Preparation of membrane proteins for analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (original) (raw)

Two-dimensional electrophoresis of membrane proteins

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2007

resolving technique for arraying proteins by isoelectric point and molecular mass. To date, the resolving ability of 2-DE for protein separation is unsurpassed, thus ensuring its use as the fundamental separation method for proteomics. When immobilized pH gradients (IPGs) are used for isoelectric focusing in the first dimension, excellent reproducibility and high protein load capacity can be achieved. While this has been beneficial for separations of soluble and mildly hydrophobic proteins, separations of membrane proteins and other hydrophobic proteins with IPGs have often been poor. Stimulated by the growing interest in proteomics, recent developments in 2-DE methodology have been aimed at rectifying this situation. Improvements have been made in the area of protein solubilization and sample fractionation, leading to a revamp of traditional approaches for 2-DE of membrane proteins. This review explores these developments.

Improved gel electrophoresis matrix for hydrophobic protein separation and identification

Analytical Biochemistry, 2011

We propose an improved acrylamide gel for the separation of hydrophobic proteins. The separation strategy is based on the incorporation of N-alkylated and N,N 0-dialkylated acrylamide monomers in the gel composition in order to increase hydrophobic interactions between the gel matrix and the membrane proteins. Focusing on the most efficient monomer, N,N 0-dimethylacrylamide, the potentiality of the new matrix was evaluated on membrane proteins of the human colon HCT-116 cell line. Protein analysis was performed using an adapted analytical strategy based on FT-ICR tandem mass spectrometry. As a result of this comparative study, including advanced reproducibility experiments, more hydrophobic proteins were identified in the new gel (average GRAVY: À0.085) than in the classical gel (average GRAVY: À0.411). Highly hydrophobic peptides were identified reaching a GRAVY value up to 1.450, therefore indicating their probable locations in the membrane. Focusing on predicted transmembrane domains, it can be pointed out that 27 proteins were identified in the hydrophobic gel containing up to 11 transmembrane domains; in the classical gel, only 5 proteins containing 1 transmembrane domain were successfully identified. For example, multiple ionic channels and receptors were characterized in the hydrophobic gel such as the sodium/potassium channel and the glutamate or the transferrin receptors whereas they are traditionally detected using specific enrichment techniques such as immunoprecipitation. In total, membrane proteins identified in the classical gel are well documented in the literature, while most of the membrane proteins only identified on the hydrophobic gel have rarely or never been described using a proteomic-based approach.

Separation of membrane proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis using cationic rehydrated strips

ELECTROPHORESIS, 2008

Due to their poor solubility during IEF membrane proteins cannot be separated and analyzed satisfactorily with classical 2-DE. A more efficient method for such hydrophobic proteins is the benzyldimethyl-n-hexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC)/SDS-PAGE, but the corresponding protocol is intricate and time-consuming. We now developed an easy-tohandle electrophoresis method in connection with a novel device which enables reproducible separation of ionic solubilized membrane proteins using individually rehydrated plastic sheet gel strips. These strips are suitable for the first dimension in a 2-D 16-BAC/SDS system and can be handled easily; this is demonstrated by the separation of membrane proteins of human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells.

16BAC/SDS–PAGE: A Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis System Suitable for the Separation of Integral Membrane Proteins

Analytical Biochemistry, 1996

Integral membrane proteins, particularly those with more than one transmembrane domain, have traditionally been difficult to separate by two-dimensional electrophoretic methods. Here we report the adaptation of a previously published procedure [D. E. Macfarlane (1989)Anal. Biochem.176, 457–463] for the analytical and semipreparative separation of membrane proteins. The first dimension involves discontinuous gel electrophoresis in an acidic buffer system using the cationic detergent benzyldimethyl-n-hexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC). The second dimension consists of discontinuous SDS–PAGE. Using carbonate-washed membranes of synaptic vesicles and clathrin-coated vesicles as examples, we demonstrate that complex membrane protein mixtures can be resolved with a resolution at least fivefold higher than that of one-dimensional SDS–PAGE. Protein patterns are highly reproducible and proteins with single or multiple transmembrane domains are resolved as clearly distinct spots. Smearing of bands or losses of protein are minimal. Several spots were identified by immunoblotting and internal sequencing. Thus, this method is suitable for the analytical and semipreparative characterization of membrane proteins derived from complex biological samples.

Extraction of membrane proteins by differential solubilization for separation using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Electrophoresis, 1998

We describe the extraction and enrichment of membrane proteins for separation by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) after differential solubilization of an Escherichia coli cell lysate. In a simple three-step sequential solubilization protocol applicable for whole cell lysates, membrane proteins are partitioned from other cellular proteins by their insolubility in solutions conventionally used for isoelectric focusing (IEF). As the first step, Tris-base was used to solubilize many cytosolic proteins. The resultant pellet was then subjected to conventional solubilizing solutions (urea, 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate, dithiothreitol, Tris, carrier ampholytes). Following the completion of this step, 89% of the initial E. coli sample mass was solubilized. Finally, the membrane protein rich pellet was partially solubilized using a combination of urea, thiourea, tributyl phosphine and multiple zwitterionic surfactants. Using N-terminal sequence tagging and peptide mass fingerprinting we have identified 11 membrane proteins from this pellet. Two of these outer membrane proteins (Omp), OmpW and OmpX, have previously been known only as an open reading frame in E. coli, while OmpC, OmpT and OmpTOLC have not previously been identified on a 2-D gel. The prefractionation of an entire cell lysate into multiple fractions, based on solubility, results in simplified protein patterns following 2-D PAGE using broad-range pH 3.5–10 immobilized pH gradients (IPGs). Additional advantages of sample prefractionation are that protein identification and gel matching, for database construction, is a more manageable task, the procedure requires no specialized apparatus, and the sequential extraction is conducted in a single centrifuge tube, minimizing protein loss.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis of membrane proteins: A current challenge for immobilized pH gradients

Electrophoresis, 1997

Membrane proteins were separated by high resolution two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis. On isoelectric focusing (IEF) with immobilized pH gradients severe protein losses in the resulting 2-D map were observed when compared with carrier ampholyte-based IEF. This has been noticed for two different biological systems, namely the chloroplast envelope of spinach and the endocytic vesicles from Dictyostelium discoideum. The possible mechanisms of these losses on immobilized pH gradients are discussed?

Separation of mammalian cell surface proteins by a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis system

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-biomembranes, 1978

Separation of externally exposed plasma membrane proteins of mammalian cells has been achieved by a new two-dimensional gel electrophoresis system. The proteins were separated in the first dimension on cylindrical polyacrylamide gels containing 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and in the second dimension on polyacrylamide slab gels containing 9 M urea, 0.1% SDS, and 0.1% Triton CF10. Using this method we have obtained reproducible high-resolution patterns of cell surface proteins of differentiated rat neuro-tumor cells in culture and of normal rat retinal cells. Different cell types show characteristic cell surface proteins in addition to ubiquitous ones. The number of common surface proteins between two cell types account for approximately half of the total surface proteins. By immunoprecipitation we have als0 found that rabbit anti-serum against a rat neuronal cell line can recognize most of these external proteins. Since the separation in the first dimension is done in the presence of SDS and the second dimension in the presence of SDS, a non-ionic detergent, and urea, the technique is particularly suitable for proteins that are of poor solubility. In addition to size, net charge and hydrophobicity appear to be important factors in the separation. Virtually all of the proteins that run in the first dimension can be recovered and further separated in the second.

Use of selective extraction and fast chromatographic separation combined with electrophoretic methods for mapping of membrane proteins

ELECTROPHORESIS, 2005

A model system for selective solubilization and fast separation of proteins from the rat liver membrane fraction and purified rat liver plasma membranes for their further proteomic analysis is presented. For selective solubilization, high-pH solutions and a concentrated urea solution, combined with different detergents, are used. After extraction, proteins are separated by anion-exchange chromatography or a combination of anion-and cation-exchange chromatography with convective interaction monolithic supports. This separation method enables fast and effective prefractionation of membrane proteins based on their hydrophobicity and charge prior to one-dimensional (1-D) and 2-D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. By use of this sample preparation method, the less-abundant proteins can be detected and identified.

Improved membrane protein solubilization and clean-up for optimum two-dimensional electrophoresis utilizing GLUT-1 as a classic integral membrane protein

Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 2009

Two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis remains a primary resolving tool for proteomic analyses. The final number of proteins resolved by 2-D electrophoresis depends on their respective solubility, size, charge, and isoelectric point. While water-soluble cytosolic proteins have often been well represented in 2-D maps, the same is not true with membrane proteins. Highly hydrophobic in nature, membrane proteins are poorly resolved in 2-D gels due to problems associated primarily with sample preparation. This is of especial concern in neuroscience studies where many proteins of interest are membrane bound. In the current work, we present a substantially improved sample preparation protocol for membrane proteins utilizing the GLUT-1 glucose transporter from brain microvessels as an example of a typical membrane protein. GLUT-1 (SLC2A1; solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 1) is a 55 kD glycoprotein that contains 12 membrane-spanning alpha helices that impart the protein its characteristic hydrophobicity. GLUT-1 based on its amino acid sequence has a theoretical isoelectric point (pI) of 8.94. Using a combination of the non-ionic detergents, n-dodecyl-␤-maltoside (DDM) and amido sulphobetaine-14 (ASB-14) for sample solubilization, and a modification of the Bio-Rad 2-D cleanup protocol involving trichloroacetic acid (TCA)/acetone, we obtained near complete solubilization of GLUT-1 and greater than 90% recovery of this membrane protein in 1-D and 2-D Western blots. The total number of proteins resolved also increased dramatically in Deep Purple TM total protein stains using our improved protocol.