Regulatory protein phosphorylation controls normal and pathophysiological signaling in eukaryotic cells. Despite great advances in mass-spectrometry-based proteomics, the extent, localization, and ...site-specific stoichiometry of this posttranslational modification (PTM) are unknown. Here, we develop a stringent experimental and computational workflow, capable of mapping more than 50,000 distinct phosphorylated peptides in a single human cancer cell line. We detected more than three-quarters of cellular proteins as phosphoproteins and determined very high stoichiometries in mitosis or growth factor signaling by label-free quantitation. The proportion of phospho-Tyr drastically decreases as coverage of the phosphoproteome increases, whereas Ser/Thr sites saturate only for technical reasons. Tyrosine phosphorylation is maintained at especially low stoichiometric levels in the absence of specific signaling events. Unexpectedly, it is enriched on higher-abundance proteins, and this correlates with the substrate KM values of tyrosine kinases. Our data suggest that P-Tyr should be considered a functionally separate PTM of eukaryotic proteomes.
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•Deepest phosphoproteome with more than 50,000 distinct phosphopeptides•Stringent computational pipeline for high-quality phosphoproteomics analysis•Large-scale phosphosite occupancies extracted from label-free data•At least 75% of the proteome phosphorylated following an 80/20 rule
Here, Sharma et al. use mass spectrometry to map the phosphoproteome to a depth of about 50,000 distinct phosphopeptides. They show that at least 75% of the proteome is phosphorylated following an 80/20 rule and that specific signaling states are characterized by high fractional site occupancies. They uncover fundamental differences between Ser/Thr and Tyr phosphorylation. Notably, they find that pTyr is much more tightly controlled and tends to occur on higher-abundance proteins and that the pTyr proteome appears to be “finite.”
Although mutations may represent attractive targets for immunotherapy, direct identification of mutated peptide ligands isolated from human leucocyte antigens (HLA) on the surface of native tumour ...tissue has so far not been successful. Using advanced mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, we survey the melanoma-associated immunopeptidome to a depth of 95,500 patient-presented peptides. We thereby discover a large spectrum of attractive target antigen candidates including cancer testis antigens and phosphopeptides. Most importantly, we identify peptide ligands presented on native tumour tissue samples harbouring somatic mutations. Four of eleven mutated ligands prove to be immunogenic by neoantigen-specific T-cell responses. Moreover, tumour-reactive T cells with specificity for selected neoantigens identified by MS are detected in the patient's tumour and peripheral blood. We conclude that direct identification of mutated peptide ligands from primary tumour material by MS is possible and yields true neoepitopes with high relevance for immunotherapeutic strategies in cancer.
The insulin signaling pathway is critical in regulating glucose levels and is associated with diabetes, obesity, and longevity. A tyrosine phosphorylation cascade creates docking sites for protein ...interactions, initiating subsequent propagation of the signal throughout the cell. The phosphotyrosine interactome of this medically important pathway has not yet been studied comprehensively. We therefore applied quantitative interaction proteomics to exhaustively profile all potential phosphotyrosine-dependent interaction sites in its key players. We targeted and compared insulin receptor substrates 1 and 2 (IRS-1 and IRS-2) as central distributors of the insulin signal, the insulin receptor, the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, and the insulin receptor-related receptor. Using the stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) approach with phosphorylated versus non-phosphorylated bait peptides, we found phosphorylation-specific interaction partners for 52 out of 109 investigated sites. In addition, doubly and triply phosphorylated motifs provided insight into the combinatorial effects of phosphorylation events in close proximity to each other. Our results retrieve known interactions and substantially broaden the spectrum of potential interaction partners of IRS-1 and IRS-2. A large number of common interactors rationalize their extensive functional redundancy. However, several proteins involved in signaling and metabolism interact differentially with IRS-1 and IRS-2 and thus provide leads into their different physiological roles. Differences in interactions at the receptor level are reflected in multisite recruitment of SHP2 by the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor and limited but exclusive interactions with the IRR. In common with other recent reports, our data furthermore hint at non-SH2 or phosphotyrosine-binding domain-mediated phosphotyrosine binding.
Protein secretion allows communication of distant cells in an organism and controls a broad range of physiological functions. We describe a quantitative, high-resolution mass spectrometric workflow ...to detect and quantify proteins that are released from immune cells upon receptor ligation. We quantified the time-resolved release of 775 proteins, including 52 annotated cytokines from only 150,000 primary Toll-like receptor 4-activated macrophages per condition. Achieving low picogram sensitivity, we detected secreted proteins whose abundance increased by a factor of more than 10,000 upon stimulation. Secretome to transcriptome comparisons revealed the transcriptionally decoupled release of lysosomal proteins. From genetic models, we defined secretory profiles that depended on distinct intracellular signaling adaptors and showed that secretion of many proinflammatory proteins is safeguarded by redundant mechanisms, whereas signaling adaptor synergy promoted the release of anti-inflammatory proteins.
Membrane proteomics is challenging because the desirable strong detergents are incompatible with downstream analysis. Recently, we demonstrated efficient removal of SDS by the filter aided sample ...preparation method (FASP). Here we combine FASP with our previously described small-scale membrane enrichment protocol. Analysis of a single mouse hippocampus enables identification of more than 1000 membrane proteins in a single LC-MS/MS run without protein or peptide prefractionation. To extend proteome coverage, we developed a simple anion exchange fractionation method in a StageTip format. When separating peptides into six fractions, a duplicate analysis resulted in identification of 4206 proteins of which 64% were membrane proteins. This data set covers 83% of glutamate and GABA receptor subunits identified in hippocampus in the Allen Brain Atlas and adds further isoforms. The combined method provides a streamlined protocol for rapid and sensitive membrane proteome mapping. We also provide a generic protocol for combining FASP with StageTip-based ion exchange fractionation, which is generally applicable to proteome analysis.
Dendritic cell (DC) populations consist of multiple subsets that are essential orchestrators of the immune system. Technological limitations have so far prevented systems-wide accurate proteome ...comparison of rare cell populations in vivo. Here, we used high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomics, combined with label-free quantitation algorithms, to determine the proteome of mouse splenic conventional and plasmacytoid DC subsets to a depth of 5,780 and 6,664 proteins, respectively. We found mutually exclusive expression of pattern recognition pathways not previously known to be different among conventional DC subsets. Our experiments assigned key viral recognition functions to be exclusively expressed in CD4
+ and double-negative DCs. The CD8α
+ DCs largely lack the receptors required to sense certain viruses in the cytoplasm. By avoiding activation via cytoplasmic receptors, including retinoic acid-inducible gene I, CD8α
+ DCs likely gain a window of opportunity to process and present viral antigens before activation-induced shutdown of antigen presentation pathways occurs.
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► Comprehensive, sensitive quantitative proteome comparison of in vivo cDC subsets ► PRRs are differentially expressed amongst CD8α
+, CD4
+ and DN cDCs ► Only CD8
− cDCs express Rig-I and respond to direct Sendai and Flu virus infection ► Robust label-free quantitation provides insights into immune cell function
The circadian clock drives daily changes of physiology, including sleep-wake cycles, through regulation of transcription, protein abundance, and function. Circadian phosphorylation controls cellular ...processes in peripheral organs, but little is known about its role in brain function and synaptic activity. We applied advanced quantitative phosphoproteomics to mouse forebrain synaptoneurosomes isolated across 24 hours, accurately quantifying almost 8000 phosphopeptides. Half of the synaptic phosphoproteins, including numerous kinases, had large-amplitude rhythms peaking at rest-activity and activity-rest transitions. Bioinformatic analyses revealed global temporal control of synaptic function through phosphorylation, including synaptic transmission, cytoskeleton reorganization, and excitatory/inhibitory balance. Sleep deprivation abolished 98% of all phosphorylation cycles in synaptoneurosomes, indicating that sleep-wake cycles rather than circadian signals are main drivers of synaptic phosphorylation, responding to both sleep and wake pressures.
Modifications on histones or on DNA recruit proteins that regulate chromatin function. Here, we use nucleosomes methylated on DNA and on histone H3 in an affinity assay, in conjunction with a ...SILAC-based proteomic analysis, to identify “crosstalk” between these two distinct classes of modification. Our analysis reveals proteins whose binding to nucleosomes is regulated by methylation of CpGs, H3K4, H3K9, and H3K27 or a combination thereof. We identify the origin recognition complex (ORC), including LRWD1 as a subunit, to be a methylation-sensitive nucleosome interactor that is recruited cooperatively by DNA and histone methylation. Other interactors, such as the lysine demethylase Fbxl11/KDM2A, recognize nucleosomes methylated on histones, but their recruitment is disrupted by DNA methylation. These data establish SILAC nucleosome affinity purifications (SNAP) as a tool for studying the dynamics between different chromatin modifications and provide a modification binding “profile” for proteins regulated by DNA and histone methylation.
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► Proteomics-based affinity purification identifies nucleosome-binding proteins ► Binding of proteins to chromatin is modulated by both DNA and histone modifications ► The origin recognition complex binds nucleosomes and includes LRWD1 as a subunit ► KDM2A binds H3K9me3-modified nucleosomes via HP1 and is blocked by CpG methylation
High-grade serous carcinoma has a poor prognosis, owing primarily to its early dissemination throughout the abdominal cavity. Genomic and proteomic approaches have provided snapshots of the ...proteogenomics of ovarian cancer
, but a systematic examination of both the tumour and stromal compartments is critical in understanding ovarian cancer metastasis. Here we develop a label-free proteomic workflow to analyse as few as 5,000 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cells microdissected from each compartment. The tumour proteome was stable during progression from in situ lesions to metastatic disease; however, the metastasis-associated stroma was characterized by a highly conserved proteomic signature, prominently including the methyltransferase nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) and several of the proteins that it regulates. Stromal NNMT expression was necessary and sufficient for functional aspects of the cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype, including the expression of CAF markers and the secretion of cytokines and oncogenic extracellular matrix. Stromal NNMT expression supported ovarian cancer migration, proliferation and in vivo growth and metastasis. Expression of NNMT in CAFs led to depletion of S-adenosyl methionine and reduction in histone methylation associated with widespread gene expression changes in the tumour stroma. This work supports the use of ultra-low-input proteomics to identify candidate drivers of disease phenotypes. NNMT is a central, metabolic regulator of CAF differentiation and cancer progression in the stroma that may be therapeutically targeted.
Human skeletal muscle is composed of three major fiber types, referred to as type 1, 2A, and 2X fibers. This heterogeneous cellular composition complicates the interpretation of studies based on ...whole skeletal muscle lysate. A single-fiber proteomics approach is required to obtain a fiber-type resolved quantitative information on skeletal muscle pathophysiology.
Single fibers were dissected from vastus lateralis muscle biopsies of young adult males and processed for mass spectrometry-based single-fiber proteomics. We provide and analyze a resource dataset based on relatively pure fibers, containing at least 80% of either MYH7 (marker of slow type 1 fibers), MYH2 (marker of fast 2A fibers), or MYH1 (marker of fast 2X fibers).
In a dataset of more than 3800 proteins detected by single-fiber proteomics, we selected 404 proteins showing a statistically significant difference among fiber types. We identified numerous type 1 or 2X fiber type-specific protein markers, defined as proteins present at 3-fold or higher levels in these compared to other fiber types. In contrast, we could detect only two 2A-specific protein markers in addition to MYH2. We observed three other major patterns: proteins showing a differential distribution according to the sequence 1 > 2A > 2X or 2X > 2A > 1 and type 2-specific proteins expressed in 2A and 2X fibers at levels 3 times greater than in type 1 fibers. In addition to precisely quantifying known fiber type-specific protein patterns, our study revealed several novel features of fiber type specificity, including the selective enrichment of components of the dystrophin and integrin complexes, as well as microtubular proteins, in type 2X fibers. The fiber type-specific distribution of some selected proteins revealed by proteomics was validated by immunofluorescence analyses with specific antibodies.
We here show that numerous muscle proteins, including proteins whose function is unknown, are selectively enriched in specific fiber types, pointing to potential implications in muscle pathophysiology. This reinforces the notion that single-fiber proteomics, together with recently developed approaches to single-cell proteomics, will be instrumental to explore and quantify muscle cell heterogeneity.