomarkers related specifically to growth condition.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Preparation of 20-microm-i.d. silica-based monolithic columns and their performance for proteomics analyses.

We describe the preparation and performance of high-efficiency 70 cm x 20 microm i.d. silica-based monolithic capillary LC columns. The monolithic columns at a mobile-phase pressure of 5000 psi provide flow rates of approximately 40 nL/min at a linear velocity of approximately 0.24 cm/s. The columns provide a separation peak capacity of approximately 420 in conjunction with both on-line coupling with microsolid-phase extraction and nanoelectrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Performance was evaluated using a Shewanella oneidensis tryptic digest, and approximately 15-amol detection limits for peptides were obtained using a conventional ion trap and MS/MS for peptide identification. The sensitivity and separation efficiency enabled the identification of 2367 different peptides covering 855 distinct S. oneidensis proteins from a 2.5-microg tryptic digest sample in a single 10-h analysis. The number of identified peptides and proteins approximately doubled when the effective separation time was extended from 200 to 600 min. The number of identified peptides increased from 32 to 390 as the injection amount was increased from 0.5 to 100 ng. Both the run-to-run and column-to-column reproducibility for proteomic analyses were also evaluated.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

Automated 20 kpsi RPLC-MS and MS/MS with chromatographic peak capacities of 1000-1500 and capabilities in proteomics and metabolomics.

Proteomics analysis based-on reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) is widely practiced; however, variations providing cutting-edge RPLC performance have generally not been adopted even though their benefits are well established. Here, we describe an automated format 20 kpsi RPLC system for proteomics and metabolomics that includes on-line coupling of micro-solid phase extraction for sample loading and allows electrospray ionization emitters to be readily replaced. The system uses 50 microm i.d. x 40-200 cm fused-silica capillaries packed with 1.4-3-microm porous C18-bonded silica particles to obtain chromatographic peak capacities of 1000-1500 for complex peptide and metabolite mixtures. This separation quality provided high-confidence identifications of >12 000 different tryptic peptides from >2000 distinct Shewanella oneidensis proteins (approximately 40% of the proteins predicted for the S. oneidensis proteome) in a single 12-h ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis. The protein identification reproducibility approached 90% between replicate experiments. The average protein MS/MS identification rate exceeded 10 proteins/min, and 1207 proteins were identified in 120 min through assignment of 5944 different peptides. The proteomic analysis dynamic range of the 20 kpsi RPLC-ion trap MS/MS was approximately 10(6) based on analyses of a human blood plasma sample, for which 835 distinct proteins were identified with high confidence in a single 12-h run. A single run of the 20 kpsi RPLC-accurate mass MS detected >5000 different compounds from a metabolomics sample.

Automation↗

Integrative analysis of the mitochondrial proteome in yeast.

In this study yeast mitochondria were used as a model system to apply, evaluate, and integrate different genomic approaches to define the proteins of an organelle. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry applied to purified mitochondria identified 546 proteins. By expression analysis and comparison to other proteome studies, we demonstrate that the proteomic approach identifies primarily highly abundant proteins. By expanding our evaluation to other types of genomic approaches, including systematic deletion phenotype screening, expression profiling, subcellular localization studies, protein interaction analyses, and computational predictions, we show that an integration of approaches moves beyond the limitations of any single approach. We report the success of each approach by benchmarking it against a reference set of known mitochondrial proteins, and predict approximately 700 proteins associated with the mitochondrial organelle from the integration of 22 datasets. We show that a combination of complementary approaches like deletion phenotype screening and mass spectrometry can identify over 75% of the known mitochondrial proteome. These findings have implications for choosing optimal genome-wide approaches for the study of other cellular systems, including organelles and pathways in various species. Furthermore, our systematic identification of genes involved in mitochondrial function and biogenesis in yeast expands the candidate genes available for mapping Mendelian and complex mitochondrial disorders in humans.

Chemical Fractionation↗

Ultrasensitive proteomics using high-efficiency on-line micro-SPE-nanoLC-nanoESI MS and MS/MS.

Ultrasensitive nanoscale proteomics approaches for characterizing proteins from complex proteomic samples of <50 ng of total mass are described. Protein identifications from 0.5 pg of whole proteome extracts were enabled by ultrahigh sensitivity (<75 zmol for individual proteins) achieved using high-efficiency (peak capacities of approximately 10(3)) 15-microm-i.d. capillary liquid chromatography separations (i.e., using nanoLC, approximately 20 nL/min mobile-phase flow rate at the optimal linear velocity of approximately 0.2 cm/s) coupled on-line with a micro-solid-phase sample extraction and a nanoscale electrospray ionization interface to a 11.4-T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer (MS). Proteome measurement coverage improved as sample size was increased from as little as 0.5 pg of sample. It was found that a 2.5-ng sample provided 14% coverage of all annotated open reading frames for the microorganism Deinococcus radiodurans, consistent with previous results for a specific culture condition. The estimated detection dynamic range for detected proteins was 10(5)-10(6). An improved accurate mass and LC elution time two-dimensional data analysis methodology, used to both speed and increase the confidence of peptide/protein identifications, enabled identification of 872 proteins/run from a single 3-h nanoLC/FTICR MS analysis. The low-zeptomole-level sensitivity provides a basis for extending proteomics studies to smaller cell populations and potentially to a single mammalian cell. Application with ion trap MS/MS instrumentation allowed protein identification from 50 pg (total mass) of proteomic samples (i.e., approximately 100 times larger than FTICR MS), corresponding to a sensitivity of approximately 7 amol for individual proteins. Compared with single-stage FTICR measurements, ion trap MS/MS provided a much lower proteome measurement coverage and dynamic range for a given analysis time and sample quantity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Integration of electrokinetic-based multidimensional separation/concentration platform with electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry for proteome analysis of Shewanella oneidensis.

This work focuses on the development of a multidimensional electrokinetic-based separation/concentration platform coupled with electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) for achieving the high resolution and ultrasensitive analysis of complex protein/peptide mixtures. A microdialysis junction is employed as the interface for on-line combination of capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) with transient capillary isotachophoresis/zone electrophoresis (CITP/CZE) in an integrated platform. Besides the excellent resolving power afforded by both CIEF and CZE separations, the electrokinetic focusing/stacking effects of CIEF and CITP greatly enhance the dynamic range and detection sensitivity of MS for protein identification. The constructed multidimensional separation/concentration platform is demonstrated for the analysis of Shewanella oneidensis proteome, which has considerable implications toward the bioremediation of environmental pollutants. The electrokinetic-based platform offers the overall peak capacity comparable to those obtained using multidimensional chromatography systems, but with a much shorter run time and no need for column regeneration. Most importantly, a total of 1174 unique proteins, corresponding to 26.5% proteome coverage, are identified from the cytosolic fraction of S. oneidensis, while requiring <500 ng of proteolytic digest loaded in the CIEF capillary. The ultrasensitive capabilities of electrokinetic-based proteome approach are attributed to the concentration effect in CIEF, the electrokinetic stacking of CITP, the nanoscale peak volume in CZE, the "accurate mass tag" strategy for protein/peptide identification, and the high-sensitivity, high-resolution, and high-mass measurement accuracy of FTICR-MS.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

High-efficiency on-line solid-phase extraction coupling to 15-150-microm-i.d. column liquid chromatography for proteomic analysis.

The ability to manipulate and effectively utilize small proteomic samples is important for analyses using liquid chromatography (LC) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) and becomes more challenging for very low flow rates due to extra column volume effects on separation quality. Here we report on the use of commercial switching valves (150-microm channels) for implementing the on-line coupling of capillary LC columns operated at 10,000 psi with relatively large solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns. With the use of optimized column connections, switching modes, and SPE column dimensions, high-efficiency on-line SPE-capillary and nanoscale LC separations were obtained demonstrating peak capacities of approximately 1000 for capillaries having inner diameters between 15 and 150 microm. The on-line coupled SPE columns increased the sample processing capacity by approximately 400-fold for sample solution volume and approximately 10-fold for sample mass. The proteomic applications of this on-line SPE-capillary LC system were evaluated for analysis of both soluble and membrane protein tryptic digests. Using an ion trap tandem MS it was typically feasible to identify 1100-1500 unique peptides in a 5-h analysis. Peptides extracted from the SPE column and then eluted from the LC column covered a hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity range that included an estimated approximately 98% of all tryptic peptides. The SPE-capillary LC implementation also facilitates automation and enables use of both disposable SPE columns and electrospray emitters, providing a robust basis for automated proteomic analyses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Global analysis of the Deinococcus radiodurans proteome by using accurate mass tags.

Understanding biological systems and the roles of their constituents is facilitated by the ability to make quantitative, sensitive, and comprehensive measurements of how their proteome changes, e.g., in response to environmental perturbations. To this end, we have developed a high-throughput methodology to characterize an organism's dynamic proteome based on the combination of global enzymatic digestion, high-resolution liquid chromatographic separations, and analysis by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The peptides produced serve as accurate mass tags for the proteins and have been used to identify with high confidence >61% of the predicted proteome for the ionizing radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. This fraction represents the broadest proteome coverage for any organism to date and includes 715 proteins previously annotated as either hypothetical or conserved hypothetical.

Bacteria↗

Evaluation of enzymatic digestion and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry peptide mapping of the integral membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin.

A method for the complete peptide mapping of the model integral membrane protein bacteri-orhodopsin is demonstrated. Utilizing more effective enzymatic digestion, procedures with capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), all predicted tryptic digestion products were detected, as well as peptides from all previously reported post-translational modifications of bacteriorhodopsin. A significant contribution of chymotryptic-like digestion products was also observed. A characterization of the behavior of hydrophobic integral membrane peptides in a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation is also provided. The method reported here offers improved compatibility of the solubilizing reagents with both the chromatography and mass spectrometry, rendering it suitable for high-throughput proteomic applications.

Amino Acid Sequence↗