Introduction The study of protein expression allows a greater understanding of biological function and can now routinely be performed using mass spectrometry. However, analysis of the post-translational modifications present on identified proteins is a more challenging problem, often due to the level of complexity or low abundance. Novel methods allowing the mass spectrometer to investigate the low level peptides could increase coverage or dynamic range, and possibly identify additional post-translational modifications. If an MS/MS spectrum is not matched to a sequence in a database, the quality of the spectrum will facilitate the determination of sequence. MS/MS spectra with poor fragmentation can be matched to a database, but de novo sequencing of similar spectra is difficult, thus the quality of the spectra from the different acquisition methods is compared. Sample Preparation COMPARISON OF PEAK PARKING VERSUS AUTOMATED FRACTION ANALYSIS OF A COMPLEX PROTEIN MIXTURE Anders L. Lund, Colleen K. Van Pelt 2, Michael J. Nold, LeRoy B. Martin III, Jeanne B. Li Waters Corporation, Beverly, MA, 2 Advion BioSciences, Inc., Ithaca, NY Presented at ASMS, Montréal, Canada, 8th-2th June 22 SCX Fractionation and Reverse Phase Fractionation Sample - µl (assumed to be mg/ml protein) of digested ribosomal peptides and treated with µl of formic acid to remove the RNA - Waters CapLC configured as a ternary system - -port switching valve controlled as a stream select valve Columns - Strong cation exchange column (SCX): PolyLC PolySULFOETHYL A,. x mm - Reverse phase trapping column (Trap): Waters Sentry Guard cartridge, Symmetry C 8, 2. x mm Mobile phases - A = % acetonitrile,.% formic acid - B = acetonitrile,.% formic acid Yeast Ribosomal Protein Collection and Digestion Reference: Hongji Lu, Scott J. Berger, Asish B. Chakraborty, Robert S. Plumb, Steven A. Cohen J. Chromatography B, 782 (22) 267-289 - Cell Growth and Harvesting - Cell Lysis by French Press - Preparation of Cleared Lysate and Pelleting of Ribosomes - C = 3 mm ammonium formate, natural ph (AmF), % acetonitrile - Flow rate 2 µl/min during sample loading, 4 µl/min for the gradient Injection - 2 µl of the treated peptide sample was loaded at µl/min onto the trapping column equilibrated in A mobile phase - Resuspension of Ribosomal Proteins - Digestion with RapiGest Thank you to Scott Berger of Waters for supplying the yeast ribosomal digest.
SCX Plumbing Load and cleanup - Load sample onto RP trap column - Wash to remove salts from sample Fractionation - Back flush peptides from RP trap column to SCX column - Wash SCX column - Elute peptides from SCX column with ammonium formate Fraction. Load, 2 µl + 2 µl A 2. Wash trap 3. Transfer from RP to SCX 4. Wash SCX. Gradient elution minutes 6. Gradient elution minutes 7. Gradient elution minutes 8. Gradient elution minutes 9. Gradient elution minutes. Gradient elution minutes. Gradient elution minutes Flow rate µl/min 22 Reverse Phase Subfractionation 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 - - - -3 3-6 6-8 8 AmF mm 3 3- -3 3-4 4-9 9-8 8-22 % ACN 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Collected µl Sample volume reduced in SpeedVac to about 2 ml and then diluted to ml in A. %C 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Sample - Peptide-rich SCX fractions - Waters CapLC configured as a ternary system - -port switching valve controlled as a stream select valve Columns - Symmetry3 C 8.32x mm, µm, 4 C Mobile phases - A = % acetonitrile,.% formic acid - B = acetonitrile,.% formic acid - Flow rate µl/min during sample loading or 4 µl/min for the gradient Injection - 4 µl from the µl worked-up fraction
Reverse Phase Gradient / Subfraction Collection min 6 7 76 99 99 4 2 99 8 Flow µl/min SCX Fractions,6,7,8 min -7 7-8 A, A2 B-F2 G, G2 Preparation of subfractions for NanoMate 96-well microtitre plates containing subfractionated samples were centrifuged prior to removal of cover. The wells were then evaporated to dryness. Samples in wells A through G2 were reconstituted in µl of % methanol,.% acetic acid. - Well # Collected µl/well Unfractionated Sample (24 min) 3 3 73 7 9 2 9 9 6 4 9 4 6 9 9 SCX Fractions (2 min) 9 9 Variable Flow Split Mode 3 73 83 8 9 9 6 4 4 6 9 9 Variable Flow ( min) 4 64 74 7 8 9 Flow rate = 8. µl/min of the combined A & B buffers at the mixing tee. 9 9 6 4 9 4 6 9 9 Sample Analysis Reverse Phase Chromatography LC Methods - Waters CapLC configured as an auxiliary system (A & B for gradient mobile phases, C for sample delivery) - -port switching valve controlled as a stream select valve Columns - Trapping Column: LC Packings 3 µm id, mm PepMap - Analytical Column: Waters Symmetry3 C 8 7 µm id NanoEase Mobile phases - A = 3% acetonitrile,.% formic acid - B = 97% acetonitrile,.% formic acid - C = 3% acetonitrile,.% formic acid - Flow rate = 2 µl/min during sample loading, 4 nl/min at initial conditions for the gradient after being split Variable Flow Split Mode 2
Variable Flow Split Mode 3 - ProteinLynx Global SERVER 2. MS Methods - Waters Micromass Q-Tof micro NanoLockSpray or NanoMate (Advion) - Data Directed Analysis (DDA ) - Collision Energies Applied via Charge State Recognition Bioinformatics 8 yeast ribosomal proteins were identified using two complimentary techniques. 63 identified with LC/MS/MS techniques 6 identified with infusion (NanoMate) 8 of the 63 proteins identified via LC/MS/MS were found with both configurations. 6 identified with the standard flow LC/MS/MS 6 identified with the variable flow LC/MS/MS 8 proteins were found with SCX prefractionation, while 4 were identified analyzing the unfractionated digest Yeast Ribosomal Proteins Identified The error reported on the mass of the parent was less than ppm RMS for the online LC/MS, whereas the non-lockmass corrected data (NanoMate) was sub 2 ppm.
Total Analysis Hours 2 8 6 4 2 run Data processing NanoMate Reverse phase Ion exchange runs runs plates 3 samples/plate Unfractionated SCX-RP SCX- RP/VFC NanoMate In the unfractionated digest 4 peptides were identified from the 4 S Ribosomal protein S6 RP. The plate color changes based on the presence or absence of protein identification. SCX fractions - and the unfractionated sample. The MS/MS data can be searched as a fraction or as a merged set of fractions. 2 4 plates 3 samples/plate Standard LC/MS run is min with peptides eluting for 8 min. VFC LC/MS run is 2 min with peptides eluting for min. 6 2 H ours 8 4 run Unfractionated SCX-RP SCX- RP/VFC NanoM ate Mass Spectrometer Analysis 2 4 plates 3 samples/plate Protein ID from SCX fraction (NanoMate) 6 H ours 2 8 run 4 Unfractionated SCX-RP SCX- RP/VFC NanoM ate Protein ID from Unfractionated Digest Protein identification from a single SCX fraction. Peptides 46 and 78 eluted in two different fractions, but ProteinLynx Global SERVER 2. merged all 74 data files and searched it as one file.
Standard vs Variable flow MS/MS Spectra 3: dilution, 4 µl loaded 348_Unfractionated_Ribosomal_Protein_digest_ 22 (4.98) Sm (SG, 2x3.); Cm (2:23) % unfractionated digest 93_2 2 (36.79) Sm (SG, 2x3.); Cm (2:3) 3: TOF MSMS 9.32ES+ 242. 39. % 86. 2 2 3 3 4 4 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 86. 7.8 7.8 2. 2.4 242.3 274.2 33.9 4.3 39.2 43.2 469.23 6.3 4.29 42.22 468.26 2 2 3 3 4 4 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 NanoMate MS/MS Spectra SCX6_C6 2 (.97) Sm (SG, 2x3.); Cm (:2) % 242.2 6.34 67.3 688.42 688.4 7.6 79.44 79.44 67.39 89. LC/MS/MS 88.6 929.7 896.44 828.32 929.4 6.7 LC/MS/MS Variable flow enabled 2: TOF MSMS 9.33ES+.8 39.9 43.26 88.49 67.34 4.3 929. 7.8 33.9 86.9 6.2 2 2 3 3 4 4 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 688.43 79.42 m/z m/z 3: TOF MSMS 9.32ES+ Offline reverse phase fractionation, automated infusion analysis with NanoMate The quality of the spectra obtained from the three modes of acquisition is presented. The MS/MS spectral quality is increased with increased time of acquisition. Each MS/MS spectrum in the online experiments is 2. sec. The standard experiment averaged -2 MS/MS spectra per ion, whereas the variable flow experiment averaged 3-4 MS/MS spectra per ion. The NanoMate data was collected at sec/spectrum, averaging 2-3 MS/MS spectra per peptide. m/z Summary A series of yeast ribosomal proteins have been identified and the coverage compared between the methods. 7 of the 7 large and small ribosomal proteins (excluding isoforms) were identified utilizing the three configurations of inlets. The NanoMate is able to spray each fraction for an extended period of time (between 2 and 3 minutes) to allow the collection of multiple lower level MS/MS spectra in each fraction. However, the data obtained from the variable flow LC/MS/MS experiment is able to identify the majority of the ribosomal proteins present in the sample. Additional work is needed to identify one system to return all of the protein ID s, currently these two techniques are quite complimentary. There is a tradeoff between quality of MS/MS spectra and the time of analysis. Online LC/MS/MS identified 63 proteins with a total analysis time of about 4 hours. The infusion system identified 6 proteins, with a total analysis time of about 8 hours. The total analysis time for separation and identification can be optimized for more specific sample sets. Additional control of the software between the NanoMate and Q-Tof micro will also facilitate decreasing the time of analysis for the infusions. The increased quality of the spectra (variable flow and NanoMate) facilitated the automated de novo sequencing of ions not reported here. WATERS CORPORATION 34 Maple St. Milford, MA 77 U.S.A. T: 8 478 2 F: 8 872 99 www.waters.com Waters, Micromass, CapLC, Sentry, Symmetry, Symmetry3, NanoEase, Q-Tof micro, NanoLockSpray, DDA and ProteinLynx are trademarks of Waters Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 23 Waters Corporation Printed in the U.S.A. June 23 72642EN SD-PDF