In-Tip Lanthanum Oxide Monolith for the Enrichment of Phosphorylated Biomolecules.

Polymeric monoliths fabricated in tips with embedded materials of choice are important in separation science. Polymeric backbone however interferes in the enrichment and thus affects efficiency. This work focuses on the in-tip fabrication of lanthanum oxide porous monolith and its application in the enrichment of phosphorylated peptides and lipids. Polycondensation reaction uses an aqueous solution of LaCl3·7H2O with N-methyl formamide as porogen and propylene oxide as initiator. The aging time of monolith and temperature condition for the reaction are optimized to attain porous monolithic tip. A comparison of (i) solid phase batch extraction using La2O3, (ii) La2O3 embedded in poly(glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)/divinylbenzene (DVB)) tip, and (iii) pure La2O3 monolithic tip shows improved enrichment efficiency in the case of pure La2O3 monolithic tip. The monolithic tip achieves selectivity of 1:4500 as compared to solid phase extraction (SPE)(1:3500) and limit of detection down to 0.25 fmol. The in-tip La2O3 monolith strategy has better batch to batch reproducibility, reduced time of enrichment, and ease of operation in comparison to solid phase batch extraction. The developed strategy enriches phospho- content from biological samples like phosvitin and lipovitellin from egg yolk and phospholipids/phosphopeptides from human serum. The enriched phospho- moieties are analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) except the phospholipids where laser desorption ionization (LDI)-MS is employed.

Gadolinium oxide: Exclusive selectivity and sensitivity in the enrichment of phosphorylated biomolecules.

Selectivity and sensitivity define the dynamic applicability of separation and enrichment techniques. Owing to proteome complexity, numbers of separation media have been introduced in phosphoproteomics. Complex samples are pretreated to make the low-abundance molecules detectable by mass spectrometry. Gadolinium oxide nanoparticles, offering mono- and bi-dentate interactions, are optimized to capture the phosphopeptides. Selectivity of 1:11 000 is achieved for digested ß-casein phosphopeptides in bovine serum albumin digest background using gadolinium oxide nanoparticles. The limit of detection goes down to 1 attomole. With the optimized sample preparation protocol, gadolinium oxide nanoparticles enrich phosphopeptides of κ-casein (Ser148 and Ser170 ) from digested milk sample, fibrinogen alpha chain phosphopeptide (Ser609 ) along with four hydrolytic products of Ser22 -modified phosphopeptides from serum.

Newly fabricated magnetic lanthanide oxides core-shell nanoparticles in phosphoproteomics.

Metal oxides show high selectivity and sensitivity toward mass spectrometry based enrichment strategies. Phosphopeptides/phosphoproteins enrichment from biological samples is cumbersome because of their low abundance. Phosphopeptides are of interest in enzymes and phosphorylation pathways which lead to the clinical links of a disease. Magnetic core-shell lanthanide oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2-La2O3 and Fe3O4@SiO2-Sm2O3) are fabricated, characterized by SEM, FTIR, and EDX and employed in the enrichment of phosphopeptides. The nanoparticles enrich phosphopeptides from casein variants, nonfat milk, egg yolk, human serum and HeLa cell extract. The materials and enrichment protocols are designed in a way that there are almost no nonspecific bindings. The selectivity is achieved up to 1:8500 using ß-casein/BSA mixture and sensitivity down to 1 atto-mole. Batch-to-batch reproducibility is high with the reuse of core-shell nanoparticles up to four cycles. The enrichment followed by MALDI-MS analyses is carried out for the identification of phosphopeptides from serum digest and HeLa cell extract. Characteristic phosphopeptides of phosphoproteins are identified from human serum after the enrichment, which have the diagnostic potential toward prostate cancer. Thus, the lanthanide based magnetic core-shell materials offer a highly selective and sensitive workflow in phosphoproteomics.

Separation of small molecules on novel monolithic poly(vinylphosphonic acid/ethylene dimethacrylate) columns.

In HPLC, monolithic organic stationary phases are usually restricted to the separation of high-molecular-weight compounds such as proteins or oligonucleotides. The aim of this study was to enlarge the applicability of monolithic stationary phases to the micro-liquid chromatography separation of smaller molecules. For this, a new monolithic stationary phase was synthesized by radical polymerization of vinylphosphonic acid (VPA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) using azobisisobutyronitrile as radical initiator. In situ reactions at two different temperatures and reaction times resulted in poly(VPA/EDMA) capillaries and allowed fast separations for small molecules, especially parabens and alkylbenzenes. The capillaries showed high mechanical stability, low-swelling properties, high permeability and lower surface area as expected. Polymerization at 75°C for 20 min exhibited efficient separation of parabens within 1.5 min with short half-peak widths and satisfactory resolutions. Apart from attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-IR) measurements, the pH-dependent separation of alkylbenzenes confirmed the incorporation of phosphonate groups into the polymeric network, resulting into deprotonation of the stationary phase at pH >4. Moreover, methylparaben and propylparaben were quantitatively determined in human saliva after treatment with paraben-containing tooth paste.

Au-nanomaterials as a superior choice for near-infrared photothermal therapy.

Photothermal therapy (PPT) is a platform to fight cancer by using multiplexed interactive plasmonic nanomaterials as probes in combination with the excellent therapeutic performance of near-infrared (NIR) light. With recent rapid developments in optics and nanotechnology, plasmonic materials have potential in cancer diagnosis and treatment, but there are some concerns regarding their clinical use. The primary concerns include the design of plasmonic nanomaterials which are taken up by the tissues, perform their function and then clear out from the body. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) can be developed in different morphologies and functionalized to assist the photothermal therapy in a way that they have clinical value. This review outlines the diverse Au morphologies, their distinctive characteristics, concerns and limitations to provide an idea of the requirements in the field of NIR-based therapeutics.

Preparation and evaluation of monolithic poly(N-vinylcarbazole-co-1,4-divinylbenzene) capillary columns for the separation of small molecules.

Short-term polymerization or the so-called low-conversion polymerization was applied for the preparation of N-vinylcarbazole (NVC) and 1,4-divinylbenzene (DVB) monolithic capillary columns. The synthesis was carried out by thermally initiated free radical copolymerization under the influence of inert micro- (toluene) and macroporogen (1-decanol) and α,α'-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as radical initiator. The morphological and porous properties were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption, and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The copolymerization process was studied by monomer conversion measurements. This approach led to increased porosity and specific surface area. A specific surface area above 400 m(2)/g of the monolith and a distinct bimodal pore size distribution were obtained. The chromatographic performance was determined in terms of theoretical plate heights and number of theoretical plates. The lowest plate height value was found to be 3.9 µm (corresponding to ≈256,000 plates per meter) applying methylparaben utilizing an 80 mm × 0.2 mm i.d. monolithic capillary. The developed NVC/DVB monolithic supports showed high separation efficiency towards small molecules, which was exemplified applying reversed-phase (RP) separation of alkylbenzenes, beta-blockers, flavanoids, parabens, and phenones. The loading capacity was analyzed for isocratic separation of seven alkylbenzenes and was found to be up to 77 ng total mass of alkylbenzenes. Furthermore, a long-term stability test of 1,000 consecutive runs was performed and resulted in a maximum variance of 0.97, 0.85, and 0.16 % RSD for resolution, peak width at half height, and retention times, respectively. The material was proven to have a high permeability of 1.11E-14 m(2), applying water as a mobile phase.

Monolithic poly(N-vinylcarbazole-co-1,4-divinylbenzene) capillary columns for the separation of biomolecules.

Monolithic capillary columns were prepared by thermally initiated free radical copolymerization of N-vinylcarbazole (NVC) and 1,4-divinylbenzene (DVB) within the confines of 200 and 100 µm i.d. fused silica capillaries. The reaction was carried out under the influence of inert micro-(toluene) and macroporogen (1-decanol) and α,α'-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as a free radical initiator. The material proved high mechanical stability applying water and acetonitrile as mobile phases. The morphological and porous properties were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen sorption (BET) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The homogeneity of the copolymerization process was confirmed by elemental analysis and monomer conversion measurements. The newly developed NVC/DVB monolithic supports showed high separation efficiency towards biomolecules, applying reversed-phase (RP) and ion-pair reversed-phase (IP-RP) separation modes, which is exemplified by the separations of peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides. Furthermore the maximum loading capacity was evaluated. The chromatographic performance under isocratic elution was determined in terms of theoretical plate number and plate height, where up to 41,000 plates per column and a minimum plate height value of 1.7 µm were achieved, applying oligonucleotide separations. In gradient elution mode, peak capacities of 96 and 127 were achieved within a gradient time window of 60 min for protein and oligonucleotide separations, respectively. The material proved to have high permeability, good repeatability of the fabrication process and high surface areas in the range of 120-160 m(2) g(-1).

Functionalized diamond nanopowder for phosphopeptides enrichment from complex biological fluids.

Diamond is known for its high affinity and biocompatibility towards biomolecules and is used exclusively in separation sciences and life science research. In present study, diamond nanopowder is derivatized as Immobilized Metal Ion Affinity Chromatographic (IMAC) material for the phosphopeptides enrichment and as Reversed Phase (C-18) media for the desalting of complex mixtures and human serum profiling through MALDI-TOF-MS. Functionalized diamond nanopowder is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Diamond-IMAC is applied to the standard protein (ß-casein), spiked human serum, egg yolk and non-fat milk for the phosphopeptides enrichment. Results show the selectivity of synthesized IMAC-diamond immobilized with Fe(3+) and La(3+) ions. To comprehend the elaborated use, diamond-IMAC is also applied to the serum samples from gall bladder carcinoma for the potential biomarkers. Database search is carried out by the Mascot program (www.matrixscience.com) for the assignment of phosphorylation sites. Diamond nanopowder is thus a separation media with multifunctional use and can be applied to cancer protein profiling for the diagnosis and biomarker identification.

Determination of carbohydrates in medicinal plants--comparison between TLC, mf-MELDI-MS and GC-MS.

INTRODUCTION: Quality control in the pharmaceutical and phytopharmaceutical industries requires fast and reliable methods for the analysis of raw materials and final products. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates different analytical approaches in order to recognise the most suitable technique for the analysis of carbohydrates in herbal drug preparations. METHODOLOGY: The specific focus of the study is on thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), and a newly developed mass spectrometric method, i.e. matrix free material enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry (mf-MELDI-MS). Samples employed in the study were standards and microwave-assisted water extracts from Quercus. RESULTS: TLC analysis proved the presence of mono-, di- and trisaccharides within the biological sample and hinted at the existence of an unknown carbohydrate of higher oligomerisation degree. After evaluation of different derivatisation techniques, GC-MS confirmed data obtained via TLC for mono- to trisaccharides, delivering additionally quantified values under a considerable amount of time. A carbohydrate of higher oligomerisation degree could not be found. The application of mf-MELDI-MS further confirmed the presence of carbohydrates up to trisaccharides, also hinting at the presence of a form of tetrasaccharide. Besides this information, mf-MELDI-MS delivered further data about other substances present in the extract. Quantitative determination resulted in 1.750, 1.736 and 0.336 mg/mL for glucose, sucrose and raffinose respectively. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of all three techniques employed, clearly proved the heightened performance of mf-MELDI-MS for the qualitative analysis of complex mixtures, as targets do not need modification and analysis requires only a few minutes. In addition, GC-MS is suitable for quantitative analysis.

Comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic characterization of hepatic expression signatures affected in p14 liver conditional knockout mice.

Scaffold proteins regulate intracellular MAP kinase signaling by providing critical spatial and temporal specificities. We have shown previously that the scaffold protein MEK1 partner (MP1) is localized to late endosomes by the adaptor protein p14. Using conditional gene disruption of p14 in livers of mice (p14(Δhep) ) we analyzed protein and transcript signatures in tissue samples. Further biological network analysis predicted that the differentially expressed transcripts and proteins are involved in cell cycle progression and regulation of cellular proliferation. Although some of the here identified signatures were previously linked to phospho-ERK activity, most of them were novel targets of the late endosomal p14/MP1/MEK/ERK signaling module. Finally, the proliferation defect was confirmed in a chemically induced liver regeneration model in p14(Δhep) knockout mice.

Proteomic analysis of endosomes from genetically modified p14/MP1 mouse embryonic fibroblasts.

The p14/MP1 scaffold complex binds MEK1 and ERK1/2 on late endosomes, thus regulating the strength, duration and intracellular location of MAPK signaling. By organelle proteomics we have compared the protein composition of endosomes purified from genetically modified p14⁻/⁻, p14+/⁻ and p14(rev) mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The latter ones were reconstituted retrovirally from p14⁻/⁻ mouse embryonic fibroblasts by reexpression of pEGFP-p14 at equimolar ratios with its physiological binding partner MP1, as shown here by absolute quantification of MP1 and p14 proteins on endosomes by quantitative MS using the Equimolarity through Equalizer Peptide strategy. A combination of subcellular fractionation, 2-D DIGE and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS revealed 31 proteins differentially regulated in p14⁻/⁻ organelles, which were rescued by reexpression of pEGFP-p14 in p14⁻/⁻ endosomes. Regulated proteins are known to be involved in actin remodeling, endosomal signal transduction and trafficking. Identified proteins and their in silico interaction networks suggested that endosomal signaling might regulate such major cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, migration and survival.

Online coupling of thin layer chromatography with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry: synthesis and application of a new material for the identification of carbohydrates by thin layer chromatography/matrix free material enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

This article describes the online hyphenation of thin layer chromatography with matrix free material enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (mf-MELDI-MS), the preparation of new material for MELDI and application of this newly synthesized material using TLC/MELDI-MS for the analysis of carbohydrate reference standards and plant extracts. Samples included within these analyses are standard solutions of glucose, sucrose, raffinose and a plant extract of Quercus robur, which is used for its anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anthelminitc properties in phytomedicine. A new material for mf-MELDI-MS is prepared by immobilizing bradykinin--a peptide, on silica gel coupled to 4-(3-triethoxysilylpropylureido)azobenzene. This modification enables the absorption of laser energy sufficient for desorption and ionization of low molecular weight molecules like carbohydrates and amino acids. The newly synthesized material delivered excellent results in respect to signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (S/N ratio: >9/1) and sensitivity (limit of detection (LOD): lower to ng/microL). Hyphenation of TLC to MELDI-MS employing the novel developed material simultaneously as chromatographic and mass spectrometric sorbent was shown for the first time for the analysis of low molecular weight molecules like mono- and oligosaccharides.

Characterization of normal and malignant prostate tissue by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy.

Prostate cancer has become one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Morphological and histomorphological evaluation of this disease is a well established technique for the cancer classification and has remained relatively unchanged since several decades, although it remains a time consuming and subjective technique, with unsatisfactory levels of inter- and intra-observer discrepancy. Novel approaches for histological recognition are necessary to identify and to investigate cancer in detail. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging has become an essential tool for the detection, identification and characterization of the molecular components of biological processes, such as those responsible for the dynamic properties of cancer progression. Major advantage of this new technique is the acquisition of local molecular expression profiles while maintaining the topographic integrity of the tissue and avoiding time-consuming extraction, purification and separation steps. By using this method it is possible to investigate the spatial distribution of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, cholesterols, nucleic acids, phospholipids and small molecules within biological systems by in situ analysis of tissue sections. We applied this technique on prostate cancer patients radical prostatectomy specimens in order to develop new tools for histomorphological analysis and the characterization of snap frozen prostate cancer tissues. As a first step, an optimization of sample preparation, tissue section thickness and IR slide material was performed. Special preparation methods for FTIR imaging are the essential requirements to maintain the spatial arrangement of compounds and avoid delocalization and degradation of the analytes. Subsequently, selected cancer samples were characterized with the prior optimized parameters and analyzed by univariate and cluster analysis. For the interpretation and calibration of the system we correlated the FTIR-images with the histopathological information. With this method it is possible to distinguish between cancer and noncancer areas within a prostate cancer tissue with a resolution of 6.25 µm × 6.25 µm on frozen sections.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and c-myc expression are the determinants of cetuximab-induced enhancement of squamous cell carcinoma radioresponse.

PURPOSE: Radiation therapy cures malignant tumors of the head and neck region more effectively when it is combined with application of the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab. Despite the successes achieved, we still do not know how to select patients who will respond to this combination of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody and radiation. This study was conducted to elucidate possible mechanisms which cause the combined treatment with cetuximab and irradiation to fail in some cases of squamous cell carcinomas. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Mice bearing FaDu and A431 squamous cell carcinoma xenograft tumors were treated with cetuximab (total dose 3 mg, intraperitoneally), irradiation (10 Gy) or their combination at the same doses. Treatment was applied when tumors reached 8mm in size. To collect samples for further protein analysis (two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE), mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF/TOF, Western blot analysis, and ELISA), mice from each group were sacrificed on the 8th day after the first injection of cetuximab. Other mice were subjected to tumor growth delay assay. RESULTS: In FaDu xenografts, treatment with cetuximab alone was nearly as effective as cetuximab combined with ionizing radiation, whereas A431 tumors responded to the combined treatment with significantly enhanced delay in tumor growth. Tumors extracted from the untreated FaDu and A431 xenografts were analysed for protein expression, and 34 proteins that were differently expressed in the two tumor types were identified. The majority of these proteins are closely related to intratumoral angiogenesis, cell adhesion, motility, differentiation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), c-myc signaling and DNA repair. CONCLUSIONS: The failure of cetuximab to enhance radiation response in FaDu xenografts was associated with the initiation of the program of EMT and with c-myc up-regulation in the carcinoma cells. For this reason, c-myc and EMT-related proteins (E-cadherin, vimentin) may be considered as potential biomarkers to predict squamous cell carcinoma response after treatment with cetuximab in combination with radiation.

High capacity organic monoliths for the simultaneous application to biopolymer chromatography and the separation of small molecules.

A method for controlling the mesoporous structure of monolithic organic copolymers is presented by systematic variation in polymerisation time, employing poly(p-methylstyrene-co-1,2-(p-vinylphenyl)ethane) (MS/BVPE) as a representative styrene system. Decreasing the time of polymerisation introduces a considerable fraction of mesopores (up to 20% of the total pore volume), while keeping the support permeability reasonable high ( approximately 1.3x10(-14)m(2)). Monolith structures, prepared in such a manner, enable efficient (typically around 70,000plates/m) and fast separation of low-molecular-weight compounds, whereas their performance towards biopolymers is comparable to column supports, fabricated according to typically used protocols (polymerisation time >12h and thus monomer conversion >98%). The polymerisation time is hence a valuable tool to tailor the fraction of support flow-channels, macropores as well as mesopores, which is shown dramatically to influence the chromatographic separation characteristics of the respective column. This way, the preferred applicability of organic (styrene) monolithic copolymers can be extended to the separation of small molecules beyond biopolymer chromatography.

Fluorescent isotope-coded affinity tag 2: peptide labeling and affinity capture.

Fluorescent isotope-coded affinity tag (FCAT) is a novel reagent to label cysteine-containing peptides. The fluorescein group on the tag enables absolute quantification by fluorescence detection, also supporting affinity capture of the labeled peptides. In this paper we report the synthesis of the heavy isotopic form of the FCAT reagent and its use in labeling tryptic peptides. The heavy form of the reagent exhibited the same reactivity and chromatographic behavior that of the light version. Effective labeling of tryptic peptides from alpha-lactalbumin, fetuin, BSA and phosphorylase b was attained by using both the heavy and light FCAT tags. Selective capture of the FCAT-labeled peptides was easily performed by pipette tips containing either anti-FITC antibody or iminodiacetic-acid-coated beads. The differently labeled peptides were separated by RP HPLC and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS.

Fluorescent isotope-coded affinity tag (FCAT). I: Design and synthesis.

A novel class of isotope-coded affinity tag is proposed possessing a fluorescent feature, referred to as fluorescent isotope-coded affinity tag (FCAT), to provide a new tool for quantitative proteomics. The label is designed to bind cysteine containing proteins or peptides. The FCAT reagent comprises four functional elements: a specific chemical reactivity group toward sulfhydryl groups; a linker that can incorporate the stable isotopes; a hydroxymethylbenzoic residue (base labile group) to cleave off a large part of the label before MS analysis; and a fluorescent tag for absolute quantification. The fluorescent part of the tag is also planned to be utilized to isolate the FCAT-labeled peptides via antibody based pull-down method. In this paper, we report on the solid phase organic synthesis of the light isotope containing FCAT molecule. The new labeling reagent showed good reactivity with model cysteine containing peptides. The fluorophore group was also effectively cleaved off from the labeled products to accommodate easier MS based analysis.

Rapid sample preparation and simultaneous quantitation of prostaglandins and lipoxygenase derived fatty acid metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry from small sample volumes.

BACKGROUND: Fatty acid metabolites play a key role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. A rapid liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay for the simultaneous determination of prostanoids, isoprostane and lipoxygenase (LOX) derived fatty acid metabolites in a small biological sample of only 20 microL was developed. METHODS: Human plasma samples were applied to a filter spot, extracted without prior derivatization and analyzed within 13 min. Detection of metabolites was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in negative multiple-reaction monitoring detection mode. Application of this assay to various biological matrices was performed. RESULTS: The validated assay was linear over the concentration range of 5-500 nmol/L for prostanoids and isoprostane, 50-5000 nmol/L for LOX-derived metabolites and 400-40,000 nmol/L for fatty acids. Limits of quantitation were 0.4-233 nmol/L, depending on the metabolite. Plasma samples from diabetic patients and controls showed significant increases in (+/-)9-HODE and 15(S)-HETE with p-values of 0.019 and 0.024, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The small amount of 20 microL sample volume used in this assay and the demonstrated application to various sample types makes it an ideal routine analysis method for fatty acid metabolites. The resulting values for LOX-derived metabolites in diabetes mellitus type 2 samples support earlier findings about the role of lipid oxidation products in diabetes.

Intracellular signaling pathways regulating radioresistance of human prostate carcinoma cells.

Radiation therapy plays an important role in the management of prostate carcinoma. However, the problem of radioresistance and molecular mechanisms by which prostate carcinoma cells overcome cytotoxic effects of radiation therapy remains to be elucidated. In order to investigate possible intracellular mechanisms underlying the prostate carcinoma recurrences after radiotherapy, we have established three radiation-resistant prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP-IRR, PC3-IRR, and Du145-IRR derived from the parental LNCaP, PC3, and Du145 prostate cancer cells by repetitive exposure to ionizing radiation. LNCaP-IRR, PC3-IRR, and Du145-IRR cells (prostate carcinoma cells recurred after radiation exposure (IRR cells)) showed higher radioresistance and cell motility than parental cell lines. IRR cells exhibited higher levels of androgen and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors and activation of their downstream pathways, such as Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt and Jak-STAT. In order to define additional mechanisms involved in the radioresistance development, we determined differences in the proteome profile of parental and IRR cells using 2-D DIGE followed by computational image analysis and MS. Twenty-seven proteins were found to be modulated in all three radioresistant cell lines compared to parental cells. Identified proteins revealed capacity to interact with EGF and androgen receptors related signal transduction pathways and were involved in the regulation of intracellular routs providing cell survival, increased motility, mutagenesis, and DNA repair. Our data suggest that radioresistance development is accompanied by multiple mechanisms, including activation of cell receptors and related downstream signal transduction pathways. Identified proteins regulated in the radioresistant prostate carcinoma cells can significantly intensify activation of intracellular signaling that govern cell survival, growth, proliferation, invasion, motility, and DNA repair. In addition, such analyses may be utilized in predicting cellular response to radiotherapy.

Boronic acid lectin affinity chromatography (BLAC). 2. Affinity micropartitioning-mediated comparative glycosylation profiling.

As a continuation of our work on boronic acid lectin affinity chromatography (BLAC), in this paper we introduce an automated affinity micropartitioning approach using combined boronic acid and concanavalin A (BLAC/Con A) resin-filled micropipette tips to isolate and enrich human serum glycoproteins. The N-linked oligosaccharides of the partitioned glycoproteins were removed by PNGase F enzyme digestion, followed by 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid labeling. Capillary gel electrophoresis with blue LED-induced fluorescence detection was applied in a multiplexed format for comparative glycan profiling. The efficiency of BLAC affinity micropartitioning was compared with that of the individual lectin and pseudolectin affinity enrichment. Finally, we report on our findings in glycosylation differences in human serum samples from healthy and prostate cancer patients by applying BLAC/Con A micropipette tip-based enrichment and comparative multicapillary gel electrophoresis analysis of the released and labeled glycans.