Synthesis and site-directed fluorescence labeling of azido proteins using eukaryotic cell-free orthogonal translation systems.

Eukaryotic cell-free systems based on wheat germ and Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells were equipped with an orthogonal amber suppressor tRNA-synthetase pair to synthesize proteins with a site-specifically incorporated p-azido-l-phenylalanine residue in order to provide their chemoselective fluorescence labeling with azide-reactive dyes by Staudinger ligation. The specificity of incorporation and bioorthogonality of labeling within complex reaction mixtures was shown by means of translation and fluorescence detection of two model proteins: ß-glucuronidase and erythropoietin. The latter contained the azido amino acid in proximity to a signal peptide for membrane translocation into endogenous microsomal vesicles of the insect cell-based system. The results indicate a stoichiometric incorporation of the azido amino acid at the desired position within the proteins. Moreover, the compatibility of cotranslational protein translocation, including glycosylation and amber suppression-based incorporation of p-azido-l-phenylalanine within a cell-free system, is demonstrated. The presented approach should be particularly useful for providing eukaryotic and membrane-associated proteins for investigation by fluorescence-based techniques.

Completion of proteomic data sets by Kd measurement using cell-free synthesis of site-specifically labeled proteins.

The characterization of phosphotyrosine mediated protein-protein interactions is vital for the interpretation of downstream pathways of transmembrane signaling processes. Currently however, there is a gap between the initial identification and characterization of cellular binding events by proteomic methods and the in vitro generation of quantitative binding information in the form of equilibrium rate constants (Kd values). In this work we present a systematic, accelerated and simplified approach to fill this gap: using cell-free protein synthesis with site-specific labeling for pull-down and microscale thermophoresis (MST) we were able to validate interactions and to establish a binding hierarchy based on Kd values as a completion of existing proteomic data sets. As a model system we analyzed SH2-mediated interactions of the human T-cell phosphoprotein ADAP. Putative SH2 domain-containing binding partners were synthesized from a cDNA library using Expression-PCR with site-specific biotinylation in order to analyze their interaction with fluorescently labeled and in vitro phosphorylated ADAP by pull-down. On the basis of the pull-down results, selected SH2's were subjected to MST to determine Kd values. In particular, we could identify an unexpectedly strong binding of ADAP to the previously found binding partner Rasa1 of about 100 nM, while no evidence of interaction was found for the also predicted SH2D1A. Moreover, Kd values between ADAP and its known binding partners SLP-76 and Fyn were determined. Next to expanding data on ADAP suggesting promising candidates for further analysis in vivo, this work marks the first Kd values for phosphotyrosine/SH2 interactions on a phosphoprotein level.

A novel method for the labelling of peptides and proteins through a bioorthogonal Staudinger reaction by using 2-cyanoethyl phosphoramidites.

Chemoselective modification of biomolecules: The reaction between 2-cyanoethyl phosphoramidites and azides is economical and can be performed in different solvents, including aqueous buffers. The course of the reaction with azido-modified amino acids, peptides or proteins and different label molecules was followed by (31)P NMR spectroscopy.

Site specific chemoselective labelling of proteins with robust and highly sensitive Ru(II) bathophenanthroline complexes.

The bioorthogonal and chemoselective fluorescence labelling of several cell-free synthesized proteins containing a site-specifically incorporated azido amino acid was possible using different alkyne-functionalized Ru(II) bathophenanthroline complexes. We were able to achieve a selective labelling even in complex mixtures of proteins despite the fact that ruthenium dyes normally show a high tendency for unspecific interactions with proteins and are commonly used for total staining of proteins. Since the employed Ru complexes are extremely robust, photo-stable and highly sensitive, the approach should be applicable to the production of labelled proteins for single molecule spectroscopy and fluorescence-based interaction studies.