Immunoaffinity isolation of modified peptides from complex mixtures

Abstract

The invention provides methods for isolating a modified peptide from a complex mixture of peptides, the method comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a proteinaceous preparation from an organism, wherein the preparation comprises modified peptides from two or more different proteins; (b) contacting the preparation with at least one immobilized modification-specific antibody; and (c) isolating at least one modified peptide specifically bound by the immobilized modification-specific antibody in step (b). The method may further comprise the step of (d) characterizing the modified peptide isolated in step (c) by mass spectrometry (MS), tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS), and / or MS3 analysis, or the step of (e) utilizing a search program to substantially match the spectra obtained for the modified peptide during the characterization of step (d) with the spectra for a known peptide sequence, thereby identifying the parent protein(s) of the modified peptide. Also provided are an immunoaffinity isolation device comprising a modification-specific antibody, and antibodies against novel UFD1 and PTN6 phosphorylation sites.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 777,893, filed Feb. 12, 2004, presently pending, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to peptides and methods of isolating and characterizing the same.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The activation of proteins by modification represents an important cellular mechanism for regulating most aspects of biological organization and control, including growth, development, homeostasis, and cellular communication. For example, protein phosphorylation plays a critical role in the etiology of many pathological conditions and diseases, including cancer, developmental disorders, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes. In spite of the importance of protein modification, it is not yet well understood at the molecular level. The reasons for this lack of understanding are, first, that the cellular modification system is extraordinarily complex, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a method for isolating modified peptides from complex mixtures of peptides without the need for costly and timely pre-purification of desired peptides or proteins. This method involves obtaining a proteinaceous preparation from an organism, contacting it with at least one immobilized modification-specific antibody, and isolating at least one modified peptide specifically bound by the immobilized antibody. The isolated peptides can then be characterized using mass spectrometry and search programs to identify the parent protein(s) of the modified peptide(s). This method is efficient, cost-effective, and suitable for automation. The invention also provides an immunoaffinity isolation device for the isolation of modified peptides and antibodies to novel UFD1 and PTN6 phosphorylation sites."

Problems solved by technology

In spite of the importance of protein modification, it is not yet well understood at the molecular level.

The reasons for this lack of understanding are, first, that the cellular modification system is extraordinarily complex, and second, that the technology necessary to unravel its complexity has not yet been fully developed.

Although several methods for purifying phosphopeptides have been described, these methods have significant limitations that render them unsuitable for the isolation or purification of modified peptides from complex mixtures of peptides on a genome- or cell-wide basis.

The reversed-phase HPLC method has several important limitations that render it unsuitable for the purification of modified peptides from complex mixtures of peptides, e.g. cellular digests.

The method cannot be applied to biological samples that cannot be radioactively labeled, such as tissue biopsy samples.

The HPLC method is often unsuccessful when applied to proteins that are modified at low levels, for example, where only a small percentage (less than 10%) of the protein is phosphorylated at one site.

This problem results from the difficulty of purifying a phosphopeptide to homogeneity against a high background of nonphosphorylated peptides, and the need for a nearly homogenous phosphopeptide during chemical sequencing.

However, in the latter attempt the method failed, and the authors expressly concluded that the low binding affinity between the antibody and the phosphopeptides makes the detection of phosphorylation sites almost impossible (Id. at p.

None of these methodologies are suitable for the selective isolation of phosphopeptides from complex mixtures of peptides that are derived from multiple, unpurified proteins, and most require the timely pre-purification of desired proteins.

As with the reversed-phase HPLC method, IMAC purification of modified peptides has several limitations that render it unsuitable for the purification of modified peptides from complex mixtures of peptides, such as cellular digests.

This drawback is especially problematic when only a small percentage of the protein sample is modified, e.g. a partially phosphorylated protein, because the background level of contaminating nonphosphorylated peptides can overwhelm the level of phosphopeptides.

For this reason, the IMAC method is not suitable for the isolation of desired modified peptides from complex peptide mixtures.

Further, the method is not specific for the type of modified residue, e.g. phosphorylated residue, thus peptides with phosphoserine, phosphothreonine, or phosphotyrosine all bind and elute from IMAC resins.

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