The pT-t7 plasmid encoding A56C &#945;-Syn mutant was given to us as a present from Dr. Asaf Grupi, Dr. Dan Amir and Dr. Elisha Haas. This paper was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, grant R01 GM130942 to E.L. as a subaward), the Israel Science Foundation (grant 3565/20 within the KillCorona - Curbing Coronavirus Research Program), the Milner Fund and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (startup funds).

All authors share no conflict of interest.

Extensive biochemical and biophysical studies were performed to study the structural characteristics of &#945;-Syn and its disordered nature33,34,35,36,37,38. Several works have already utilized freely-diffusing smFRET to investigate the intra-molecular dynamics of the &#945;-Syn monomer free of binding. These works reported ...

Over the past two decades, single-molecule fluorescence-based methods have become a powerful tool for measuring biomolecules1,2, probing how different biomolecular parameters distribute as well as how they dynamically interconvert between different sub-populations of these parameters at sub-millisecond resolution3,4,5. The parameters in these techniques include the energy transfer efficiency in FRET&#160;measurements 6,7, fluorescence anisotropy8,9, fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes10,11, as a function of different fluorescence quenching12 or enhancement13 mechanisms. One of these mechanisms, better known as protein-induced fluorescence enhancement (PIFE)14 introduces the enhancement of fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime as a function of steric obstruction to the free isomerization of the fluorophore when in excited-state, caused by protein surfaces in the vicinity of the dye14,15,16,17,18,19. Both FRET and PIFE are considered spectroscopic rulers or proximity sensors since their measured parameter is directly linked to a spatial measure within the labeled biomolecule under measurement. While the FRET efficiency is related to the distance between a pair of dyes within a range of 3-10 nm20, PIFE tracks increases in fluorescence quantum yields or lifetimes related to the distance between the dye and a surface of a nearby protein in the range of 0-3 nm19.
Single-molecule FRET has been widely used for providing structural insights into many different protein systems, including intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs)21, such as &#945;-Synuclein (&#945;-Syn)22. &#945;-Syn can form ordered structures following binding to different biomolecules and under different conditions23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30. However, when unbound, the &#945;-Syn monomer is characterized by high conformational heterogeneity with rapidly interconverting conformations31,32.
The conformations of &#945;-Syn have been studied previously using various different techniques that help in identifying conformational dynamics of such highly heterogeneous and dynamic protein systems33,34,35,36,37,38,39. Interestingly, single-molecule FRET (smFRET) measurements of &#945;-Syn in buffer reported a single FRET population39,40&#160;that is an outcome of time-averaging of conformations dynamically interconverting at times much faster than the typical diffusion time of &#945;-Syn through the confocal spot (times as fast as few microseconds and even faster than that, relative to typical millisecond diffusion times)40,41. However, using a FRET spectroscopic ruler with the 3-10 nm distance sensitivity sometimes reports only on overall structural changes in a small protein such as &#945;-Syn. Single-molecule measurements utilizing spectroscopic proximity sensors with shorter distance sensitivities have the potential to report on dynamics of local structures. Herein we perform single-molecule PIFE measurements of &#945;-Syn and identify different sub-populations of fluorescence lifetimes mapping to different local structures with transitions between them as slow as 100 ms. This work summarizes time-resolved smPIFE measurements of freely-diffusing &#945;-Syn molecules one at a time, in buffer and when bound to SDS-based membranes as a short-range single-molecule spectroscopic proximity sensor.

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			<td>Amicon Ultra-15 Centrifugal Filter Units</td>
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			<td>C7715</td>
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		<tr>
			<td>ammonium sulfate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A4418</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>BSA</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A9647</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td>cysteamine</td>
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			<td>dithiothreitol (DTT)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>43815</td>
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			<td>ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>E5134</td>
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		<tr>
			<td>Fast SeeBand staining solution</td>
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			<td>SB050</td>
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			<td>Glycine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>50046</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td>D-Glucose</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G7021</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>54457</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>HiTrap Desalting 5 mL</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>GE17-1408</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (TROLOX)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>238813</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>isopropyl &#946;-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>I5502</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>LB broth</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>L3152</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td>Magnesium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>63068</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>MonoQ column</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>54807</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>protein LoBind tube</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>EP0030108094</td>
			<td>0.5 mL</td>
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		<tr>
			<td>Rinse a &#181;-slide 18</td>
			<td>Ibidi</td>
			<td>81816</td>
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			<td>SDS</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>75746</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td>Sodium acetate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S2889</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td>Sodium hydroxide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S8045</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>Sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>71507</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sterile Cell spreaders, Drigalski spatulas</td>
			<td>mini-plast</td>
			<td>815-004-05-001</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>streptomycin sulfate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S9137</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sulfo-Cy3&#160;maleimide</td>
			<td>abcam</td>
			<td>ab146493</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>75259</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-HCl</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>93363</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tryptone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T7293</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Yeast Extract</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>Y1625</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
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utilizing time-resolved protein-induced fluorescence enhancement to identify stable local conformations one &#945;-synuclein monomer at a time

Using spectroscopic rulers to track multiple conformations of single biomolecules and their dynamics have revolutionized the understanding of structural dynamics and its contributions to biology. While the FRET-based ruler reports on inter-dye distances in the 3-10 nm range, other spectroscopic techniques, such as protein-induced fluorescence enhancement (PIFE), report on the proximity between a dye and a protein surface in the shorter 0-3 nm range. Regardless of the method of choice, its use in measuring freely-diffusing biomolecules one at a time retrieves histograms of the experimental parameter yielding separate centrally-distributed sub-populations of biomolecules, where each sub-population represents either a single conformation that stayed unchanged within milliseconds, or multiple conformations that interconvert much faster than milliseconds, and hence an averaged-out sub-population. In single-molecule FRET, where the reported parameter in histograms is the inter-dye FRET efficiency, an intrinsically disordered protein, such as the &#945;-Synuclein monomer in buffer, was previously reported as exhibiting a single averaged-out sub-population of multiple conformations interconverting rapidly. While these past findings depend on the 3-10 nm range of the FRET-based ruler, we sought to put this protein to the test using single-molecule PIFE, where we track the fluorescence lifetime of site-specific sCy3-labeled &#945;-Synuclein proteins one at a time. Interestingly, using this shorter range spectroscopic proximity sensor, sCy3-labeled &#945;-Synuclein exhibits several lifetime sub-populations with distinctly different mean lifetimes that interconvert in 10-100 ms. These results show that while &#945;-Synuclein might be disordered globally, it nonetheless attains stable local structures. In summary, in this work we highlight the advantage of using different spectroscopic proximity sensors that track local or global structural changes one biomolecule at a time.

As an IDP, when it is not bound to another biomolecule, &#945;-Syn exhibits structural dynamics between multiple conformations, with transitions at few microseconds40&#160;and even at hundreds of nanoseconds41. When &#945;-Syn crosses the confocal spot, it may undergo thousands of transitions between conformations. Indeed, this was the case when smFRET was used39,40. Here we perform smPIFE measurements in order to p...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Utilizing Time-Resolved Protein-Induced Fluorescence Enhancement to Identify Stable Local Conformations One ÃŽÂ±-Synuclein Monomer at a Time at JoVE.com

Utilizing Time-Resolved Protein-Induced Fluorescence Enhancement to Identify Stable Local Conformations One &#945;-Synuclein Monomer at a Time

Time-resolved single-molecule protein-induced fluorescence enhancement is a useful fluorescence spectroscopic proximity sensor sensitive to local structural changes in proteins. Here we show it can be used to uncover stable local conformations in &#945;-Synuclein, which is otherwise known as globularly unstructured and unstable when measured using the longer range FRET ruler.

Using spectroscopic rulers to track multiple conformations of single biomolecules and their dynamics have revolutionized the understanding of structural ...

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Biochemistry

3.1K Views.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Time-resolved single-molecule protein-induced fluorescence enhancement is a useful fluorescence spectroscopic proximity sensor sensitive to local structural changes in proteins. Here we show it can be used to uncover stable local conformations in α-Synuclein, which is otherwise known as globularly unstructured and unstable when measured using the longer range FRET ruler.

Video: Utilizing Time-Resolved Protein-Induced Fluorescence Enhancement to Identify Stable Local Conformations One α-Synuclein Monomer at a Time

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. ...

Utilizing a Comprehensive Immunoprecipitation Enrichment System to Identify an Endogenous Post-translational Modification Profile for Target Proteins

It is now well-appreciated that post-translational modifications (PTMs) play an integral role in regulating a protein&#39;s structure and function, which may be essential for a given protein&#39;s role both physiologically and pathologically. Enrichment of PTMs is often necessary when investigating the PTM status of a target protein, because PTMs are often transient and relatively low in abundance. Many pitfalls are encountered when enriching for a PTM of a target protein, such as buffer incompatibility, the target protein antibody is not IP-compatible, loss of PTM signal, and others. The degree of difficulty is magnified when investigating multiple PTMs like acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation 2/3, and tyrosine phosphorylation for a given target protein. Studying a combination of these PTMs may be necessary, as crosstalk between PTMs is prevalent and critical for protein regulation. Often, these PTMs are studied in different lysis buffers and with unique inhibitor compositions. To simplify the process, a unique denaturing lysis system was developed that effectively isolates and preserves these four PTMs; thus, enabling investigation of potential crosstalk in a single lysis system. A unique filter system was engineered to remove contaminating genomic DNA from the lysate, which is a problematic by-product of denaturing buffers. Robust affinity matrices targeting each of the four PTMs were developed in concert with the buffer system to maximize the enrichment and detection of the endogenous states of these four PTMs. This comprehensive PTM detection toolset streamlines the process of obtaining critical information about whether a protein is modified by one or more of these PTMs.

Investigating multiple, endogenous post-translational modifications for a target protein can be extremely challenging. Techniques described here utilize an optimized lysis buffer and filter system developed with specific PTM-targeting, affinity matrices to detect the acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation 2/3, and tyrosine phosphorylation modifications for a target protein using a single, streamlined system.

It is now well-appreciated that post-translational modifications (PTMs) play an integral role in regulating a protein&#39;s structure and function, which ...

Generation of Native, Untagged Huntingtin Exon1 Monomer and Fibrils Using a SUMO Fusion Strategy

Huntington&#39;s Disease (HD) is an inherited fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG expansion (&#8805;36) in the first exon of the HD gene, resulting in the expression of the Huntingtin protein (Htt) or N-terminal fragments thereof with an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch.
The exon1 of the Huntingtin protein (Httex1) is the smallest Htt fragment that recapitulates many of the features of HD in cellular and animal models and is one of the most widely studied fragments of Htt. The small size of Httex1 makes it experimentally more amenable to biophysical characterization using standard and high-resolution techniques in comparison to longer fragments or full-length Htt. However, the high aggregation propensity of mutant Httex1 (mHttex1) with increased polyQ content (&#8805;42) has made it difficult to develop efficient expression and purification systems to produce these proteins in sufficient quantities and make them accessible to scientists from different disciplines without the use of fusion proteins or other strategies that alter the native sequence of the protein. We present here a robust and optimized method for the production of milligram quantities of native, tag-free Httex1 based on the transient fusion of small ubiquitin related modifier (SUMO). The simplicity and efficiency of the strategy will eliminate the need to use non-native sequences of Httex1, thus making this protein more accessible to researchers and improving the reproducibility of experiments across different laboratories. We believe that these advances will also facilitate future studies aimed at elucidating the structure-function relationship of Htt as well as developing novel diagnostic tools and therapies to treat or slow the progression of HD.

Here, we present a robust and optimized protocol for the production of milligram quantities of native, tag-free monomers and fibrils of the exon1 of the Huntingtin protein (Httex1) based on the transient fusion of small ubiquitin related modifier (SUMO).

Huntington&#39;s Disease (HD) is an inherited fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG expansion (&#8805;36) in the first exon of the HD gene, ...

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 ...

Using In Vitro Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Study the Dynamics Of Protein Complexes at a Millisecond Time Scale

Proteins are the primary operators of biological systems, and they usually interact with other macro- or small molecules to carry out their biological functions. Such interactions can be highly dynamic, meaning the interacting subunits are constantly associated and dissociated at certain rates. While measuring the binding affinity using techniques such as quantitative pull-down reveals the strength of the interaction, studying the binding kinetics provides insights on how fast the interaction occurs and how long each complex can exist. Furthermore, measuring the kinetics of an interaction in the presence of an additional factor, such as a protein exchange factor or a drug, helps reveal the mechanism by which the interaction is regulated by the other factor, providing important knowledge for the advancement of biological and medical research. Here, we describe a protocol for measuring the binding kinetics of a protein complex that has a high intrinsic association rate and can be dissociated quickly by another protein. The method uses fluorescence resonance energy transfer to report the formation of the protein complex in vitro, and it enables monitoring the fast association and dissociation of the complex in real time on a stopped-flow fluorimeter. Using this assay, the association and dissociation rate constants of the protein complex are quantified.

Protein-protein interactions are critical for biological systems, and studies of the binding kinetics provide insights into the dynamics and function of protein complexes. We describe a method that quantifies the kinetic parameters of a protein complex using fluorescence resonance energy transfer and the stopped-flow technique. &#160;

Proteins are the primary operators of biological systems, and they usually interact with other macro- or small molecules to carry out their biological ...

A Strategy to Identify Compounds that Affect Cell Growth and Survival in Cultured Mammalian Cells at Low-to-Moderate Throughput

Cytotoxicity is a critical parameter that needs to be quantified when studying drugs that may have therapeutic benefits. Because of this, many drug screening assays utilize cytotoxicity as one of the critical characteristics to be profiled for individual compounds. Cells in culture are a useful model to assess cytotoxicity before proceeding to follow up on promising lead compounds in more costly and labor-intensive animal models. We describe a strategy to identify compounds that affect cell growth in a tdTomato expressing human neural stem cells (NSC) line. The strategy uses two complementary assays to assess cell number. One assay works via the reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) to formazan as a proxy for cell number and the other directly counts the tdTomato expressing NSCs. The two assays can be performed simultaneously in a single experiment and are not labor intensive, rapid, and inexpensive. The strategy described in this demonstration tested 57 compounds in an exploratory primary screen for toxicity in a 96-well plate format. Three of the hits were characterized further in a six-point dose response using the same assay set-up as the primary screen. In addition to providing excellent corroboration for toxicity, comparison of results from the two assays may be effective in identifying compounds affecting other aspects of cell growth.

It is often necessary to assess the potential cytotoxicity of a set of compounds on cultured cells. Here, we describe a strategy to reliably screen for toxic compounds in a 96-well format.

Cytotoxicity is a critical parameter that needs to be quantified when studying drugs that may have therapeutic benefits. Because of this, many drug ...

Fast Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Cryo-Electron Microscopy

The field of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is rapidly developing with new hardware and processing algorithms, producing higher resolution structures and information on more challenging systems. Sample preparation for cryo-EM is undergoing a similar revolution with new approaches being developed to supersede the traditional blotting systems. These include the use of piezo-electric dispensers, pin printing and direct spraying. As a result of these developments, the speed of grid preparation is going from seconds to milliseconds, providing new opportunities, especially in the field of time-resolved cryo-EM where proteins and substrates can be rapidly mixed before plunge freezing, trapping short lived intermediate states. Here we describe, in detail, a standard protocol for making grids on our in-house time-resolved EM device both for standard fast grid preparation and also for time-resolved experiments. The protocol requires a minimum of about 50 &#181;L sample at concentrations of &#8805; 2 mg/mL for the preparation of 4 grids. The delay between sample application and freezing can be as low as 10 ms. One limitation is increased ice thickness at faster speeds and compared to the blotting method. We hope this protocol will aid others in designing their own grid making devices and those interested in designing time-resolved experiments.

Here, we provide a detailed protocol for the use of a rapid grid making device for both fast grid-making and for rapid mixing and freezing to conduct time-resolved experiments.

The field of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is rapidly developing with new hardware and processing algorithms, producing higher resolution structures ...

Time-resolved F&#246;rster Resonance Energy Transfer Assays for Measurement of Endogenous Phosphorylated STAT Proteins in Human Cells

The Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating cellular responses to cytokines and growth factors. STAT proteins are activated by tyrosine phosphorylation mediated mainly by JAKs. The abnormal activation of STAT signaling pathways is implicated in many human diseases, especially cancer and immune-related conditions. Therefore, the ability to monitor STAT protein phosphorylation within the native cell signaling environment is important for both academic and drug discovery research. The traditional assay formats available to quantify phosphorylated STAT proteins include western blotting and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These heterogeneous methods are labor-intensive, low-throughput, and often not reliable (specific) in the case of western blotting. Homogeneous (no-wash) methods are available but remain expensive. 
Here, detailed protocols are provided for the sensitive, robust, and cost-effective measurement in a 384-well format of endogenous levels of phosphorylated STAT1 (Y701), STAT3 (Y705), STAT4 (Y693), STAT5 (Y694/Y699), and STAT6 (Y641) in cell lysates from adherent or suspension cells using the novel THUNDER time-resolved F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) platform. The workflow for the cellular assay is simple, fast, and designed for high-throughput screening (HTS). The assay protocol is flexible, uses a low-volume sample (15 &#181;L), requires only one reagent addition step, and can be adapted to low-throughput and high-throughput applications. Each phospho-STAT sandwich immunoassay is validated under optimized conditions with known agonists and inhibitors and generates the expected pharmacology and Z'-factor values. As TR-FRET assays are ratiometric and require no washing steps, they provide much better reproducibility than traditional approaches. Together, this suite of assays provides new cost-effective tools for a more comprehensive analysis of specific phosphorylated STAT proteins following cell treatment and the screening and characterization of specific and selective modulators of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.

Time-resolved F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer cell-based assay protocols are described for the simple, specific, sensitive, and robust quantification of endogenous phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1/3/4/5/6 proteins in cell lysates in a 384-well format.

The Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating cellular responses to ...

Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement for Detecting and Characterizing Self-Associations of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins and intrinsically disordered regions within proteins make up a large and functionally significant part of the human proteome. The highly flexible nature of these sequences allows them to form weak, long-range, and transient interactions with diverse biomolecular partners. Specific yet low-affinity interactions promote promiscuous binding and enable a single intrinsically disordered segment to interact with a multitude of target sites. Because of the transient nature of these interactions, they can be difficult to characterize by structural biology methods that rely on proteins to form a single, predominant conformation. Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement NMR is a useful tool for identifying and defining the structural underpinning of weak and transient interactions. A detailed protocol for using paramagnetic relaxation enhancement to characterize the lowly-populated encounter complexes that form between intrinsically disordered proteins and their protein, nucleic acid, or other biomolecular partners is described.

A protocol for the application of paramagnetic relaxation enhancement NMR spectroscopy to detect weak and transient inter- and intra-molecular interactions in intrinsically disordered proteins is presented.

Intrinsically disordered proteins and intrinsically disordered regions within proteins make up a large and functionally significant part of the human ...

A Mass Spectrometry-Based Approach to Identify Phosphoprotein Phosphatases and their Interactors

Most cellular processes are regulated by dynamic protein phosphorylation. More than three-quarters of proteins are phosphorylated, and phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPs) coordinate over 90% of all cellular serine/threonine dephosphorylation. Deregulation of protein phosphorylation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration. Despite their widespread activity, the molecular mechanisms controlling PPPs and those controlled by PPPs are poorly characterized. Here, a proteomic approach termed phosphatase inhibitor beads and mass spectrometry (PIB-MS) is described to identify and quantify PPPs, their posttranslational modifications, and their interactors in as little as 12 h using any cell line or tissue. PIB-MS utilizes a non-selective PPP inhibitor, microcystin-LR (MCLR), immobilized on sepharose beads to capture and enrich endogenous PPPs and their associated proteins (termed the PPPome). This method does not require the exogenous expression of tagged versions of PPPs or the use of specific antibodies. PIB-MS offers an innovative way to study the evolutionarily conserved PPPs and expand our current understanding of dephosphorylation signaling.

Here, we present a protocol for the enrichment of endogenous phosphoprotein phosphatases and their interacting proteins from cells and tissues and their identification and quantification by mass spectrometry-based proteomics.

Most cellular processes are regulated by dynamic protein phosphorylation. More than three-quarters of proteins are phosphorylated, and phosphoprotein ...