We thank Ronald Moore and Thomas Fillmore for helping with mass spectrometry experiments, and Matthew Monroe for data deposition. This research was funded by grants from US Department of Energy (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research through the Epigenetic Control of Drought Response in Sorghum (EPICON) project under award number DE-SC0014081, from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA; CRIS 2030-21430-008-00D), and through the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a facility sponsored by DOE (Contract DE-AC02-05CH11231) between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and DOE. The research was performed using Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) (grid.436923.9), a DOE Office of Science User Facility sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research.

<ol>
	<li>Farooq, M., Wahid, A., Kobayashi, N., Fujita, D., Basra, S. M. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plant+drought+stress:+Effects,+mechanisms+and+management.">Plant drought stress: Effects, mechanisms and management.</a> Agronomy for Sustainable Development. , 153-188 (2009).</li><li>Dai, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Drought+under+global+warming:+a+review.">Drought under global warming: a review.</a> Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change. 2 (1), 45-65 (2011).</li><li>Rooney, W. L., Blumenthal, J., Bean, B., Mullet, J. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Designing+sorghum+as+a+dedicated+bioenergy+feedstock.">Designing sorghum as a dedicated bioenergy feedstock.</a> Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. 1 (2), 147-157 (2007).</li><li>Mullet, J. E., Klein, R. R., Klein, P. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sorghum+bicolor+-+an+important+species+for+comparative+grass+genomics+and+a+source+of+beneficial+genes+for+agriculture.">Sorghum bicolor - an important species for comparative grass genomics and a source of beneficial genes for agriculture.</a> Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 5 (2), 118-121 (2002).</li><li>Xu, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Drought+delays+development+of+the+sorghum+root+microbiome+and+enriches+for+monoderm+bacteria.">Drought delays development of the sorghum root microbiome and enriches for monoderm bacteria.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 115 (18), 4284-4293 (2018).</li><li>Gao, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Strong+succession+in+arbuscular+mycorrhizal+fungal+communities.">Strong succession in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities.</a> ISME Journal. 13 (1), 214-226 (2019).</li><li>Gao, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fungal+community+assembly+in+drought-stressed+sorghum+shows+stochasticity,+selection,+and+universal+ecological+dynamics.">Fungal community assembly in drought-stressed sorghum shows stochasticity, selection, and universal ecological dynamics.</a> Nature Communications. 11 (1), (2020).</li><li>Bannister, A. J., Kouzarides, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regulation+of+chromatin+by+histone+modifications.">Regulation of chromatin by histone modifications.</a> Cell Research. 21 (3), 381-395 (2011).</li><li>Yuan, L., Liu, X., Luo, M., Yang, S., Wu, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Involvement+of+histone+modifications+in+plant+abiotic+stress+responses.">Involvement of histone modifications in plant abiotic stress responses.</a> Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. 55 (10), 892-901 (2013).</li><li>Park, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=ChIP-seq:+advantages+and+challenges+of+a+maturing+technology.">ChIP-seq: advantages and challenges of a maturing technology.</a> Nature Reviews. Genetics. 10 (10), 669-680 (2009).</li><li>Huang, H., Lin, S., Garcia, B. A., Zhao, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+proteomic+analysis+of+histone+modifications.">Quantitative proteomic analysis of histone modifications.</a> Chemical Reviews. 115 (6), 2376-2418 (2015).</li><li>Moradian, A., Kalli, A., Sweredoski, M. J., Hess, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+top-down,+middle-down,+and+bottom-up+mass+spectrometry+approaches+for+characterization+of+histone+variants+and+their+post-translational+modifications.">The top-down, middle-down, and bottom-up mass spectrometry approaches for characterization of histone variants and their post-translational modifications.</a> Proteomics. 14 (4-5), 489-497 (2014).</li><li>Sidoli, S., Garcia, B. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Characterization+of+individual+histone+posttranslational+modifications+and+their+combinatorial+patterns+by+mass+spectrometry-based+proteomics+strategies.">Characterization of individual histone posttranslational modifications and their combinatorial patterns by mass spectrometry-based proteomics strategies.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 1528, 121-148 (2017).</li><li>Maile, T. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mass+spectrometric+quantification+of+histone+post-translational+modifications+by+a+hybrid+chemical+labeling+method.">Mass spectrometric quantification of histone post-translational modifications by a hybrid chemical labeling method.</a> Molecular &amp; Cellular Proteomics. 14 (4), 1148-1158 (2015).</li><li>Dang, X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+first+pilot+project+of+the+consortium+for+top-down+proteomics:+a+status+report.">The first pilot project of the consortium for top-down proteomics: a status report.</a> Proteomics. 14 (10), 1130-1140 (2014).</li><li>Schaffer, L. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+and+quantification+of+proteoforms+by+mass+spectrometry.">Identification and quantification of proteoforms by mass spectrometry.</a> Proteomics. 19 (10), 1800361 (2019).</li><li>Cupp-Sutton, K. A., Wu, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-throughput+quantitative+top-down+proteomics.">High-throughput quantitative top-down proteomics.</a> Molecular Omics. , (2020).</li><li>Varoquaux, N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transcriptomic+analysis+of+field-droughted+sorghum+from+seedling+to+maturity+reveals+biotic+and+metabolic+responses.">Transcriptomic analysis of field-droughted sorghum from seedling to maturity reveals biotic and metabolic responses.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 116 (52), 27124 (2019).</li><li>Gordon, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+vanadate+as+protein-phosphotyrosine+phosphatase+inhibitor.">Use of vanadate as protein-phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor.</a> Methods in Enzymology. 201, 477-482 (1991).</li><li>Zhou, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Profiling+changes+in+histone+post-translational+modifications+by+top-down+mass+spectrometry.">Profiling changes in histone post-translational modifications by top-down mass spectrometry.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 1507, 153-168 (2017).</li><li>Chambers, M. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+cross-platform+toolkit+for+mass+spectrometry+and+proteomics.">A cross-platform toolkit for mass spectrometry and proteomics.</a> Nature Biotechnology. 30 (10), 918-920 (2012).</li><li>Kou, Q., Xun, L., Liu, X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=TopPIC:+a+software+tool+for+top-down+mass+spectrometry-based+proteoform+identification+and+characterization.">TopPIC: a software tool for top-down mass spectrometry-based proteoform identification and characterization.</a> Bioinformatics (Ocford, England). 32 (22), (2016).</li><li>Park, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Informed-Proteomics:+open-source+software+package+for+top-down+proteomics.">Informed-Proteomics: open-source software package for top-down proteomics.</a> Nature Methods. 14 (9), 909-914 (2017).</li><li>LeDuc, R. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+C-Score:+a+bayesian+framework+to+sharply+improve+proteoform+scoring+in+high-throughput+top+down+proteomics.">The C-Score: a bayesian framework to sharply improve proteoform scoring in high-throughput top down proteomics.</a> Journal of Proteome Research. 13 (7), 3231-3240 (2014).</li><li>Fornelli, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Advancing+top-down+analysis+of+the+human+proteome+using+a+benchtop+quadrupole-orbitrap+mass+spectrometer.">Advancing top-down analysis of the human proteome using a benchtop quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer.</a> Journal of Proteome Research. 16 (2), 609-618 (2017).</li><li>Sun, R. X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=pTop+1.0:+A+high-accuracy+and+high-efficiency+search+engine+for+intact+protein+identification.">pTop 1.0: A high-accuracy and high-efficiency search engine for intact protein identification.</a> Analytical Chemistry. 88 (6), 3082-3090 (2016).</li><li>Xiao, K., Yu, F., Tian, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Top-down+protein+identification+using+isotopic+envelope+fingerprinting.">Top-down protein identification using isotopic envelope fingerprinting.</a> Journal of Proteomics. 152, 41-47 (2017).</li><li>Cai, W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=MASH+Suite+Pro:+A+comprehensive+software+tool+for+top-down+proteomics.">MASH Suite Pro: A comprehensive software tool for top-down proteomics.</a> Molecular &amp; Cellular Proteomics: MCP. 15 (2), 703-714 (2016).</li><li>Zhou, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Top-down+mass+spectrometry+of+histone+modifications+in+sorghum+reveals+potential+epigenetic+markers+for+drought+acclimation.">Top-down mass spectrometry of histone modifications in sorghum reveals potential epigenetic markers for drought acclimation.</a> Methods. , (2019).</li><li>Garcia, B. A., Pesavento, J. J., Mizzen, C. A., Kelleher, N. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pervasive+combinatorial+modification+of+histone+H3+in+human+cells.">Pervasive combinatorial modification of histone H3 in human cells.</a> Nature Methods. 4 (6), 487-489 (2007).</li><li>Zheng, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Unabridged+analysis+of+human+histone+H3+by+differential+top-down+mass+spectrometry+reveals+hypermethylated+proteoforms+from+MMSET/NSD2+overexpression.">Unabridged analysis of human histone H3 by differential top-down mass spectrometry reveals hypermethylated proteoforms from MMSET/NSD2 overexpression.</a> Molecular &amp; Cellular Proteomics: MCP. 15 (3), 776-790 (2016).</li><li>Garcia, B. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chemical+derivatization+of+histones+for+facilitated+analysis+by+mass+spectrometry.">Chemical derivatization of histones for facilitated analysis by mass spectrometry.</a> Nature Protocols. 2 (4), 933-938 (2007).</li><li>Holt, M. V., Wang, T., Young, N. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=One-pot+quantitative+top-+and+middle-down+analysis+of+GluC-digested+histone+H4.">One-pot quantitative top- and middle-down analysis of GluC-digested histone H4.</a> Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. 30 (12), 2514-2525 (2019).</li><li>Tian, Z., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Enhanced+top-down+characterization+of+histone+post-translational+modifications.">Enhanced top-down characterization of histone post-translational modifications.</a> Genome Biology. 13 (10), (2012).</li><li>Wang, Z., Ma, H., Smith, K., Wu, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Two-dimensional+separation+using+high-pH+and+low-pH+reversed+phase+liquid+chromatography+for+top-down+proteomics.">Two-dimensional separation using high-pH and low-pH reversed phase liquid chromatography for top-down proteomics.</a> International Journal of Mass Spectrometry. 427, 43-51 (2018).</li><li>Gargano, A. F. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Increasing+the+separation+capacity+of+intact+histone+proteoforms+chromatography+coupling+online+weak+cation+exchange-HILIC+to+reversed+phase+LC+UVPD-HRMS.">Increasing the separation capacity of intact histone proteoforms chromatography coupling online weak cation exchange-HILIC to reversed phase LC UVPD-HRMS.</a> Journal of Proteome Research. 17 (11), 3791-3800 (2018).</li></ol>

The presented protocol describes how to extract histones from sorghum leaf (or more generally plant leaf) samples. The average histone yield is expected to be 2&#8211;20 &#181;g per 4&#8211;5 g sorghum leaf material. The materials are sufficiently pure for the downstream histone analysis by LC-MS (mostly histones with ~20% ribosomal protein contamination). Lower yield may be obtained due to sample variations, or potential mishandling/failures throughout the protocol. Maintaining the integrity of the nuclei before the nuc...

The increasing severity and frequency of drought is expected to affect productivity of cereal crops1,2. Sorghum is a cereal food and energy crop known for its exceptional ability to withstand water-limiting conditions3,4. We are pursuing mechanistic understanding of the interplay between drought stress, plant development, and epigenetics of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] plants. Our previous work has demonstrated strong connections between plant and rhizosphere microbiome in drought acclimation and responses at the molecular level5,6,7. This research will pave the way for utilizing epigenetic engineering in adapting crops to future climate scenarios. As a part of the efforts in understanding epigenetics, we aim to study protein markers that impact gene expression within the plant organism.
Histones belong to a highly conserved family of proteins in eukaryotes that pack DNA into nucleosomes as fundamental units of chromatin. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones are dynamically regulated to control chromatin structure and influence gene expression. Like other epigenetic factors, including DNA methylation, histone PTMs play important roles in many biological processes8,9. Antibody-based assays such as western blots have widely been used to identify and quantify histone PTMs. In addition, the interaction of histone PTMs and DNA can be effectively probed by Chromatin immunoprecipitation &#8211; sequencing (ChIP-seq)10. In ChIP-seq, chromatin with specific targeted histone PTM is enriched by antibodies against that specific PTM. Then, the DNA fragments can be released from the enriched chromatin and sequenced. Regions of genes that interact with the targeted histone PTM are revealed. However, all these experiments heavily rely on high quality antibodies. For some histone variants/homologs or combinations of PTMs, development of robust antibodies can be extremely challenging (especially for multiple PTMs). In addition, antibodies can only be developed if the targeted histone PTM is known.11 Therefore, alternative methods for untargeted, global profiling of histone PTMs are necessary.
Mass spectrometry (MS) is a complementary method to characterize histone PTMs, including unknown PTMs for which antibodies are not available11,12. The well-established &#8220;bottom-up&#8221; MS workflow uses proteases to digest proteins into small peptides prior to liquid chromatography (LC) separation and MS detection. Because histones have large numbers of basic residues (lysine and arginine), the trypsin digestion (protease specific to lysine and arginine) in the standard bottom-up workflow cuts the proteins into very short peptides. The short peptides are technically difficult to analyze by standard LC-MS, and do not preserve the information about the connectivity and stoichiometry of multiple PTMs. The use of other enzymes or chemical labeling to block lysines generates longer peptides that are more suitable for characterization of histone PTMs13,14.
Alternatively, the digestion step can be completely omitted. In this &#8220;top-down&#34; approach, intact protein ions are introduced into the MS by electrospray ionization (ESI) after online LC separation, yielding ions of the intact histone proteoforms. In addition, ions (i.e., proteoforms) of interest can be isolated and fragmented in the mass spectrometer to yield the sequence ions for identification and PTM localization. Hence, top-down MS has the advantage to preserve the proteoform-level information and capture the connectivity of multiple PTMs and terminal truncations on the same proteoform15,16. Top-down experiments can also provide quantitative information and offer insights of biomarkers at the intact protein level17. Herein, we describe a protocol to extract histone from sorghum leaf and analyze the intact histones by top-down LC-MS.
The example data shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 are from sorghum leaf collected at week 2 after planting. Although variation of yield is expected, this protocol is generally agnostic to specific sample conditions. The same protocol has been successfully used for sorghum plant leaf tissue collected from 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10 weeks after planting.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetonitrile</td>
			<td>Fisher Chemical</td>
			<td>A955-4L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dithiothreitol (DTT)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>43815-5G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EDTA, 500mM Solution, pH 8.0</td>
			<td>EMD Millipore Corp</td>
			<td>324504-500mL</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Formic Acid</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>28905</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Guanidine Hydrochloride</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>G3272-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MgCl2</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>M8266-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium phosphate, dibasic</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P3786-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Protease Inhibitor Cocktail, cOmplete tablets</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>5892791001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium butyrate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>303410-5G</td>
			<td>Used for histone deacetylase inhibitor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Chloride (NaCl)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S1888</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Fluoride</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S7020-100G</td>
			<td>Used for phosphatase inhibitor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Orthovanadate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>450243-10G</td>
			<td>Used for phosphatase inhibitor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sucrose</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S7903-5KG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-HCl</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP153-500 g</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>T9284-100ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Weak cation exchange resin, mesh 100-200 analytical (BioRex70)</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>142-5842</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Disposables</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chromatography column (Bio-Spin)</td>
			<td>BIO-RAD</td>
			<td>732-6008</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mesh 100 filter cloth</td>
			<td>Millipore Sigma</td>
			<td>NY1H09000</td>
			<td>This is part of the Sigma kit (catalog # CELLYTPN1) for plant nuclei extraction. Similar filters with the same mesh size can be used.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Micropipette tips (P20, P200, P1000)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tube, 50mL/15mL, Centrifuge, Conical</td>
			<td>Genesee Scientific</td>
			<td>28-103</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tube, Microcentrifuge, 1.5/2 mL</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Equipment</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Analytical Balance</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>01-912-401</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Beakers (50mL &#8211; 2L)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcentrifuge with cooling</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-690-006</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Micropipettes</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Swinging-bucket centrifuge with cooling</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vortex</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>50-728-002</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Water bath Sonicator</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>15-336-120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

isolation of histone from sorghum leaf tissue for top down mass spectrometry profiling of potential epigenetic markers

Histones belong to a family of highly conserved proteins in eukaryotes. They pack DNA into nucleosomes as functional units of chromatin. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones, which are highly dynamic and can be added or removed by enzymes, play critical roles in regulating gene expression. In plants, epigenetic factors, including histone PTMs, are related to their adaptive responses to the environment. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic control can bring unprecedented opportunities for innovative bioengineering solutions. Herein, we describe a protocol to isolate the nuclei and purify histones from sorghum leaf tissue. The extracted histones can be analyzed in their intact forms by top-down mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with online reversed-phase (RP) liquid chromatography (LC). Combinations and stoichiometry of multiple PTMs on the same histone proteoform can be readily identified. In addition, histone tail clipping can be detected using the top-down LC-MS workflow, thus, yielding the global PTM profile of core histones (H4, H2A, H2B, H3). We have applied this protocol previously to profile histone PTMs from sorghum leaf tissue collected from a large-scale field study, aimed at identifying epigenetic markers of drought resistance. The protocol could potentially be adapted and optimized for chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq), or for studying histone PTMs in similar plants.

Following the protocol, the histones can be extracted and identified using the LC-MS analysis. The raw data and processed results are available at MassIVE (https://massive.ucsd.edu/) via accession: MSV000085770. Based on the TopPIC results from the representative sample (available also from MassIVE), we identified 303 histone proteoforms (106 H2A, 72 H2B, 103 H3, and 22 H4 proteoforms). Co-purified ribosomal proteoforms have also been detected, typically eluting early in the LC. They usually consist of ~20% of the identi...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation of Histone from Sorghum Leaf Tissue for Top Down Mass Spectrometry Profiling of Potential Epigenetic Markers at JoVE.com

Isolation of Histone from Sorghum Leaf Tissue for Top Down Mass Spectrometry Profiling of Potential Epigenetic Markers

The protocol has been developed to effectively extract intact histones from sorghum leaf materials for profiling of histone post-translational modifications that can serve as potential epigenetic markers to aid engineering drought resistant crops.

Histones belong to a family of highly conserved proteins in eukaryotes. They pack DNA into nucleosomes as functional units of chromatin. ...

isolation-histone-from-sorghum-leaf-tissue-for-top-down-mass

Research

JoVE Journal

Biochemistry

4.5K Views.  Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The protocol has been developed to effectively extract intact histones from sorghum leaf materials for profiling of histone post-translational modifications that can serve as potential epigenetic markers to aid engineering drought resistant crops.

Video: Isolation of Histone from Sorghum Leaf Tissue for Top Down Mass Spectrometry Profiling of Potential Epigenetic Markers

Sheathless Capillary Electrophoresis&#8211;Mass Spectrometry for Metabolic Profiling of Biological Samples

In metabolomics, a wide range of analytical techniques is used for the global profiling of (endogenous) metabolites in complex samples. In this paper, a protocol is presented for the analysis of anionic and cationic metabolites in biological samples by capillary electrophoresis&#8211;mass spectrometry (CE-MS). CE is well-suited for the analysis of highly polar and charged metabolites as compounds are separated on the basis of their charge-to-size ratio. A recently developed sheathless interfacing design, i.e., a porous tip interface, is used for coupling CE to electrospray ionization (ESI) MS. This interfacing approach allows the effective use of the intrinsically low-flow property of CE in combination with MS, resulting in nanomolar detection limits for a broad range of polar metabolite classes. The protocol presented here is based on employing a bare fused-silica capillary with a porous tip emitter at low-pH separation conditions for the analysis of a broad array of metabolite classes in biological samples. It is demonstrated that the same sheathless CE-MS method can be used for the profiling of cationic metabolites, including amino acids, nucleosides and small peptides, or anionic metabolites, including sugar phosphates, nucleotides and organic acids, by only switching the MS detection and separation voltage polarity. Highly information-rich metabolic profiles in various biological samples, such as urine, cerebrospinal fluid and extracts of the glioblastoma cell line, can be obtained by this protocol in less than 1 hr of CE-MS analysis.

Sheathless Capillary Electrophoresis&amp;#8211;Mass Spectrometry for Metabolic Profiling of Biological Samples

A protocol for metabolic profiling of biological samples by capillary electrophoresis&#8211;mass spectrometry using a sheathless porous tip interface design is presented.

In metabolomics, a wide range of analytical techniques is used for the global profiling of (endogenous) metabolites in complex samples. In this paper, a ...

Time-resolved ElectroSpray Ionization Hydrogen-deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry for Studying Protein Structure and Dynamics

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have long been a challenge to structural biologists due to their lack of stable secondary structure elements. Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange (HDX) measured at rapid time scales is uniquely suited to detect structures and hydrogen bonding networks that are briefly populated, allowing for the characterization of transient conformers in native ensembles. Coupling of HDX to mass spectrometry offers several key advantages, including high sensitivity, low sample consumption and no restriction on protein size. This technique has advanced greatly in the last several decades, including the ability to monitor HDX labeling times on the millisecond time scale. In addition, by incorporating the HDX workflow onto a microfluidic platform housing an acidic protease microreactor, we are able to localize dynamic properties at the peptide level. In this study, Time-Resolved ElectroSpray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TRESI-MS) coupled to HDX was used to provide a detailed picture of residual structure in the tau protein, as well as the conformational shifts induced upon hyperphosphorylation.

Conformational flexibility plays a critical role in protein function. Herein, we describe the use of time-resolved electrospray ionization mass spectrometry coupled to hydrogen-deuterium exchange for probing the rapid structural changes that drive function in ordered and disordered proteins.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have long been a challenge to structural biologists due to their lack of stable secondary structure elements. ...

Resolving Affinity Purified Protein Complexes by Blue Native PAGE and Protein Correlation Profiling

Most proteins act in association with others; hence, it is crucial to characterize these functional units in order to fully understand biological processes. Affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry (AP-MS) has become the method of choice for identifying protein-protein interactions. However, conventional AP-MS studies provide information on protein interactions, but the organizational information is lost. To address this issue, we developed a strategy to unravel the distinct functional assemblies a protein might be involved in, by resolving affinity-purified protein complexes prior to their characterization by mass spectrometry. Protein complexes isolated through affinity purification of a bait protein using an epitope tag and competitive elution are separated through blue native electrophoresis. Comparison of protein migration profiles through correlation profiling using quantitative mass spectrometry allows assignment of interacting proteins to distinct molecular entities. This method is able to resolve protein complexes of close molecular weights that might not be resolved by traditional chromatographic techniques such as gel filtration. With little more work than conventional AP-geLC-MS/MS, we demonstrate this strategy may in many cases be adequate for obtaining protein complex topological information concomitantly to identifying protein interactions.

Here we present protocols for affinity purification of protein complexes and their separation by blue native PAGE, followed by protein correlation profiling using label free quantitative mass spectrometry. This method is useful to resolve interactomes into distinct protein complexes.

Most proteins act in association with others; hence, it is crucial to characterize these functional units in order to fully understand biological ...

Lipid Droplet Isolation for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Lipid droplets are vital to the replication of a variety of different pathogens, most prominently the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), as the putative site of virion morphogenesis. Quantitative lipid droplet proteome analysis can be used to identify proteins that localize to or are displaced from lipid droplets under conditions such as virus infections. Here, we describe a protocol that has been successfully used to characterize the changes in the lipid droplet proteome following infection with HCV. We use Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC) and thus label the complete proteome of one population of cells with &#34;heavy&#34; amino acids to quantitate the proteins by mass spectrometry. For lipid droplet isolation, the two cell populations (i.e.&#160;HCV-infected/&#34;light&#34; amino acids and uninfected control/&#34;heavy&#34; amino acids) are mixed 1:1 and lysed mechanically in hypotonic buffer. After removing the nuclei and cell debris by low speed centrifugation, lipid droplet-associated proteins are enriched by two subsequent ultracentrifugation steps followed by three washing steps in isotonic buffer. The purity of the lipid droplet fractions is analyzed by western blotting with antibodies recognizing different subcellular compartments. Lipid droplet-associated proteins are then separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by Coomassie staining. After tryptic digest, the peptides are quantified by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Using this method, we identified proteins recruited to lipid droplets upon HCV infection that might represent pro- or antiviral host factors. Our method can be applied to a variety of different cells and culture conditions, such as infection with pathogens, environmental stress, or drug treatment.

Lipid droplets are important organelles for the replication of several pathogens, including the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). We describe a method to isolate lipid droplets for quantitative mass spectrometry of associated proteins; it can be used under a variety of conditions, such as virus infection, environmental stress, or drug treatment.

Lipid droplets are vital to the replication of a variety of different pathogens, most prominently the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), as the putative site of ...

Deep Proteome Profiling by Isobaric Labeling, Extensive Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, and Software-assisted Quantification

Many exceptional advances have been made in mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, with particular technical progress in liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and isobaric labeling multiplexing capacity. Here, we introduce a deep-proteomics profiling protocol that combines 10-plex tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling with an extensive LC/LC-MS/MS platform, and post-MS computational interference correction to accurately quantitate whole proteomes. This protocol includes the following main steps: protein extraction and digestion, TMT labeling, 2-dimensional (2D) LC, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and computational data processing. Quality control steps are included for troubleshooting and evaluating experimental variation. More than 10,000 proteins in mammalian samples can be confidently quantitated with this protocol. This protocol can also be applied to the quantitation of post translational modifications with minor changes. This multiplexed, robust method provides a powerful tool for proteomic analysis in a variety of complex samples, including cell culture, animal tissues, and human clinical specimens.

We present a protocol to accurately quantitate proteins with isobaric labelling, extensive fractionation, bioinformatics tools, and quality control steps in combination with liquid chromatography interfaced to a high-resolution mass spectrometer.

Many exceptional advances have been made in mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, with particular technical progress in liquid chromatography (LC) ...

Leaf Spray Mass Spectrometry: A Rapid Ambient Ionization Technique to Directly Assess Metabolites from Plant Tissues

Plants produce thousands of small molecules that are diverse in their chemical properties. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful technique for analyzing plant metabolites because it provides molecular weights with high sensitivity and specificity. Leaf spray MS is an ambient ionization technique where plant tissue is used for direct chemical analysis via electrospray, eliminating chromatography from the process. This approach to sampling metabolites allows for a wide range of chemical classes to be detected simultaneously from intact plant tissues, minimizing the amount of sample preparation needed. When used with a high-resolution, accurate mass MS, leaf spray MS facilitates the rapid detection of metabolites of interest. It is also possible to collect tandem mass fragmentation data with this technique to facilitate a compound identification. The combination of accurate mass measurements and fragmentation is beneficial in confirming compound identities. The leaf spray MS technique requires only minor modifications to a nanospray ionization source and is a useful tool to further expand the capabilities of a mass spectrometer. Here, fresh leaf tissue from Sceletium tortuosum (Aizoaceae), a traditional medicinal plant from South Africa, is analyzed; numerous mesembrine alkaloids are detected with leaf spray MS.

Leaf spray mass spectrometry is a direct chemical analysis technique that minimizes the sample preparation and eliminates chromatography, allowing for the rapid detection of small molecules from plant tissues.

Plants produce thousands of small molecules that are diverse in their chemical properties. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful technique for analyzing ...

Nitropeptide Profiling and Identification Illustrated by Angiotensin II

Protein nitration is one of the most important post-translational modifications (PTM) on tyrosine residues and it can be induced by chemical actions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in eukaryotic cells. Precise identification of nitration sites on proteins is crucial for understanding the physiological and pathological processes related to protein nitration, such as inflammation, aging, and cancer. Since the nitrated proteins are of low abundance in cells even under induced conditions, no universal and efficient methods have been developed for the profiling and identification of protein nitration sites. Here we describe a protocol for nitropeptide enrichment by using a chemical reduction reaction and biotin labeling, followed by high resolution mass spectrometry. In our method, nitropeptide derivatives can be identified with high accuracy. Our method exhibits two advantages compared to the previously reported methods. First, dimethyl labeling is used to block the primary amine on nitropeptides, which can be used to generate quantitative results. Second, a disulfide bond containing NHS-biotin reagent is used for the enrichment, which can be further reduced and alkylated to enhance the detection signal on a mass spectrometer. This protocol has been successfully applied to the model peptide Angiotensin II in the current paper.

Proteomic profiling of tyrosine-nitrated proteins has been a challenging technique due to the low abundance of the 3-nitrotyrosine modification. Here we describe a novel approach for nitropeptide enrichment and profiling by using Angiotensin II as the model. This method can be extended for other in vitro or in vivo systems.

Protein nitration is one of the most important post-translational modifications (PTM) on tyrosine residues and it can be induced by chemical actions of ...

Sample Preparation for Probe Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful tool in analytical chemistry because it provides very accurate information about molecules, such as mass-to-charge ratios (m/z), which are useful to deduce molecular weights and structures. While it is essentially a destructive analytical method, recent advancements in the ambient ionization technique have enabled us to acquire data while leaving tissue in a relatively intact state in terms of integrity. Probe electrospray ionization (PESI) is a so-called direct method because it does not require complex and time-consuming pretreatment of samples. A fine needle serves as a sample picker, as well as an ionization emitter. Based on the very sharp and fine property of the probe tip, destruction of the samples is minimal, allowing us to acquire the real-time molecular information from living things in situ. Herein, we introduce three applications of PESI-MS technique that will be useful for biomedical research and development. One involves the application to solid tissue, which is the basic application of this technique for the medical diagnosis. As this technique requires only 10 mg of the sample, it may be very useful in the routine clinical settings. The second application is for in vitro medical diagnostics where human blood serum is measured. The ability to measure fluid samples is also valuable in various biological experiments where a sufficient volume of sample for conventional analytical techniques cannot be provided. The third application leans toward the direct application of probe needles in living animals, where we can obtain real-time dynamics of metabolites or drugs in specific organs. In each application, we can infer the molecules that have been detected by MS or use artificial intelligence to obtain a medical diagnosis.

This article introduces sample preparation methods for a unique real-time analytical method based on the ambient mass spectrometry. This method lets us perform real-time analysis of the biological molecules in vivo without any special pretreatments.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful tool in analytical chemistry because it provides very accurate information about molecules, such as mass-to-charge ...

Label-Free Immunoprecipitation Mass Spectrometry Workflow for Large-scale Nuclear Interactome Profiling

Immunoaffinity purification mass spectrometry (IP-MS) has emerged as a robust quantitative method of identifying protein-protein interactions. This publication presents a complete interaction proteomics workflow designed for identifying low abundance protein-protein interactions from the nucleus that could also be applied to other subcellular compartments. This workflow includes subcellular fractionation, immunoprecipitation, sample preparation, offline cleanup, single-shot label-free mass spectrometry, and downstream computational analysis and data visualization. Our protocol is optimized for detecting compartmentalized, low abundance interactions that are difficult to identify from whole cell lysates (e.g., transcription factor interactions in the nucleus) by immunoprecipitation of endogenous proteins from fractionated subcellular compartments. The sample preparation pipeline outlined here provides detailed instructions for the preparation of HeLa cell nuclear extract, immunoaffinity purification of endogenous bait protein, and quantitative mass spectrometry analysis. We also discuss methodological considerations for performing large-scale immunoprecipitation in mass spectrometry-based interaction profiling experiments and provide guidelines for evaluating data quality to distinguish true positive protein interactions from nonspecific interactions. This approach is demonstrated here by investigating the nuclear interactome of the CMGC kinase, DYRK1A, a low abundance protein kinase with poorly defined interactions within the nucleus.

Described is a proteomics workflow for identifying protein interaction partners from a nuclear subcellular fraction using immunoaffinity enrichment of a given protein of interest and label-free mass spectrometry. The workflow includes subcellular fractionation, immunoprecipitation, filter aided sample preparation, offline cleanup, mass spectrometry, and a downstream bioinformatics pipeline.

Immunoaffinity purification mass spectrometry (IP-MS) has emerged as a robust quantitative method of identifying protein-protein interactions. This ...

Quantitative Analysis of the Cellular Lipidome of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Lipids are structurally diverse amphipathic molecules that are insoluble in water. Lipids are essential contributors to the organization and function of biological membranes, energy storage and production, cellular signaling, vesicular transport of proteins, organelle biogenesis, and regulated cell death. Because the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a unicellular eukaryote amenable to thorough molecular analyses, its use as a model organism helped uncover mechanisms linking lipid metabolism and intracellular transport to complex biological processes within eukaryotic cells. The availability of a versatile analytical method for the robust, sensitive, and accurate quantitative assessment of major classes of lipids within a yeast cell is crucial for getting deep insights into these mechanisms. Here we present a protocol to use liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the quantitative analysis of major cellular lipids of S. cerevisiae. The LC-MS/MS method described is versatile and robust. It enables the identification and quantification of numerous species (including different isobaric or isomeric forms) within each of the 10 lipid classes. This method is sensitive and allows identification and quantitation of some lipid species at concentrations as low as 0.2 pmol/&#181;L. The method has been successfully applied to assessing lipidomes of whole yeast cells and their purified organelles. The use of alternative mobile phase additives for electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in this method can increase the efficiency of ionization for some lipid species and can be therefore used to improve their identification and quantitation.

Quantitative Analysis of the Cellular Lipidome of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

We present a protocol using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to identify and quantify major cellular lipids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The described method for a quantitative assessment of major lipid classes within a yeast cell is versatile, robust, and sensitive.

Lipids are structurally diverse amphipathic molecules that are insoluble in water. Lipids are essential contributors to the organization and function of ...