This work was supported by the Lehigh University Start-up Package. We thank Dr. Walter Fast for providing the GST-PAD4 plasmid for protein expression.

1. PAD4 Transformation, Expression, and Purification
<ol>
	<li>For PAD4 Transformation, transform the pGEX plasmid containing PAD4 GST fusion into chemically competent E. Coli (BL21(DE3)) cells for protein expression using the following procedure. Prepare chemically competent (calcium chloride) E. Coli (BL21(DE3)) cells according to standard protocols.
	<ol>
		<li>Thaw 50 &#956;l of previously prepared chemically competent BL21(DE3) cells on ice and mix with 1 &#956;l of the pGEX plasmid containing PAD4 gene in a 5 ml culture tube. Incubate the mixture on ice for 10 min while gently shaking every 2 min.</li>
		<li>Heat shock the cells by placing the mixture in a 42 &#176;C water bath for 40 sec. Immediately place the cell-plasmid mixture back on ice for 2 min to allow the cells to recover. Add 1 ml of sterile LB broth to the mixture and place on ice for 1 min.</li>
		<li>Incubate the heat shocked cells at 37 &#176;C, shaking at 250 rpm for 1 hr. Pipette 75 &#956;l of the transformed cells onto an ampicillin resistant agar plate and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 15 hr. Store plate at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>PAD4 Expression.
	<ol>
		<li>Pick 1 colony of BL21(DE3) cells from the ampicillin agar plate and place in 5 ml of LB containing 1x ampicillin. Place in incubator and shake O/N&#160;at 37 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Transfer the 5 ml of LB (starter) into 1 L of sterile LB containing 1x ampicillin trihydrate (MW 403.45 g/mol). Place growth in a 37 &#176;C shaking incubator. Monitor the OD600 of the growth. When growth reaches an OD600 of 0.3, move growth into 16 &#176;C shaking incubator.</li>
		<li>Upon reaching an OD600 of 0.6, induce the cells with 0.3 mM isopropylthiagalactoside (IPTG, MW 238.30 g/mol). Allow cells to shake for 15 hr at 16 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Harvest cells by centrifugation at 4,000 x g for 20 min at 0 &#176;C. Pour off supernatant and store pellet at -80 &#176;C.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>PAD4 Purification
	<ol>
		<li>Re-suspend the pellet containing the expressed PAD4 in BL21(DE3) cells in a buffer of 50 mM NaCl (MW 58.44 g/mol), 300 mM NaH2PO4 (MW 119.98 g/mol), 10 mM Imidazole (MW 68.077 g/mol), 0.1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF, MW 174.94 g/mol) and 1 mM dithiothreitol (DTT, 154.25 g/mol), pH = 8.0.</li>
		<li>Lyse the cells via sonication for 15 min at 4 &#176;C. Following sonication, centrifuge the cell lysate at 20,000 x g for 20 min at 0 &#176;C. Pour off and save supernatant. Batch the supernatant with glutathione (GSH) agarose beads for 30 min at RT.</li>
		<li>Drain supernatant from GST beads/column via gravity. Wash beads with 4 x 25 ml of 1x PBS (phosphate buffered saline, pH = 8.0) at RT.</li>
		<li>Elute PAD4 with 2 x 10 ml Elution buffer, 50 mM tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris Base, MW 121.14 g/mol), 10 mM glutathione (GSH, MW 307.32 g/mol), pH = 8.0.</li>
		<li>Concentrate PAD4 using 100k MW cut-off centrifuge tubes and centrifuge at 4,000 x g for 20 min at 4 &#176;C. Aliquot protein into 200 &#956;l volumes in 1.0 ml microcentrifuge tubes and store at -80 &#176;C.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Preparing Stock Solutions for Buffers
<ol>
	<li>Weigh out sodium chloride (NaCl, MW 58.44 g/mol) and prepare a 2 M solution. Mix solution until clear.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris Base, MW 121.14 g/mol) and prepare a 2 M solution, pH = 8.0. Mix solution until clear.</li>
	<li>Weigh out calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl2 2H2O, MW 147.01 g/mol) and prepare a 500 mM solution. Mix solution until clear.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP, MW 250.19 g/mol) and prepare a 200 mM solution. Mix solution until clear and store at -20 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Weigh out dithiothreitol (DTT, MW 154.25 g/mol) and prepare a 1 M solution. Mix solution until clear and store at -20 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Prepare a 0.5% solution of Triton X-100.</li>
	<li>Weigh out ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA, MW 292.24 g/mol) and prepare a 100 mM solution. Mix solution until clear.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Z-&#8203;Arg-&#8203;Arg-&#8203;7-&#8203;amido-&#8203;4-&#8203;methylcoumarin hydrochloride (ZRcoum, MW 621.69 g/mol) and prepare a 10 mM solution in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).</li>
</ol>
3. PAD4 Assay at 37 &#176;C
<ol>
	<li>From 10 mM ZRcoum stock, prepare a 125 &#956;M solution of ZRcoum in water. This 125 &#956;M ZRcoum solution will be Solution A.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 62.5 mM NaCl, 62.5 mM Tris, 12.5 mM CaCl2, 6.25 mM DTT, and 5 &#956;M PAD4 (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution B.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 62.5 mM NaCl, 62.5 mM Tris, 12.5 mM CaCl2, and 6.25 mM DTT (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution C.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Trypsin, crystalline (from bovine pancreas) and prepare a 10 mg/ml in 100 mM EDTA. Mix solution until clear and store at -20 &#176;C. This will be Solution D.</li>
	<li>Obtain a 96-well plate and designate a number of wells for controls (no PAD4) and test wells (+ PAD4).</li>
	<li>Pipette 160 &#956;l of Solution B into test wells and pipette 160 &#956;l of Solution C into control wells. Incubate for 15 min at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Pipette 40 &#956;l of Solution A into all wells and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 45 min.</li>
	<li>Pipette 10 &#956;l of dH2O to half of the control wells and half of the test wells. To the other half of control wells and test controls, pipette 10 &#956;l of Solution D. Incubate for 10 min at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Obtain a fluorescence reading on a multimodal reader with an excitation wavelength of 345 nm and an emission wavelength of 465 nm.</li>
</ol>
4. PAD4 Assay at RT
<ol>
	<li>From 10 mM ZRcoum stock, prepare a 50 &#956;M solution of ZRcoum in water. This 50 &#956;M ZRcoum solution will be Solution A.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM Tris, 20 mM CaCl2, 2 mM TCEP, 0.02% Triton X-100, and 8 &#956;M PAD4 (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution B.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM Tris, 20 mM CaCl2, 2 mM TCEP, and 0.02% Triton X-100 (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution C.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Trypsin, crystalline (from bovine pancreas) and prepare a 10 mg/ml in 100 mM EDTA. Mix solution until clear and store at -20 &#176;C. This will be Solution D.</li>
	<li>Obtain a 384-well plate and designate wells for controls (no PAD4) and test wells (+ PAD4).</li>
	<li>Pipette 25 &#956;l of Solution B into test wells and pipette 25 &#956;l of Solution C into control wells. Allow buffer with/without PAD4 to incubate in wells for 20 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Pipette 25 &#956;l of Solution C into all wells and incubate for 45 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Pipette 10 &#956;l of dH2O to half of the control wells and half of the test wells. To the other half of control wells and test controls, pipette 10 &#956;l of Solution D. Incubate at RT for 10 min.</li>
	<li>Obtain a fluorescence reading on a multimodal reader with an excitation wavelength of 345 nm and an emission wavelength of 465 nm.</li>
</ol>
5. PAD4 Time Course Assays at 37 &#176;C and RT
<ol>
	<li>From 10 mM ZRcoum stock, prepare a 125 &#956;M solution of ZRcoum in water. This 125 &#956;M ZRcoum solution will be Solution A.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 62.5 mM NaCl, 62.5 mM Tris, 12.5 mM CaCl2, 6.25 mM DTT, and 5 &#956;M PAD4 (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution B.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Trypsin, crystalline (from bovine pancreas) and prepare a 10 mg/ml in 100 mM EDTA. Mix solution until clear and store at -20 &#176;C. This will be Solution C.</li>
	<li>Obtain 2 96-well plates and pipet 160 &#956;l of Solution B into # amount of wells (# of wells will depend on how many time points).</li>
	<li>Incubate one 96-well plate at 37 &#176;C. Incubate the other 96 well plate at RT.</li>
	<li>Pipette 40 &#956;l of Solution A into all wells in both 96-well plates and immediately pipette 10 &#956;l of Solution C into the t = 0 min wells. Continue adding 10 &#956;l of Solution C at specific time points until all wells have been quenched.</li>
	<li>Obtain a fluorescence reading on a multimodal reader with an excitation wavelength of 345 nm and an emission wavelength of 465 nm.</li>
</ol>
6. PAD4 Inhibition Assay at RT
<ol>
	<li>From 10 mM ZRcoum stock, prepare a 83 &#956;M solution of ZRcoum in water. This 83 &#956;M ZRcoum solution will be Solution A.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Cl-amidine (MW 424.8 g/mol) and prepare a 100 &#956;M stock solution. This will be Solution B.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM Tris, 20 mM CaCl2, 2 mM TCEP, 0.02% Triton X-100, and 8 &#956;M PAD4 (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution C.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM Tris, 20 mM CaCl2, 2 mM TCEP, and 0.02% Triton X-100 (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution D.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Trypsin, crystalline (from bovine pancreas) and prepare a 10 mg/ml in 100 mM EDTA. Mix solution until clear and store at -20 &#176;C. This will be Solution E.</li>
	<li>Obtain a 384-well plate and designate wells for controls (no PAD4), test wells (+ PAD4), and inhibition wells (PAD4 + Cl-amidine).</li>
	<li>Pipette 25 &#956;l of Solution C into test wells and pipette 25 &#956;l of Solution D into control wells. Allow buffer with/without PAD4 to incubate in wells for 20 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Pipette 10 &#956;l of Solution B into inhibition wells and incubate for 20 min at RTe.</li>
	<li>Pipette 15 &#956;l of Solution A into all wells and incubate for 45 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Pipette 10 &#956;l of Solution E to all wells. Incubate at RT for 10 min.</li>
	<li>Obtain a fluorescence reading on a multimodal reader with an excitation wavelength of 345 nm and an emission wavelength of 465 nm.</li>
</ol>
7. Crude Cell Lysate Assay at RT
<ol>
	<li>After harvesting cells from PAD4 1 L growth, resuspend cells in 10 ml of 50 mM Tris, 50 mM NaCl, 0.1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF, MW 174.94 g/mol) and 1 mM dithiothreitol (DTT, 154.25 g/mol), pH = 8.0.</li>
	<li>Lyse the cells via sonication for 15 min at 4 &#176;C. Centrifuge the cell lysate at 20,000 x g for 20 min at 0 &#176;C. Concentrate the clear supernatant to half the volume by centrifugation at 4,000 rpm at 4 &#176;C using 100k MW cut-off centrifuge tubes.</li>
	<li>From 10 mM ZRcoum stock, prepare a 250 &#956;M solution of ZRcoum in water. This 250 &#956;M ZRcoum solution will be Solution A.</li>
	<li>Prepare a buffer of 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM Tris, 20 mM CaCl2, and 2 mM TCEP (pH = 8.0). This will be Solution B.</li>
	<li>Weigh out Trypsin, crystalline (from bovine pancreas) and prepare a 10 mg/ml in 100 mM EDTA. Mix solution until clear and store at -20 &#176;C. This will be Solution C.</li>
	<li>Obtain a black 384-well plate and designate wells for controls (no cell lysate) and test wells (+ cell lysate).</li>
	<li>Pipette 100 &#956;l of Solution B into all wells and pipette 60 &#956;l of cell lysate into test wells. Incubate for 20 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Pipette 40 &#956;l of Solution A into all wells and incubate for 45 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Pipette 10 &#956;l of Solution C to all wells. Incubate at RT for 10 min.</li>
	<li>Obtain a fluorescence reading on multimodal reader with an excitation wavelength of 345 nm and an emission wavelength of 465 nm.</li>
</ol>

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Soc. 128, 1092-1093 (2006).</li><li>Knuckley, B., 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=Substrate+specificity+and+kinetic+studies+of+PADs.">Substrate specificity and kinetic studies of PADs.</a> Biochemistry. 1, 4852-4863 (2010).</li><li>Knipp, M., Vasak, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+colorimetric+96-well+microtiter+plate+assay+for+the+determination+of+enzymatically+formed+citrulline.">A colorimetric 96-well microtiter plate assay for the determination of enzymatically formed citrulline.</a> Anal. Biochem. 286, 257-264 (2000).</li><li>Knuckley, B., 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+fluopol-ABPP+HTS+assay+to+identify+PAD+inhibitors.">A fluopol-ABPP HTS assay to identify PAD inhibitors.</a> Chem. Commun. 46, 7175-7177 (2010).</li><li>Bicker, K. L., Subramanian, V., Chumanevich, A. A., Hofseth, L. J., Thompson, P. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Seeing+citrulline:+development+of+a+phenylglyoxal-based+probe+to+visualize+protein+citrullination.">Seeing citrulline: development of a phenylglyoxal-based probe to visualize protein citrullination.</a> J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 17015-17018 (2012).</li><li>Wang, Q., Priestman, M. A., Lawrence, D. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Monitoring+of+protein+arginine+deiminase+activity+by+using+fluorescence+quenching:+multicolor+visualization+of+citrullination.">Monitoring of protein arginine deiminase activity by using fluorescence quenching: multicolor visualization of citrullination.</a> Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 52, 2323-2325 (2013).</li><li>Jones, J. E., 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=Synthesis+and+screening+of+a+haloacetamidine+containing+library+to+identify+PAD4+selective+inhibitors.">Synthesis and screening of a haloacetamidine containing library to identify PAD4 selective inhibitors.</a> ACS Chem. Biol. 7, 160-165 (2012).</li><li>Dreyton, C. 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=.">.</a> Optimization and characterization of a pan protein arginine deiminase (PAD) inhibitor. , (2010).</li><li>Shimoyama, S., 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=Deimination+stabilizes+histone+H2A/H2B+dimers+as+revealed+by+electrospray+ionization+mass+spectrometry.">Deimination stabilizes histone H2A/H2B dimers as revealed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.</a> J. Mass Spectrom. 45, 900-908 (2010).</li><li>Luo, 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=Inhibitors+and+inactivators+of+protein+arginine+deiminase+4:+functional+and+structural+characterization.">Inhibitors and inactivators of protein arginine deiminase 4: functional and structural characterization.</a> Biochemistry. 45, 11727-11736 (2006).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Herein, a fluorescence based assay was successfully developed that monitors the activity of PAD4. The assay has proven to be incredibly robust in a number of high-throughput conditions and is also compatible with whole cell lysates37.
The affinity between the histone proteins and the DNA strands surrounding it loosens due the neutralization of the positive charge on the arginine side chain upon citrullination. It was envisioned that the neutralization of the arginine side-chain coul...

A large number of mammalian proteins are heavily modified by the action of enzymes following the biosynthesis of proteins by the ribosome. These post-translational modifications (PTMs) can greatly increase the functional diversity of the proteome by changing the size, charge, structure, and oligomerization state (amongst other features) of proteins1-3. As a result, the change in protein structure can lead to physiological consequences, such as protein degradation, cellular differentiation, signaling, modulation in gene expression, and protein-protein interactions. While these modifications are prevalent in a large percentage of all human proteins, the terminal ends on histone proteins undergo an unusually high number of covalent modifications4. Histone proteins are a family of structural proteins that facilitate the condensation of genomic DNA. Covalent modifications of the unstructured histone tails are carried out and regulated by a series of enzymes that can catalyze the covalent modification of residues (writers), reverse the same modifications (erasers), and distinguish among the changes being imprinted onto the histone tails (readers)5-7. In fact, most of the known PTMs can be observed within this short segment of the histone including methylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, sumoylation, ubiquitination, and citrullination8.
Citrullination involves the conversion of peptidyl-arginine to the non-tRNA encoded peptidyl-citrulline (Figure 1A). The proteins, responsible for this side chain neutralization, are members of the PAD (peptide arginine deiminase) protein family, all of which are calcium-dependent enzymes.9,10. To date, five members of the PAD family have been described (PAD1, PAD2, PAD3, PAD4, and PAD6). Each member of this family appears to target distinct cellular proteins and also displays unique tissue distribution profiles. PAD4 is the only member of this protein family known to be localized within the nucleus via a nuclear localization sequence11. Accordingly, it has been shown to deiminate a number of nuclear targets, including arginine side chains on the N-terminal tails of histones H2A arginine residue 3 (H2R3), H3 (H3R2, H3R17, and H3R26) and H4 (H4R3)12,13. While each of the PAD isozymes have specific and critical physiological functions, PAD4 has received considerably more attention due to its role in a number of human processes in both diseased and healthy cells. Recently, PAD4 was shown to be a member of the pluripotency transcriptional network14. Both PAD4 expression levels and activity were shown to be elevated during reprogramming and ground-state pluripotent states in mice. By controlling the regulation of stem-cell genes, PAD4 may retain a pivotal role in cellular reprogramming efficiency. PAD4 has also been implicated in the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, which upon binding of pathogens enable their system clearance. The hypercitrullination of histone proteins by PAD4 induces decondensation of the chromatin, which serves as the base material for the encapsulation of pathogenic bacteria by the extracellular trap, thus warding off bacterial infections15,16.
Additionally, PAD4 has been found to play an active role in a number of human diseases. It has been previously shown that aberrant expression of PAD4 is associated with the onset and severity of rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer&#8217;s, Parkinson&#8217;s disease, and multiple sclerosis17. In fact, the presence of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies is one of the most reliable and definitive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis18. Likewise, dysregulated PAD4 activity has recently been observed in a number of human cancers including ovarian, breast, lung, and esophageal cancers19-22. The link between PAD4 and cancer has been shown to be mediated through the ELK1 oncogene or via the p53 tumor suppressor protein22,23 and previous work has suggested that PAD4 could be a novel anti-cancer therapeutic target17,24,25. As a proof of principle study, the depletion of PAD4 via shRNA in the colorectal cancer cell line HCT116 was revealed to be sufficient for inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest26. A recently developed irreversible PAD4 inhibitor led to a seventy percent reduction in tumor mass in mice27. Quite remarkably, PAD4 inhibition appeared to act as a targeted therapy that resulted in selective killing of cancerous cells while sparing untransformed cells.
The use of small molecules to turn off the function of PAD4 may prove to be a powerful new strategy to target cancer cells or to augment existing cancer chemotherapeutics28. Unfortunately, a potent reversible PAD4 inhibitor has yet to be discovered. A number of covalent inhibitors have been developed using the chloro/fluoro imidine handle that mimics the arginine substrate27,29,30 and have proven to be practical tools in understanding the role of PAD4 in both healthy and diseased state cells. However, these molecules inhibit all of the active PADs with similar potency. Therefore, the need for a facile assay that reports on the activity of PAD4 is crucial. To date, PAD4 assays have been described that link the release of ammonia from the reaction to a colorimetric readout31, utilize a fluorescently labeled chloroamidine substrate analog for fluorescence polarization assay32, rely on the acid-assisted reaction between glyoxal and citrulline33, and couple the PAD4 activity to a fluorescence dequenching step34. Of these, only the covalent modifier haloacetamidine strategy has proven to be compatible with high-throughput screening platforms32,35,36. We describe a facile fluorescence based assay that reliably measures the activity of PAD4. The assay, which displays a strong signal-to-noise ratio, speed of analysis, and robustness of measurement, has the potential to discover a truly potent and selective PAD4 inhibitor.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="716">
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		<tr height="46">
			<td height="46" style="height:46px;width:192px;">Name of the Material/Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:267px;">Comments/ Description</td>
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		<tr height="66">
			<td height="66" style="height:66px;width:192px;">LB Broth, Miller (LURIA-BERTANI)</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Amresco</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">J106-2KG</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.amresco-inc.com/">http://www.amresco-inc.com</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:192px;">Ampicillin Trihydrate (Off-white Powder), Fisher BioReagents</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP902-25&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.fishersci.com/">http://www.fishersci.com</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="68">
			<td height="68" style="height:68px;width:192px;">Isopropylthiagalactonse (IPTG)</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Life Technogolies</td>
			<td>15529-019</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.lifetechnologies.com/">http://www.lifetechnologies.com</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="62">
			<td height="62" style="height:62px;width:192px;">All Buffer Salts&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:267px;">Can purchase from Fisher Scieintifc; VWR; Acros; Sigma-Aldrich; etc.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="51">
			<td height="51" style="height:51px;width:192px;">Protino Glutathione (GSH) agarose&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Machery-Nagel</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">745500.10</td>
			<td style="width:267px;">Store at 4 &#176;C; http://www.mn-net.com/</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="71">
			<td height="71" style="height:71px;width:192px;">Z-&#8203;Arg-&#8203;Arg-&#8203;7-&#8203;amido-&#8203;4-&#8203;methylcoumarin hydrochloride (Zcoum)</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>C5429</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/">www.sigmaaldrich.com</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="58">
			<td height="58" style="height:58px;width:192px;">Chloroamidine&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Cayman Chemical&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">10599</td>
			<td style="width:267px;">Store at -20 &#176;C; https://www.caymanchem.com/app/template/Home.vm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="66">
			<td height="66" style="height:66px;width:192px;">Tris(2-&#8203;carboxyethyl)&#8203;phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP HCl)</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Thermo Scientifc</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">20490</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.piercenet.com/">http://www.piercenet.com</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="50">
			<td height="50" style="height:50px;width:192px;">Triton X-100</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">X100-100ML</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/">www.sigmaaldrich.com</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="65">
			<td height="65" style="height:65px;width:192px;">Corning/Nunclon MicroWell plates (96 and 384)</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:267px;">Purchase from Corning; Sigma-Aldrich</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="71">
			<td height="71" style="height:71px;width:192px;">Tecan Infinite 200 / Tecan i-control microplate reader software</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.tecan.com/">www.tecan.com</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="65">
			<td height="65" style="height:65px;width:192px;">Europium Ex. 340/40 Em. 475/15 filter</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:267px;"><a href="http://www.perkinelmer.com/">http://www.perkinelmer.com</a></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

fluorescence-based monitoring of pad4 activity via a pro-fluorescence substrate analog

Post-translational modifications may lead to altered protein functional states by increasing the covalent variations on the side chains of many protein substrates. The histone tails represent one of the most heavily modified stretches within all human proteins. Peptidyl-arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) has been shown to convert arginine residues into the non-genetically encoded citrulline residue. Few assays described to date have been operationally facile with satisfactory sensitivity. Thus, the lack of adequate assays has likely contributed to the absence of potent non-covalent PAD4 inhibitors. Herein a novel fluorescence-based assay that allows for the monitoring of PAD4 activity is described. A pro-fluorescent substrate analog was designed to link PAD4 enzymatic activity to fluorescence liberation upon the addition of the protease trypsin. It was shown that the assay is compatible with high-throughput screening conditions and has a strong signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, the assay can also be performed with crude cell lysates containing over-expressed PAD4.

Initially, it was demonstrated that ZRcoum can report on the activity of PAD4 in a 96-well plate format. Wells were incubated with the substrate ZRcoum and in the presence/absence of PAD4. Following an incubation period of 45 min at 37 &#176;C, the fluorescence was measured with a 340/40 &#8211; 475/15 nm filter (Figure 2A). As expected, the fluorescence levels remained low as the fluorophore within ZRcoum (or the citrullinated ZRcoum) r...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Fluorescence-based Monitoring of PAD4 Activity via a Pro-fluorescence Substrate Analog at JoVE.com

Fluorescence-based Monitoring of PAD4 Activity via a Pro-fluorescence Substrate Analog

PAD4 is an enzyme responsible for the conversion of peptidyl-arginine to peptidyl-citrulline. Dysregulation of PAD4 has been implicated in a number of human diseases. A facile and high-throughput compatible fluorescence based PAD4 assay is described.

Post-translational modifications may lead to altered protein functional states by increasing the covalent variations on the side chains of many protein ...

fluorescence-based-monitoring-pad4-activity-via-pro-fluorescence

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Chemistry

9.8K Views.  Lehigh University. PAD4 is an enzyme responsible for the conversion of peptidyl-arginine to peptidyl-citrulline. Dysregulation of PAD4 has been implicated in a number of human diseases. A facile and high-throughput compatible fluorescence based PAD4 assay is described.

Video: Fluorescence-based Monitoring of PAD4 Activity via a Pro-fluorescence Substrate Analog

Determining the Ice-binding Planes of Antifreeze Proteins by Fluorescence-based Ice Plane Affinity

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are expressed in a variety of cold-hardy organisms to prevent or slow internal ice growth. AFPs bind to specific planes of ice through their ice-binding surfaces. Fluorescence-based ice plane affinity (FIPA) analysis is a modified technique used to determine the ice planes to which the AFPs bind. FIPA is based on the original ice-etching method for determining AFP-bound ice-planes. It produces clearer images in a shortened experimental time. In FIPA analysis, AFPs are fluorescently labeled with a chimeric tag or a covalent dye then slowly incorporated into a macroscopic single ice crystal, which has been preformed into a hemisphere and oriented to determine the a- and c-axes. The AFP-bound ice hemisphere is imaged under UV light to visualize AFP-bound planes using filters to block out nonspecific light. Fluorescent labeling of the AFPs allows real-time monitoring of AFP adsorption into ice. The labels have been found not to influence the planes to which AFPs bind. FIPA analysis also introduces the option to bind more than one differently tagged AFP on the same single ice crystal to help differentiate their binding planes. These applications of FIPA are helping to advance our understanding of how AFPs bind to ice to halt its growth and why many AFP-producing organisms express multiple AFP isoforms.

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) bind to specific planes of ice to prevent or slow ice growth. Fluorescence-based ice plane affinity (FIPA) analysis is a modification of the original ice-etching method for determination of AFP-bound ice planes. AFPs are fluorescently labeled, incorporated into macroscopic single ice crystals, and visualized under UV light.

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are expressed in a variety of cold-hardy organisms to prevent or slow internal ice growth. AFPs bind to specific planes of ice ...

Preparing Silica Aerogel Monoliths via a Rapid Supercritical Extraction Method

A procedure for the fabrication of monolithic silica aerogels in eight hours or less via a rapid supercritical extraction process is described. The procedure requires 15-20 min of preparation time, during which a liquid precursor mixture is prepared and poured into wells of a metal mold that is placed between the platens of a hydraulic hot press, followed by several hours of processing within the hot press. The precursor solution consists of a 1.0:12.0:3.6:3.5 x 10-3 molar ratio of tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS):methanol:water:ammonia. In each well of the mold, a porous silica sol-gel matrix forms. As the temperature of the mold and its contents is increased, the pressure within the mold rises. After the temperature/pressure conditions surpass the supercritical point for the solvent within the pores of the matrix (in this case, a methanol/water mixture), the supercritical fluid is released, and monolithic aerogel remains within the wells of the mold. With the mold used in this procedure, cylindrical monoliths of 2.2 cm diameter and 1.9 cm height are produced. Aerogels formed by this rapid method have comparable properties (low bulk and skeletal density, high surface area, mesoporous morphology) to those prepared by other methods that involve either additional reaction steps or solvent extractions (lengthier processes that generate more chemical waste).The rapid supercritical extraction method can also be applied to the fabrication of aerogels based on other precursor recipes.

This article describes a rapid supercritical extraction method for fabricating silica aerogels. By utilizing a confined mold and hydraulic hot press, monolithic aerogels can be made in eight hours or less.

A procedure for the fabrication of monolithic silica aerogels in eight hours or less via a rapid supercritical extraction process is described. The ...

Real-time Monitoring of Reactions Performed Using Continuous-flow Processing: The Preparation of 3-Acetylcoumarin as an Example

By using inline monitoring, it is possible to optimize reactions performed using continuous-flow processing in a simple and rapid way. It is also possible to ensure consistent product quality over time using this technique. We here show how to interface a commercially available flow unit with a Raman spectrometer. The Raman flow cell is placed after the back-pressure regulator, meaning that it can be operated at atmospheric pressure. In addition, the fact that the product stream passes through a length of tubing before entering the flow cell means that the material is at RT. It is important that the spectra are acquired under isothermal conditions since Raman signal intensity is temperature dependent. Having assembled the apparatus, we then show how to monitor a chemical reaction, the piperidine-catalyzed synthesis of 3-acetylcoumarin from salicylaldehyde and ethyl acetoacetate being used as an example. The reaction can be performed over a range of flow rates and temperatures, the in-situ monitoring tool being used to optimize conditions simply and easily.

Real-time monitoring allows for fast optimization of reactions performed using continuous-flow processing. Here the preparation of 3-acetylcoumarin is used as an example. The apparatus for performing in-situ Raman monitoring is described, as are the steps required to optimize the reaction.

By using inline monitoring, it is possible to optimize reactions performed using continuous-flow processing in a simple and rapid way. It is also possible ...

Simultaneous Measurement of HDAC1 and HDAC6 Activity in HeLa Cells Using UHPLC-MS

The search for new histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors is of increasing interest in drug discovery. Isoform selectivity has been in the spotlight since the approval of romidepsin, a class I HDAC inhibitor for cancer therapy, and the clinical investigation of HDAC6-specific inhibitors for multiple myeloma. The present method is used to determine the inhibitory activity of test compounds on HDAC1 and HDAC6 in cells. The isoform activity is measured using the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography &#8211; mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) analysis of specific substrates incubated with treated and untreated HeLa cells. The method has the advantage of reflecting the endogenous HDAC activity within the cell environment, in contrast to cell-free biochemical assays conducted on isolated isoforms. Moreover, because it is based on the quantification of synthetic substrates, the method does not require the antibody recognition of endogenous acetylated proteins. It is easily adaptable to several cell lines and an automated process. The method has already proved useful in finding HDAC6-selective compounds in neuroblasts. Representative results are shown here with the standard HDAC inhibitors trichostatin A (non-specific), MS275 (HDAC1-specific), and tubastatin A (HDAC6-specific) using HeLa cells.

The present method serves to identify isoform-specific inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDAC) in HeLa cells by the UHPLC-MS analysis of multiple substrates. This is an antibody-free method developed to reflect HDAC1 and HDAC6 activity in the living cell environment, in contrast to single-isoform cell-free assays.

The search for new histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors is of increasing interest in drug discovery. Isoform selectivity has been in the spotlight since ...

Fabrication and Testing of Catalytic Aerogels Prepared Via Rapid Supercritical Extraction

Protocols for preparing and testing catalytic aerogels by incorporating metal species into silica and alumina aerogel platforms are presented. Three preparation methods are described: (a) the incorporation of metal salts into silica or alumina wet gels using an impregnation method; (b) the incorporation of metal salts into alumina wet gels using a co-precursor method; and (c) the addition of metal nanoparticles directly into a silica aerogel precursor mixture. The methods utilize a hydraulic hot press, which allows for rapid (&#60;6 h) supercritical extraction and results in aerogels of low density (0.10 g/mL) and high surface area (200-800 m2/g). While the work presented here focuses on the use of copper salts and copper nanoparticles, the approach can be implemented using other metal salts and nanoparticles. A protocol for testing the three-way catalytic ability of these aerogels for automotive pollution mitigation is also presented. This technique uses custom-built equipment, the Union Catalytic Testbed (UCAT), in which a simulated exhaust mixture is passed over an aerogel sample at a controlled temperature and flow rate. The system is capable of measuring the ability of the catalytic aerogels, under both oxidizing and reducing conditions, to convert CO, NO and unburned hydrocarbons (HCs) to less harmful species (CO2, H2O and N2). Example catalytic results are presented for the aerogels described.

Here we present protocols for preparing and testing catalytic aerogels by incorporating metal species into silica and alumina aerogel platforms. Methods for preparing materials using copper salts and copper-containing nanoparticles are featured. Catalytic testing protocols demonstrate the effectiveness of these aerogels for three-way catalysis applications.

Protocols for preparing and testing catalytic aerogels by incorporating metal species into silica and alumina aerogel platforms are presented. Three ...

Synthesis of Substrate-Bound Au Nanowires Via an Active Surface Growth Mechanism

Advancing synthetic capabilities is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The synthesis of nanowires has always been a challenge, as it requires asymmetric growth of symmetric crystals. Here, we report a distinctive synthesis of substrate-bound Au nanowires. This template-free synthesis employs thiolated ligands and substrate adsorption to achieve the continuous asymmetric deposition of Au in solution at ambient conditions. The thiolated ligand prevented the Au deposition on the exposed surface of the seeds, so the Au deposition only occurs at the interface between the Au seeds and the substrate. The side of the newly deposited Au nanowires is immediately covered with the thiolated ligand, while the bottom facing the substrate remains ligand-free and active for the next round of Au deposition. We further demonstrate that this Au nanowire growth can be induced on various substrates, and different thiolated ligands can be used to regulate the surface chemistry of the nanowires. The diameter of the nanowires can also be controlled with mixed ligands, in which another &#34;bad&#34; ligand could turn on the lateral growth. With the understanding of the mechanism, Au nanowire-based nanostructures can be designed and synthesized.

We report a solution-based method to synthesize substrate-bound Au nanowires. By tuning the molecular ligands used during the synthesis, the Au nanowires can be grown from various substrates with different surface properties. Au nanowire-based nanostructures can also be synthesized by adjusting the reaction parameters.

Advancing synthetic capabilities is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The synthesis of nanowires has always been a ...

Synthesis of Esters Via a Greener Steglich Esterification in Acetonitrile

The Steglich esterification is a widely-used reaction for the synthesis of esters from carboxylic acids and alcohols. While efficient and mild, the reaction is commonly performed using chlorinated or amide solvent systems, which are hazardous to human health and the environment. Our methodology utilizes acetonitrile as a greener and less hazardous solvent system. This protocol exhibits rates and yields that are comparable to traditional solvent systems and employs an extraction and wash sequence that eliminates the need for the purification of the ester product via column chromatography. This general method can be used to couple a variety of carboxylic acids with 1&#176; and 2&#176; aliphatic alcohols, benzylic and allylic alcohols, and phenols to obtain pure esters in high yields. The goal of the protocol detailed here is to provide a greener alternative to a common esterification reaction, which could serve useful for ester synthesis in both academic and industrial applications.

A modified Steglich esterification reaction was used to synthesize a small library of ester derivatives with primary and secondary alcohols. The methodology uses a non-halogenated and greener solvent, acetonitrile, and enables product isolation in high yields without the need for chromatographic purification.

The Steglich esterification is a widely-used reaction for the synthesis of esters from carboxylic acids and alcohols. While efficient and mild, the ...

NMR-Based Activity Assays for Determining Compound Inhibition, IC50 Values, Artifactual Activity, and Whole-Cell Activity of Nucleoside Ribohydrolases

NMR spectroscopy is often used for the identification and characterization of enzyme inhibitors in drug discovery, particularly in the context of fragment screening. NMR-based activity assays are ideally suited to work at the higher concentrations of test compounds required to detect these weaker inhibitors. The dynamic range and chemical shift dispersion in an NMR experiment can easily resolve resonances from substrate, product, and test compounds. This contrasts with spectrophotometric assays, in which read-out interference problems often arise from compounds with overlapping UV-vis absorption profiles. In addition, since they lack reporter enzymes, the single-enzyme NMR assays are not prone to coupled-assay false positives. This attribute makes them useful as orthogonal assays, complementing traditional high throughput screening assays and benchtop triage assays. Detailed protocols are provided for initial compound assays at 500 &#956;M and 250 &#956;M, dose-response assays for determining IC50 values, detergent counter screen assays, jump-dilution counter screen assays, and assays in E. coli whole cells. The methods are demonstrated using two nucleoside ribohydrolase enzymes. The use of 1H NMR is shown for the purine-specific enzyme, while 19F NMR is shown for the pyrimidine-specific enzyme. The protocols are generally applicable to any enzyme where substrate and product resonances can be observed and distinguished by NMR spectroscopy. To be the most useful in the context of drug discovery, the final concentration of substrate should be no more than 2-3x its Km value. The choice of NMR experiment depends on the enzyme reaction and substrates available as well as available NMR instrumentation.

NMR-Based Activity Assays for Determining Compound Inhibition, IC50 Values, Artifactual Activity, and Whole-Cell Activity of Nucleoside Ribohydrolases

NMR-based activity assays have been developed to identify and characterize inhibitors of two nucleoside ribohydrolase enzymes. Protocols are provided for initial compound assays at 500 &#956;M and 250 &#956;M, dose-response assays for determining IC50 values, detergent counter screen assays, jump-dilution counter screen assays, and assays in E. coli whole cells.

NMR spectroscopy is often used for the identification and characterization of enzyme inhibitors in drug discovery, particularly in the context of fragment ...

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can transfer an aqueous-phase peptide or peptide complex to the gas-phase while conserving its mass, overall charge, metal-binding interactions, and conformational shape. Coupling ESI with ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) provides an instrumental technique that allows for simultaneous measurement of a peptide&#8217;s mass-to-charge (m/z) and collision cross section (CCS) that relate to its stoichiometry, protonation state, and conformational shape. The overall charge of a peptide complex is controlled by the protonation of 1) the peptide&#8217;s acidic and basic sites and 2) the oxidation state of the metal ion(s). Therefore, the overall charge state of a complex is a function of the pH of the solution that affects the peptides metal ion binding affinity. For ESI-IM-MS analyses, peptide and metal ions solutions are prepared from aqueous-only solutions, with the pH adjusted with dilute aqueous acetic acid or ammonium hydroxide. This allows for pH dependence and metal ion selectivity to be determined for a specific peptide. Furthermore, the m/z and CCS of a peptide complex can be used with B3LYP/LanL2DZ molecular modeling to discern binding sites of the metal ion coordination and tertiary structure of the complex. The results show how ESI-IM-MS can characterize the selective chelating performance of a set of alternative methanobactin peptides and compare them to the copper-binding peptide methanobactin.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry and molecular modeling techniques can characterize the selective metal chelating performance of designed metal-binding peptides and the copper-binding peptide methanobactin. Developing new classes of metal chelating peptides will help lead to therapeutics for diseases associated with metal ion misbalance.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can transfer an aqueous-phase peptide or peptide complex to the gas-phase while conserving its mass, overall charge, ...

Facile Synthesis of Colloidal Lead Halide Perovskite Nanoplatelets via Ligand-Assisted Reprecipitation

In this work, we demonstrate a facile method for colloidal lead halide perovskite nanoplatelet synthesis (Chemical formula: L2[ABX3]n-1BX4, L: butylammonium and octylammonium, A: methylammonium or formamidinium, B: lead, X: bromide and iodide, n: number of [BX6]4- octahedral layers in the direction of nanoplatelet thickness) via ligand-assisted reprecipitation. Individual perovskite precursor solutions are prepared by dissolving each nanoplatelet constituent salt in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), which is a polar organic solvent, and then mixing in specific ratios for targeted nanoplatelet thickness and composition. Once the mixed precursor solution is dropped into nonpolar toluene, the abrupt change in the solubility induces the instantaneous crystallization of nanoplatelets with surface-bound alkylammonium halide ligands providing colloidal stability. Photoluminescence and absorption spectra reveal emissive and strongly quantum-confined features. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirm the two-dimensional structure of the nanoplatelets. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the band gap of perovskite nanoplatelets can be continuously tuned in the visible range by varying the stoichiometry of the halide ion(s). Lastly, we demonstrate the flexibility of the ligand-assisted reprecipitation method by introducing multiple species as surface-capping ligands. This methodology represents a simple procedure for preparing dispersions of emissive 2D colloidal semiconductors.

This work demonstrates facile room-temperature synthesis of colloidal quantum-confined lead halide perovskite nanoplatelets by ligand-assisted reprecipitation method. Synthesized nanoplatelets show spectrally narrow optical features and continuous spectral tunability throughout the visible range by varying the composition and thicknesses.