Profiling constitutive proteolytic events in vivo.

Most known organisms encode proteases that are crucial for constitutive proteolytic events. In the present paper, we describe a method to define these events in proteomes from Escherichia coli to humans. The method takes advantage of specific N-terminal biotinylation of protein samples, followed by affinity enrichment and conventional LC (liquid chromatography)-MS/MS (tandem mass spectrometry) analysis. The method is simple, uses conventional and easily obtainable reagents, and is applicable to most proteomics facilities. As proof of principle, we demonstrate profiles of proteolytic events that reveal exquisite in vivo specificity of methionine aminopeptidase in E. coli and unexpected processing of mitochondrial transit peptides in yeast, mouse and human samples. Taken together, our results demonstrate how to rapidly distinguish real proteolysis that occurs in vivo from the predictions based on in vitro experiments.

Identification of proteolytic cleavage sites by quantitative proteomics.

The identification of natural substrates and their cleavage sites is pivotal to defining proteolytic pathways. Here we report a novel strategy for the identification of the signature of proteolytic cleavage events based on quantitative proteomics. Lysine residues in proteins are blocked by guanidination so that free N-terminals can be labeled with amine-specific iTRAQ reagents. The quantitative nature of iTRAQ reagents allows us to distinguish N-terminals newly formed by proteolytic treatment (neoepitopes) from original N-terminals in proteins. Proteins are digested with trypsin and analyzed using MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. Peptides labeled with iTRAQ reagents are distinguished from other peptides by exhibiting intense signature ions in tandem mass spectrometry analysis. A corresponding data acquisition strategy was developed to specifically analyze iTRAQ tagged N-terminal peptides. To validate the procedure, we examined a set of recombinant Escherichia coli proteins that have predicted caspase-3 cleavage motifs. The protein mixture was treated with active or inactive caspase-3 and subsequently labeled with two different iTRAQ reagents. Mass spectrometric analysis located 10 cleavage sites, all corresponding to caspase-3 consensus. Spiking caspase-cleaved substrate into a human cell lysate demonstrated the high sensitivity of the procedure. Moreover, we were able to identify proteolytic cleavage products associated with the induction of cell-free apoptosis. Together, these data reveal a novel application for iTRAQ technology for the detection of proteolytic substrates.

Characteristics of the caspase-like catalytic domain of human paracaspase.

Human paracaspase has been predicted to be a member of the protein structural fold that encompasses protease clan CD. To determine whether paracaspase has catalytic activity we have expressed the region corresponding to the catalytic domain and used protease activity-based chemical probes to profile the putative active site. A leucine-based acyloxymethyl ketone probe that covalently labels cysteine proteases discloses a hydrophobic P 1 preference in the putative active site. The probe covalently labels Cys539, which is not the predicted catalytic site based on structural and sequence comparisons with other clan CD proteases. Using a combinatorial peptide substrate library approach we have been unable to detect amidolytic activity of paracaspase, implying that if it is a protease it must be very specific. We suggest a switch in the use of catalytic residues to generate an enzyme overlapping the canonical clan CD protease active site.