We thank members of the Hammer laboratory for their critical evaluation of the manuscript and support of this work. Dr. Alex Horswill of the University of Colorado School of Medicine kindly provided AH1263. Dr. Chris Waters laboratory at Michigan State University provided reagents. This work was supported by American Heart Association grant 16SDG30170026 and start-up funds provide by Michigan State University.

The authors have no disclosures.

S. aureus incorporates exogenous fatty acids into its membrane phospholipids27,32,43. Phospholipid synthesis using exogenous fatty acids bypasses FASII inhibition but also alters the biophysical properties of the membrane27,32,44. While incorporation of exogenous fatty acids into phospholipids of Gram-positive pathogens is well...

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is the leading cause of healthcare-associated infection and the associated antibiotic resistance is a considerable clinical challenge1,2,3. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic strategies is a high priority. A promising treatment strategy for Gram-positive pathogens is inhibiting fatty acid synthesis, a requirement for membrane phospholipid production that, in S. aureus, includes phosphatidylglycerol (PG), lysyl-PG, and cardiolipin4. In bacteria, fatty acid production occurs via the fatty acid synthesis II pathway (FASII)5, which is considerably different from the eukaryotic counterpart, making FASII an attractive target for antibiotic development5,6. FASII inhibitors primarily target FabI, an enzyme required for fatty acid carbon chain elongation7. The FabI inhibitor triclosan is broadly used in consumer and medical goods8,9. Additional FabI inhibitors are being developed by several pharmaceutical companies for the treatment of S. aureus infection10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26. However, many Gram-positive pathogens, including S. aureus, are capable of scavenging exogenous fatty acids for phospholipid synthesis, bypassing FASII inhibition27,28,29. Thus, the clinical potential of FASII inhibitors is debated due to considerable gaps in our knowledge of the sources of host fatty acids and the mechanisms by which pathogens extract fatty acids from the host27,28. To address these gaps, we developed an unbiased lipidomic analysis method to monitor incorporation of exogenous fatty acid from lipoprotein particles into membrane phospholipids of S. aureus.
During sepsis, host lipoprotein particles represent a potential source of host-derived fatty acids within the vasculature, as a majority of host fatty acids are associated with the particles30. Lipoproteins consist of a hydrophilic shell composed of phospholipids and proteins that enclose a hydrophobic core of triglycerides and cholesterol esters31. Four major classes of lipoproteins--chylomicron, very low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)&#8212;are produced by the host and function as lipid transport vehicles, delivering fatty acids and cholesterol to and from host cells via the vasculature. LDLs are abundant in esterified fatty acid including triglycerides and cholesterol esters31. We have previously demonstrated that highly purified human LDLs are a viable source of exogenous fatty acids for PG synthesis, thus providing a mechanism for FASII inhibitor bypass32. Purifying human LDLs can be technically challenging and time consuming while commercial sources of purified human LDLs are prohibitively expensive to use on a routine basis or to perform large-scale bacterial screens. To address these limitations, we have modified a procedure for the enrichment of LDLs from chicken egg yolk, a rich source of lipoprotein particles33. We have successfully used untargeted, high-resolution/accurate mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry to monitor incorporation of human LDL-derived fatty acids into the membrane of S. aureus32. Unlike previously reported methods, this approach can quantify individual fatty acid isomers for each of the three major staphylococcal phospholipid types. Oleic acid (18:1) is an unsaturated fatty acid present within all host lipoprotein particles that is readily incorporated into S. aureus phospholipids29,30,32. S. aureus is not capable of oleic acid synthesis29; therefore, the quantity of phospholipid-incorporated oleic acid establishes the presence of host lipoprotein-derived fatty acids within the staphylococcal membrane29. These phospholipid species can be identified by the state-of-the-art mass spectrometry method described here, offering unprecedented resolution of the membrane composition of S. aureus cultured in the presence of a fatty acid source it likely encounters during infection.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium sulfate</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>BP212R-1</td>
			<td>&#8805;99.5% pure</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell culture incubator</td>
			<td>Thermo</td>
			<td>MaxQ 6000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrafuge</td>
			<td>Thermo</td>
			<td>75-217-420</td>
			<td>Sorvall Legen XTR, rotor F14-6x250 LE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Costar assay plate</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3788</td>
			<td>96 well</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filter paper</td>
			<td>Schleicher &#38; Schuell</td>
			<td>597</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Large chicken egg</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Common store bought egg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microplate spectrophotometer</td>
			<td>BioTek</td>
			<td>Epoch 2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaCl</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S9625</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>S. aureus strain AH1263</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Provided by Alex Horswill of the University of Colorado</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dialysis tubing</td>
			<td>Pierce</td>
			<td>68700</td>
			<td>7,000 MWCO</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tryptone</td>
			<td>Becton, Dickison and Company</td>
			<td>211705</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.5 mm zirconium oxide beads</td>
			<td>Next Advance</td>
			<td>ZROB05</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bullet Blender</td>
			<td>Next Advance</td>
			<td>BBX24B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Methanol (LC-MS grade)</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>A4561</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chloroform (reagent grade)</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>MCX10559</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isopropanol (LC-MS grade)</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>A4611</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>850345C-25mg</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium bicarbonate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>9830</td>
			<td>&#8805;99.5% pure</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium formate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>70221-25G-F</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Xcalibur software</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>OPTON-30801</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LTQ-Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>high resolution/accurate mass MS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agilent 1260 capillary HPLC</td>
			<td>Agilent</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SpeedVac Vacuum Concentrators</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

isolation of lipoprotein particles from chicken egg yolk for the study of bacterial pathogen fatty acid incorporation into membrane phospholipids

Staphylococcus aureus and other Gram-positive pathogens incorporate fatty acids from the environment into membrane phospholipids. During infection, the majority of exogenous fatty acids are present within host lipoprotein particles. Uncertainty remains as to the reservoirs of host fatty acids and the mechanisms by which bacteria extract fatty acids from the lipoprotein particles. In this work, we describe protocols for enrichment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles from chicken egg yolk and determining whether LDLs serve as fatty acid reservoirs for S. aureus. This method exploits unbiased lipidomic analysis and chicken LDLs, an effective and economical model for the exploration of interactions between LDLs and bacteria. The analysis of S. aureus integration of exogenous fatty acids from LDLs is performed using high-resolution/accurate mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry, enabling the characterization of the fatty acid composition of the bacterial membrane and unbiased identification of novel combinations of fatty acids that arise in bacterial membrane lipids upon exposure to LDLs. These advanced mass spectrometry techniques offer an unparalleled perspective of fatty acid incorporation by revealing the specific exogenous fatty acids incorporated into the phospholipids. The methods outlined here are adaptable to the study of other bacterial pathogens and alternative sources of complex fatty acids.

The protocol for the enrichment of LDL from chicken egg yolk is illustrated in Figure 1. This process begins by diluting whole egg yolk with saline and separating the egg yolk solids referred to as granules from the soluble or plasma fraction containing the LDLs (Figure 1)33. The LDL content of the plasma fraction is further enriched by precipitation of the ~ 30-40 kDa &#946;-livetins (<strong class="xfig"...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation of Lipoprotein Particles from Chicken Egg Yolk for the Study of Bacterial Pathogen Fatty Acid Incorporation into Membrane Phospholipids at JoVE.com

Isolation of Lipoprotein Particles from Chicken Egg Yolk for the Study of Bacterial Pathogen Fatty Acid Incorporation into Membrane Phospholipids

This method provides a framework for studying incorporation of exogenous fatty acids from complex host sources into bacterial membranes, particularly Staphylococcus aureus. To achieve this, protocols for the enrichment of lipoprotein particles from chicken egg yolk and subsequent fatty acid profiling of bacterial phospholipids utilizing mass spectrometry are described.

Staphylococcus aureus and other Gram-positive pathogens incorporate fatty acids from the environment into membrane phospholipids. During infection, the ...

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Biochemistry

9.6K Views.  Michigan State University. This method provides a framework for studying incorporation of exogenous fatty acids from complex host sources into bacterial membranes, particularly Staphylococcus aureus. To achieve this, protocols for the enrichment of lipoprotein particles from chicken egg yolk and subsequent fatty acid profiling of bacterial phospholipids utilizing mass spectrometry are described.

Video: Isolation of Lipoprotein Particles from Chicken Egg Yolk for the Study of Bacterial Pathogen Fatty Acid Incorporation into Membrane Phospholipids

Bacterial Inner-membrane Display for Screening a Library of Antibody Fragments

Antibodies engineered for intracellular function must not only have affinity for their target antigen, but must also be soluble and correctly folded in the cytoplasm. Commonly used methods for the display and screening of recombinant antibody libraries do not incorporate intracellular protein folding quality control, and, thus, the antigen-binding capability and cytoplasmic folding and solubility of antibodies engineered using these methods often must be engineered separately. Here, we describe a protocol to screen a recombinant library of single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies for antigen-binding and proper cytoplasmic folding simultaneously. The method harnesses the intrinsic intracellular folding quality control mechanism of the Escherichia coli twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway to display an scFv library on the E. coli inner membrane. The Tat pathway ensures that only soluble, well-folded proteins are transported out of the cytoplasm and displayed on the inner membrane, thereby eliminating poorly folded scFvs prior to interrogation for antigen-binding. Following removal of the outer membrane, the scFvs displayed on the inner membrane are panned against a target antigen immobilized on magnetic beads to isolate scFvs that bind to the target antigen. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based secondary screen is used to identify the most promising scFvs for additional characterization. Antigen-binding and cytoplasmic solubility can be improved with subsequent rounds of mutagenesis and screening to engineer antibodies with high affinity and high cytoplasmic solubility for intracellular applications.

We provide a method to simultaneously screen a library of antibody fragments for binding affinity and cytoplasmic solubility by using the Escherichia coli twin-arginine translocation pathway, which has an inherent quality control mechanism for intracellular protein folding, to display the antibody fragments on the inner membrane.

Antibodies engineered for intracellular function must not only have affinity for their target antigen, but must also be soluble and correctly folded in ...

Identification of Fatty Acids in Bacillus cereus

The Bacillus species contain branched chain and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) with diverse positions of the methyl branch (iso or anteiso) and of the double bond. Changes in FA composition play a crucial role in the adaptation of bacteria to their environment. These modifications entail a change in the ratio of iso versus anteiso branched FAs, and in the proportion of unsaturated FAs relative to saturated FAs, with double bonds created at specific positions. Precise identification of the FA profile is necessary to understand the adaptation mechanisms of Bacillus species.
Many of the FAs from Bacillus are not commercially available. The strategy proposed herein identifies FAs by combining information on the retention time (by calculation of the equivalent chain length (ECL)) with the mass spectra of three types of FA derivatives: fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), 4,4-dimethyl oxazoline derivatives (DMOX), and 3-pyridylcarbinyl ester (picolinyl). This method can identify the FAs without the need to purify the unknown FAs.
Comparing chromatographic profiles of FAME prepared from Bacillus cereus with a commercial mixture of standards allows for the identification of straight-chain saturated FAs, the calculation of the ECL, and hypotheses on the identity of the other FAs. FAMEs of branched saturated FAs, iso or anteiso, display a constant negative shift in the ECL, compared to linear saturated FAs with the same number of carbons. FAMEs of unsaturated FAs can be detected by the mass of their molecular ions, and result in a positive shift in the ECL compared to the corresponding saturated FAs.
The branching position of FAs and the double bond position of unsaturated FAs can be identified by the electron ionization mass spectra of picolinyl and DMOX derivatives, respectively. This approach identifies all the unknown saturated branched FAs, unsaturated straight-chain FAs and unsaturated branched FAs from the B. cereus extract.

Identification of Fatty Acids in Bacillus cereus

We propose a protocol to identify fatty acids without the need to purify them. It combines information on the retention times with the mass spectra of three types of fatty acid derivatives: fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), 4,4-dimethyl oxazoline derivatives (DMOX), and 3-pyridylcarbinyl esters (picolinyl).

The Bacillus species contain branched chain and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) with diverse positions of the methyl branch (iso or anteiso) and of the ...

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

Studies of integral membrane proteins in vitro are frequently complicated by the presence of a hydrophobic transmembrane domain. Further complicating these studies, reincorporation of detergent-solubilized membrane proteins into liposomes is a stochastic process where protein topology is impossible to enforce. This paper offers an alternative method to these challenging techniques that utilizes a liposome-based scaffold. Protein solubility is enhanced by deletion of the transmembrane domain, and these amino acids are replaced with a tethering moiety, such as a His-tag. This tether interacts with an anchoring group (Ni2+ coordinated by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA(Ni2+)) for His-tagged proteins), which enforces a uniform protein topology at the surface of the liposome. An example is presented wherein the interaction between Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) with an integral membrane protein, Mitochondrial Fission Factor (Mff), was investigated using this scaffold liposome method. In this work, we have demonstrated the ability of Mff to efficiently recruit soluble Drp1 to the surface of liposomes, which stimulated its GTPase activity. Moreover, Drp1 was able to tubulate the Mff-decorated lipid template in the presence of specific lipids. This example demonstrates the effectiveness of scaffold liposomes using structural and functional assays and highlights the role of Mff in regulating Drp1 activity.

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

This paper describes a method for assessing the interactions and assemblies of integral membrane proteins in vitro with various partner factors in a lipid-proximal environment.

Studies of integral membrane proteins in vitro are frequently complicated by the presence of a hydrophobic transmembrane domain. Further complicating ...

Fatty Acid 13C Isotopologue Profiling Provides Insight into Trophic Carbon Transfer and Lipid Metabolism of Invertebrate Consumers

Fatty acids (FAs) are useful biomarkers in food web ecology because they are typically assimilated as a complete molecule and transferred into consumer tissue with minor or no modification, allowing the dietary routing between different trophic levels. However, the FA trophic marker approach is still hampered by the limited knowledge in lipid metabolism of the soil fauna. This study used entirely labelled palmitic acid (13C16:0, 99 atom%) as a tracer in fatty acid metabolism pathways of two widespread soil Collembola, Protaphorura fimata and Heteromurus nitidus. In order to investigate the fate and metabolic modifications of this precursor, a method of isotopologue profiling is presented, performed by mass spectrometry using single ion monitoring. Moreover, the upstream laboratory feeding experiment is described, as well as the extraction and methylation of dominant lipid fractions (neutral lipids, phospholipids) and the related formula and calculations. Isotopologue profiling does not only yield the overall 13C enrichment in fatty acids derived from the 13C labeled precursor but also produces the pattern of isotopologues exceeding the mass of the parent ion (i.e., the FA molecular ion M+) of each labeled FA by one or more mass units (M+1, M+2, M+3, etc.). This knowledge allows conclusions on the ratio of dietary routing of an entirely consumed FA in comparison to de novo biosynthesis. The isotopologue profiling is suggested as a useful tool for evaluation of fatty acid metabolism in soil animals to disentangle trophic interactions.

Fatty Acid 13C Isotopologue Profiling Provides Insight into Trophic Carbon Transfer and Lipid Metabolism of Invertebrate Consumers

The fatty acid trophic marker approach, i.e., the assimilation of fatty acids as entire molecule and transfer into consumer tissue with no or minor modification, is hampered by knowledge gaps in fatty acid metabolism of small soil invertebrates. Isotopologue profiling is provided as a valuable tool to disentangle trophic interactions.

Fatty acids (FAs) are useful biomarkers in food web ecology because they are typically assimilated as a complete molecule and transferred into consumer ...

Rapid Isolation of the Mitoribosome from HEK Cells

The human mitochondria possess a dedicated set of ribosomes (mitoribosomes) that translate 13 essential protein components of the oxidative phosphorylation complexes encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Since all proteins synthesized by human mitoribosomes are integral membrane proteins, human mitoribosomes are tethered to the mitochondrial inner membrane during translation. Compared to the cytosolic ribosome the mitoribosome has a sedimentation coefficient of 55S, half the rRNA content, no 5S rRNA and 36 additional proteins. Therefore, a higher protein-to-RNA ratio and an atypical structure make the human mitoribosome substantially distinct from its cytosolic counterpart.
Despite the central importance of the mitoribosome to life, no protocols were available to purify the intact complex from human cell lines. Traditionally, mitoribosomes were isolated from mitochondria-rich animal tissues that required kilograms of starting material. We reasoned that mitochondria in dividing HEK293-derived human cells grown in nutrient-rich expression medium would have an active mitochondrial translation, and, therefore, could be a suitable source of material for the structural and biochemical studies of the mitoribosome. To investigate its structure, we developed a protocol for large-scale purification of intact mitoribosomes from HEK cells. Herein, we introduce nitrogen cavitation method as a faster, less labor-intensive and more efficient alternative to traditional mechanical shear-based methods for cell lysis. This resulted in preparations of the mitoribosome that allowed for its structural determination to high resolution, revealing the composition of the intact human mitoribosome and its assembly intermediates. Here, we follow up on this work and present an optimized and more cost-effective method requiring only ~1010 cultured HEK cells. The method can be employed to purify human mitoribosomal translating complexes, mutants, quality control assemblies and mitoribosomal subunits intermediates. The purification can be linearly scaled up tenfold if needed, and also applied to other types of cells.

Mitochondria have specialized ribosomes that diverged from their bacterial and cytoplasmic counterparts. Here we show how mitoribosomes can be obtained from their native compartment in HEK cells. The method involves isolation of mitochondria from suspension cells and consequent purification of mitoribosomes.

The human mitochondria possess a dedicated set of ribosomes (mitoribosomes) that translate 13 essential protein components of the oxidative ...

A Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy Assay of Protein-Protein Interactions at Cell-Cell Contacts

A variety of biological processes involves cell-cell interactions, typically mediated by proteins that interact at the interface between neighboring cells. Of interest, only few assays are capable of specifically probing such interactions directly in living cells. Here, we present an assay to measure the binding of proteins expressed at the surfaces of neighboring cells, at cell-cell contacts. This assay consists of two steps: mixing of cells expressing the proteins of interest fused to different fluorescent proteins, followed by fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy measurements at cell-cell contacts using a confocal laser scanning microscope. We demonstrate the feasibility of this assay in a biologically relevant context by measuring the interactions of the amyloid precursor-like protein 1 (APLP1) across cell-cell junctions. We provide detailed protocols on the data acquisition using fluorescence-based techniques (scanning fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy, cross-correlation number and brightness analysis) and the required instrument calibrations. Further, we discuss critical steps in the data analysis and how to identify and correct external, spurious signal variations, such as those due to photobleaching or cell movement.
In general, the presented assay is applicable to any homo- or heterotypic protein-protein interaction at cell-cell contacts, between cells of the same or different types and can be implemented on a commercial confocal laser scanning microscope. An important requirement is the stability of the system, which needs to be sufficient to probe diffusive dynamics of the proteins of interest over several minutes.

This protocol describes a fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy-based approach to investigate interactions among proteins mediating cell-cell interactions, i.e. proteins localized in cell junctions, directly in living cells. We provide detailed guidelines on instrument calibration, data acquisition and analysis, including corrections to possible artefact sources.

A variety of biological processes involves cell-cell interactions, typically mediated by proteins that interact at the interface between neighboring ...

Single Liposome Measurements for the Study of Proton-Pumping Membrane Enzymes Using Electrochemistry and Fluorescent Microscopy

Proton-pumping enzymes of electron transfer chains couple redox reactions to proton translocation across the membrane, creating a proton-motive force used for ATP production. The amphiphilic nature of membrane proteins requires particular attention to their handling, and reconstitution into the natural lipid environment is indispensable when studying membrane transport processes like proton translocation. Here, we detail a method that has been used for the investigation of the proton-pumping mechanism of membrane redox enzymes, taking cytochrome bo3 from Escherichia coli as an example. A combination of electrochemistry and fluorescence microscopy is used to control the redox state of the quinone pool and monitor pH changes in the lumen. Due to the spatial resolution of fluorescent microscopy, hundreds of liposomes can be measured simultaneously while the enzyme content can be scaled down to a single enzyme or transporter per liposome. The respective single enzyme analysis can reveal patterns in the enzyme functional dynamics that might be otherwise hidden by the behavior of the whole population. We include a description of a script for automated image analysis.

Here, we present a protocol to study the molecular mechanism of proton translocation across lipid membranes of single liposomes, using cytochrome bo3 as an example. Combining electrochemistry and fluorescence microscopy, pH changes in the lumen of single vesicles, containing single or multiple enzyme, can be detected and analyzed individually.

Proton-pumping enzymes of electron transfer chains couple redox reactions to proton translocation across the membrane, creating a proton-motive force used ...

Enrichment of Native Lipoprotein Particles with microRNA and Subsequent Determination of Their Absolute/Relative microRNA Content and Their Cellular Transfer Rate

Lipoprotein particles are predominately transporters of lipids and cholesterol in the bloodstream. Furthermore, they contain small amounts of strands of noncoding microRNA (miRNA). In general, miRNA alters the protein expression profile due to interactions with messenger-RNA (mRNA). Thus, knowledge of the relative and absolute miRNA content of lipoprotein particles is essential to estimate the biological effect of cellular particle uptake. Here, a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based protocol is presented to determine the absolute miRNA content of lipoprotein particles&#8212;exemplified shown for native and miRNA-enriched lipoprotein particles. The relative miRNA content is quantified using multiwell microfluidic array cards. Furthermore, this protocol allows scientists to estimate the cellular miRNA and, thus, the lipoprotein particle uptake rate. A significant increase of the cellular miRNA level is observable when using high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles artificially loaded with miRNA, whereas incubation with native HDL particles yields no significant effect due to their rather low miRNA content. In contrast, the cellular uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles&#8212;neither with native miRNA nor artificially loaded with it&#8212;did not alter the cellular miRNA level.

Here, a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction-based protocol is presented for the determination of the native micro-RNA content (absolute/relative) of lipoprotein particles. In addition, a method for increasing the micro-RNA level, as well as a method for determining the cellular uptake rate of lipoprotein particles, is demonstrated.

Lipoprotein particles are predominately transporters of lipids and cholesterol in the bloodstream. Furthermore, they contain small amounts of strands of ...

PeptiQuick, a One-Step Incorporation of Membrane Proteins into Biotinylated Peptidiscs for Streamlined Protein Binding Assays

Membrane proteins, including transporters, channels, and receptors, constitute nearly one-fourth of the cellular proteome and over half of current drug targets. Yet, a major barrier to their characterization and exploitation in academic or industrial settings is that most biochemical, biophysical, and drug screening strategies require these proteins to be in a water-soluble state. Our laboratory recently developed the peptidisc, a membrane mimetic offering a &#8220;one-size-fits-all&#8221; approach to the problem of membrane protein solubility. We present here a streamlined protocol that combines protein purification and peptidisc reconstitution in a single chromatographic step. This workflow, termed PeptiQuick, allows for bypassing dialysis and incubation with polystyrene beads, thereby greatly reducing exposure to detergent, protein denaturation, and sample loss. When PeptiQuick is performed with biotinylated scaffolds, the preparation can be directly attached to streptavidin-coated surfaces. There is no need to biotinylate or modify the membrane protein target. PeptiQuick is showcased here with the membrane receptor FhuA and antimicrobial ligand colicin M, using biolayer interferometry to determine the precise kinetics of their interaction. It is concluded that PeptiQuick is a convenient way to prepare and analyze membrane protein-ligand interactions within one&#160;day in a detergent-free environment.

We present a method that combines membrane protein purification and reconstitution into peptidiscs in a single chromatographic step. Biotinylated scaffolds are used for direct surface attachment and measurement of protein-ligand interactions via biolayer interferometry.

Membrane proteins, including transporters, channels, and receptors, constitute nearly one-fourth of the cellular proteome and over half of current drug ...

Optimized Incorporation of Alkynyl Fatty Acid Analogs for the Detection of Fatty Acylated Proteins using Click Chemistry

Fatty acylation, the covalent addition of saturated fatty acids to protein substrates, is important in regulating a myriad of cellular functions in addition to its implications in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent developments in fatty acylation detection methods have enabled efficient and non-hazardous detection of fatty acylated proteins, particularly through the use of click chemistry with bio-orthogonal labeling. However, click chemistry detection can be limited by the poor solubility and potential toxic effects of adding long chain fatty acids to cell culture. Described here is a labeling approach with optimized delivery using saponified fatty acids in combination with fatty-acid free BSA, as well as delipidated media, which can improve detection of hard to detect fatty acylated proteins. This effect was most pronounced with the alkynyl-stearate analog, 17-ODYA, which has been the most commonly used fatty acid analog in click chemistry detection of acylated proteins. This modification will improve cellular incorporation and increase sensitivity to acylated protein detection. In addition, this approach can be applied in a variety of cell types and combined with other assays such as pulse-chase analysis, stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture, and mass spectrometry for quantitative profiling of fatty acylated proteins.

The study of fatty acylation has important implications in cellular protein interactions and diseases. Presented here is a modified protocol to improve click chemistry detection of fatty acylated proteins, which can be applied in various cell types and combined with other assays, including pulse-chase and mass spectrometry.

Fatty acylation, the covalent addition of saturated fatty acids to protein substrates, is important in regulating a myriad of cellular functions in ...