Implementation of a multiple-fraction concatenation strategy in an online two-dimensional high-/low-pH reversed-phase/reversed-phase liquid chromatography platform for qualitative and quantitative shotgun proteomic analyses.

Multidimensional liquid chromatography is the mainstay separation technique used for shotgun proteomic analyses. The application of a multiple-fraction concatenation (MFC) strategy can result in a more disperse and consistent peptide elution profile across different fractions, when compared with a conventional strategy. Herein, we present the first automated online RP-RP platform implementing an MFC strategy to facilitate robust, unattended, routine proteomic analyses. The improved duty cycle utilization of the MFC strategy led to an increase of 9% in the separation space occupancy and increases of approximately 10% in the identification of both proteins and peptides. The peptides uniquely identified by the MFC strategy were significantly biased toward those of acidic nature, with increased precursor signals leading to improved MS/MS spectral quality and enhanced acidic peptide identification. These improvements in qualitative analysis using the MFC strategy were also extended to quantitative analysis. When the acquired proteome was quantified with a normalized spectral abundance factor, the additionally acquired acidic peptides were a critical factor leading to enhanced reproducibility of quantitation using the MFC strategy. With merits of superior qualitative and quantitative characteristics over the conventional strategy, the MFC strategy appears to be a highly amenable technique for enhancing the separation capacity for routine proteomic analyses.

Characterization of the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Chronic Phase of Stroke in a Cynomolgus Monkey Model of Induced Cerebral Ischemia.

Stroke is one of the main causes of mortality and long-term disability worldwide. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disease are not well understood, particularly in the chronic phase after the initial ischemic episode. In this study, a Macaca fascicularis stroke model consisting of two sample groups, as determined by MRI-quantified infarct volumes as a measure of the stroke severity 28 days after the ischemic episode, was evaluated using qualitative and quantitative proteomics analyses. By using multiple online multidimensional liquid chromatography platforms, 8790 nonredundant proteins were identified that condensed to 5223 protein groups at 1% global false discovery rate (FDR). After the application of a conservative criterion (5% local FDR), 4906 protein groups were identified from the analysis of cerebral cortex. Of the 2068 quantified proteins, differential proteomic analyses revealed that 31 and 23 were dysregulated in the elevated- and low-infarct-volume groups, respectively. Neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and inflammation featured prominently as the cellular processes associated with these dysregulated proteins. Protein interaction network analysis revealed that the dysregulated proteins for inflammation and neurogenesis were highly connected, suggesting potential cross-talk between these processes in modulating the cytoskeletal structure and dynamics in the chronic phase poststroke. Elucidating the long-term consequences of brain tissue injuries from a cellular prospective, as well as the molecular mechanisms that are involved, would provide a basis for the development of new potentially neurorestorative therapies.

Tetramethylpyrazine nitrone, a multifunctional neuroprotective agent for ischemic stroke therapy.

TBN, a novel tetramethylpyrazine derivative armed with a powerful free radical-scavenging nitrone moiety, has been reported to reduce cerebral infarction in rats through multi-functional mechanisms of action. Here we study the therapeutic effects of TBN on non-human primate model of stroke. Thirty male Cynomolgus macaques were subjected to stroke with 4 hours ischemia and then reperfusion. TBN were injected intravenously at 3 or 6 hours after the onset of ischemia. Cerebral infarction was examined by magnetic resonance imaging at 1 and 4 weeks post ischemia. Neurological severity scores were evaluated during 4 weeks observation. At the end of experiment, protein markers associated with the stroke injury and TBN treatment were screened by quantitative proteomics. We found that TBN readily penetrated the blood brain barrier and reached effective therapeutic concentration after intravenous administration. It significantly reduced brain infarction and modestly preserved the neurological function of stroke-affected arm. TBN suppressed over-expression of neuroinflammatory marker vimentin and decreased the numbers of GFAP-positive cells, while reversed down-regulation of myelination-associated protein 2', 3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase and increased the numbers of NeuN-positive cells in the ipsilateral peri-infarct area. TBN may serve as a promising new clinical candidate for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Discovery, Synthesis, and Functional Characterization of a Novel Neuroprotective Natural Product from the Fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla for use in Parkinson's Disease Through LC/MS-Based Multivariate Data Analysis-Guided Fractionation.

Herein we report the discovery of a novel lead compound, oxyphylla A [(R)-4-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid] (from the fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla), which functions as a neuroprotective agent against Parkinson's disease. To identify a shortlist of candidates from the extract of A. oxyphylla, we employed an integrated strategy combining liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, bioactivity-guided fractionation, and chemometric analysis. The neuroprotective effects of the shortlisted candidates were validated prior to scaling up the finalized list of potential neuroprotective constituents for more detailed chemical and biological characterization. Oxyphylla A has promising neuroprotective effects: (i) it ameliorates in vitro chemical-induced primary neuronal cell damage and (ii) alleviates chemical-induced dopaminergic neuron loss and behavioral impairment in both zebrafish and mice in vivo. Quantitative proteomics analyses of oxyphylla A-treated primary cerebellar granule neurons that had been intoxicated with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium revealed that oxyphylla A activates nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-a master redox switch-and triggers a cascade of antioxidative responses. These observations were verified independently through western blot analyses. Our integrated metabolomics, chemometrics, and pharmacological strategy led to the efficient discovery of novel bioactive ingredients from A. oxyphylla while avoiding the nontargeting, labor-intensive steps usually required for identification of bioactive compounds. Our successful development of a synthetic route toward oxyphylla A should lead to its availability on a large scale for further functional development and pathological studies.

Fully automated multidimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography with tandem anion/cation exchange columns for simultaneous global endogenous tyrosine nitration detection, integral membrane protein characterization, and quantitative proteomics mapping in cerebral infarcts.

Protein tyrosine nitration (PTN) is a signature hallmark of radical-induced nitrative stress in a wide range of pathophysiological conditions, with naturally occurring abundances at substoichiometric levels. In this present study, a fully automated four-dimensional platform, consisting of high-/low-pH reversed-phase dimensions with two additional complementary, strong anion (SAX) and cation exchange (SCX), chromatographic separation stages inserted in tandem, was implemented for the simultaneous mapping of endogenous nitrated tyrosine-containing peptides within the global proteomic context of a Macaca fascicularis cerebral ischemic stroke model. This integrated RP-SA(C)X-RP platform was initially benchmarked through proteomic analyses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, revealing extended proteome and protein coverage. A total of 27 144 unique peptides from 3684 nonredundant proteins [1% global false discovery rate (FDR)] were identified from M. fascicularis cerebral cortex tissue. The inclusion of the S(A/C)X columns contributed to the increased detection of acidic, hydrophilic, and hydrophobic peptide populations; these separation features enabled the concomitant identification of 127 endogenous nitrated peptides and 137 transmembrane domain-containing peptides corresponding to integral membrane proteins, without the need for specific targeted enrichment strategies. The enhanced diversity of the peptide inventory obtained from the RP-SA(C)X-RP platform also improved analytical confidence in isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomic analyses.

Examining the neuroprotective effects of protocatechuic acid and chrysin on in vitro and in vivo models of Parkinson disease.

Polypharmacology-based strategies using drug combinations with different mechanisms of action are gaining increasing attention as a novel methodology to discover potentially innovative medicines for neurodegenerative disorders. We used this approach to examine the combined neuroprotective effects of two polyphenols, protocatechuic acid (PCA) and chrysin, identified from the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla. Our results demonstrated synergistic neuroprotective effects, with chrysin enhancing the protective effects of PCA, resulting in greater cell viability and decreased lactate dehydrogenase release from 6-hydroxydopamine-treated PC12 cells. Their combination also significantly attenuated chemically induced dopaminergic neuron loss in both zebrafish and mice. We examined the molecular mechanisms underlying these collective cytoprotective effects through proteomic analysis of treated PC12 cells, resulting in the identification of 12 regulated proteins. Two were further characterized, leading to the determination that pretreatment with PCA and chrysin resulted in (i) increased nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 protein expression and transcriptional activity; (ii) modulation of cellular redox status with the upregulated expression of hallmark antioxidant enzymes, including heme oxygenase-1, superoxide dismutase, and catalase; and (iii) decreased levels of malondialdehyde, a known lipid peroxidation product. Treatment with PCA and chrysin also inhibited activation of nuclear factor-κB and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Our findings suggest that natural products, when used in combination, can be effective potential therapeutic agents for treating diseases such as Parkinson disease. A therapy involving both PCA and chrysin exhibits its enhanced neuroprotective effects through a combination of cellular mechanisms: antioxidant cytoprotection and anti-inflammation.

A versatile reversed phase-strong cation exchange-reversed phase (RP-SCX-RP) multidimensional liquid chromatography platform for qualitative and quantitative shotgun proteomics.

An automatable, robust, high-performance online multidimensional liquid chromatography (MDLC) platform comprising of pH 10 reversed-phase (RP), strong cation exchange (SCX), and pH 2 RP separation stages has been integrated into a modified commercial off-the-shelf LC instrument with a simple rewiring, enabling accelerated routine qualitative and quantitative proteomics analyses. This system has been redesigned with a dual-trap column configuration to improve the throughput by greatly decreasing the system idle time. The performance of this new design has been benchmarked through analysis of the total lysate of S. cerevisiae, in comparison with that of the former tailor-made system featuring more complicated components; the total run time per "load-and-go" LC/MS analysis was approximately 24 h, with minimal idle time and no labor-intensive steps. This platform features high-resolution fractionations, ease of use and a high degree of user programmability in the first two chromatographic dimensions, allowing flexible and effective sampling with (RP-SCX-RP) or without (RP-RP) the inclusion of SCX sub-fractionation; good proteome coverage and reproducibility was demonstrated through the analyses of bacterial, cell culture, and monkey brain tissue proteomes. The viability of the 3D RP-SCX-RP has been proven in proteome-wide studies of STO fibroblasts and yeast tryptic digests, resulting in extended proteome and protein coverages with high reproducibility-in particular, discovering extra-hydrophilic peptides-at the expense of the acquisition time. The identified inventory of the rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell proteome-a total of 6345 proteins and 97 309 unique peptides is the most comprehensive dataset to date-provides an example of the value of the 3D RP-SCX-RP. The use of orthogonal chromatographic dimensions in the 3D RP-SCX-RP also circumvents the issues of isobaric interference of mass-tagging background contaminations, while significantly improving the accuracy of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based protein quantitation experiments.

Online two-dimensional porous graphitic carbon/reversed phase liquid chromatography platform applied to shotgun proteomics and glycoproteomics.

A novel fully automatable two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2DLC) platform has been integrated into a modified commercial off-the-shelf LC instrument, incorporating porous graphitic carbon (PGC) separation and conventional low-pH reversed-phase (RP) separation for both proteomics and N-glycomics analyses; the dual-trap column configuration of this platform offers desirable high-throughput analyses with almost no idle time, in addition to a miniaturized setup and simplified operation. The total run time per analysis was only 19 h when using eight PGC fractions for unattended large-scale qualitative and quantitative proteomic analyses; the identification of 2678 nonredundant proteins and 11,984 unique peptides provided one of the most comprehensive proteome data sets for primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). The effect of pH on the PGC column was investigated for the first time to improve the hydrophobic peptide coverage; the performance of the optimized system was first benchmarked using tryptic digests of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell lysates and then evaluated through duplicate analyses of Macaca fascicularis cerebral cortex lysates using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technology. An additional plug-and-play PGC module functioned in a complementary manner to recover unretained hydrophilic solutes from the low-pH RP column; synchronization of the fractionations between the PGC-RP system and the PGC module facilitated simultaneous analyses of hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds from a single sample injection event. This methodology was applied to perform, for the first time, detailed glycomics analyses of Macaca fascicularis plasma, resulting in the identification of a total 130 N-glycosylated plasma proteins, 705 N-glycopeptides, and 254 N-glycosylation sites.

Expression of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sdh3p and Sdh4p paralogs results in catalytically active succinate dehydrogenase isoenzymes.

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), also known as complex II, is required for respiratory growth; it couples the oxidation of succinate to the reduction of ubiquinone. The enzyme is composed of two domains. A membrane-extrinsic catalytic domain composed of the Sdh1p and Sdh2p subunits harbors the flavin and iron-sulfur cluster cofactors. A membrane-intrinsic domain composed of the Sdh3p and Sdh4p subunits interacts with ubiquinone and may coordinate a b-type heme. In many organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, possible alternative SDH subunits have been identified in the genome. S. cerevisiae contains one paralog of the Sdh3p subunit, Shh3p (YMR118c), and two paralogs of the Sdh4p subunit, Shh4p (YLR164w) and Tim18p (YOR297c). We cloned and expressed these alternative subunits. Shh3p and Shh4p were able to complement Δsdh3 and Δsdh4 deletion mutants, respectively, and support respiratory growth. Tim18p was unable to do so. Microarray and proteomics data indicate that the paralogs are expressed under respiratory and other more restrictive growth conditions. Strains expressing hybrid SDH enzymes have distinct metabolic profiles that we distinguished by (1)H NMR analysis of metabolites. Surprisingly, the Sdh3p subunit can form SDH isoenzymes with Sdh4p or with Shh4p as well as be a subunit of the TIM22 mitochondrial protein import complex.

(1)H NMR-based metabolic profiling reveals inherent biological variation in yeast and nematode model systems.

The application of metabolomics to human and animal model systems is poised to provide great insight into our understanding of disease etiology and the metabolic changes that are associated with these conditions. However, metabolomic studies have also revealed that there is significant, inherent biological variation in human samples and even in samples from animal model systems where the animals are housed under carefully controlled conditions. This inherent biological variability is an important consideration for all metabolomics analyses. In this study, we examined the biological variation in (1)H NMR-based metabolic profiling of two model systems, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Using relative standard deviations (RSD) as a measure of variability, our results reveal that both model systems have significant amounts of biological variation. The C. elegans metabolome possesses greater metabolic variance with average RSD values of 29 and 39%, depending on the food source that was used. The S. cerevisiae exometabolome RSD values ranged from 8% to 12% for the four strains examined. We also determined whether biological variation occurs between pairs of phenotypically identical yeast strains. Multivariate statistical analysis allowed us to discriminate between pair members based on their metabolic phenotypes. Our results highlight the variability of the metabolome that exists even for less complex model systems cultured under defined conditions. We also highlight the efficacy of metabolic profiling for defining these subtle metabolic alterations.

Mutations in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae succinate dehydrogenase result in distinct metabolic phenotypes revealed through (1)H NMR-based metabolic footprinting.

Metabolomics is a powerful method of examining the intricate connections between mutations, metabolism, and disease. Metabolic footprinting examines the extracellular metabolome or exometabolome. We employed NMR-based metabolic footprinting and multivariate statistical analysis to examine a yeast model of mitochondrial dysfunction. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is a component of both the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Mutations in the human SDH are linked to a variety of cancers or neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting the genotype/phenotype complexity associated with SDH dysfunction. To gain insight into the underlying global metabolic consequences of SDH dysfunction, we examined the metabolic footprints of SDH3 and SDH4 mutants. We identified and quantified 36 metabolites in the exometabolome. Our results indicate that SDH mutations cause significant alterations to several areas of yeast metabolism. Multivariate statistical analysis allowed us to discriminate between the different metabotypes of individual mutants, including mutants that were phenotypically indistinguishable. Metabotypes were highly correlated to mutant growth yields, suggesting that the characterization of metabotypes offers a rapid means of investigating the phenotype of a new mutation. Our study provides novel insight into the metabolic effects of SDH dysfunction and highlights the effectiveness of metabolic footprinting for examining complex disorders, such as mitochondrial diseases.

Etiology and predictors of urinary incontinence and its effect on quality of life.

AIM: Urinary incontinence associated with dementia can result in medical comorbidities. We aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence and to identify the etiology and factors associated with urinary incontinence in dementia patients. METHODS: Patients with an Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of more than 10, attending the memory clinic were recruited. Basic demographic data, types and duration of dementia, use of cholinesterase inhibitor and other drugs with anticholinergic effects, carer stress and presence of urinary incontinence in the previous 6 months were recorded. Urodynamic studies were carried out in those patients with urinary incontinence. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four subjects with a mean age of 78 years (standard deviation 6.8) were included. Forty-eight (33.3%) had urinary incontinence. There was no statistically significant difference between continent and incontinent groups regarding age, MMSE, duration of dementia, use of cholinesterase inhibitor and of drugs with anticholinergic effects. Presence of nocturia of more than twice per night (odds ratio [OR] 4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7, 9.2), use of walking aids (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1, 5.9) and male sex (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.1, 5.2) were independent predictors of urinary incontinence. Urodynamic studies showed that 21 subjects had detrusor overactivity, 13 had bladder outlet obstruction, two with low compliance bladder, two with small bladder capacity, four with detrusor hyperactivity and impaired contractility. CONCLUSION: Urinary incontinence commonly occurs in dementia subjects. Poor mobility and presence of nocturia increase the risk of urinary incontinence. Correction of the possible reversible factors may help to reduce the prevalence of urinary incontinence in patients with dementia and reduce carer stress.

Serum zinc is decreased in Alzheimer's disease and serum arsenic correlates positively with cognitive ability.

Zinc, copper, and iron aggregate Abeta and accumulate in Alzheimer's disease (AD) plaques. Some metals are increased in AD vs. control serum. The authors examined levels of 12 metals in serum of 44 AD and 41 control subjects. Zinc decreased from 12.3 to 10.9 micromol/L (means, p = 0.0007). Arsenic positively correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination score (p < 0.0001). Zinc deposition in brain amyloid might deplete zinc from other body compartments, such as serum. The arsenic correlation might be caused by the major contribution of seafood consumption to intake of both arsenic and docosahexaenoic acid, of which the latter may delay AD.

Curcumin effects on blood lipid profile in a 6-month human study.

Studies in animals and a short-term human study have suggested that curcumin, a polyphenolic compound concentrated in the curry spice turmeric, decreases serum cholesterol concentration. However, no controlled human trials have examined the effect of curcumin on cholesterol. This study investigated the effects of consuming curcumin on the serum lipid profile in men and women. Elderly subjects (n=36) consumed 4 g/d curcumin, 1g/d curcumin, or placebo in a 6-month, randomized, double-blind trial. Plasma curcumin and its metabolites were measured at 1 month, and the serum lipid profile was measured at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. The plasma curcumin concentration reached a mean of 490 nmol/L. The curcumin concentration was greater after capsule than powder administration. Consumption of either dose of curcumin did not significantly affect triacylglycerols, or total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol over 1 month or 6 months. However, the concentrations of plasma curcumin and serum cholesterol were positively and significantly correlated. Curcumin consumption does not appear to have a significant effect on the serum lipid profile, unless the absorbed concentration of curcumin is considered, in which case curcumin may modestly increase cholesterol.

Ubiquinone-binding site mutations in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae succinate dehydrogenase generate superoxide and lead to the accumulation of succinate.

The mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is an essential component of the electron transport chain and of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Also known as complex II, this tetrameric enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of succinate to fumarate and reduces ubiquinone. Mutations in the human SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD genes are tumorigenic, leading to the development of several types of tumors, including paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma. The mechanisms linking SDH mutations to oncogenesis are still unclear. In this work, we used the yeast SDH to investigate the molecular and catalytic effects of tumorigenic or related mutations. We mutated Arg(47) of the Sdh3p subunit to Cys, Glu, and Lys and Asp(88) of the Sdh4p subunit to Asn, Glu, and Lys. Both Arg(47) and Asp(88) are conserved residues, and Arg(47) is a known site of cancer causing mutations in humans. All of the mutants examined have reduced ubiquinone reductase activities. The SDH3 R47K, SDH4 D88E, and SDH4 D88N mutants are sensitive to hyperoxia and paraquat and have elevated rates of superoxide production in vitro and in vivo. We also observed the accumulation and secretion of succinate. Succinate can inhibit prolyl hydroxylase enzymes, which initiate a proliferative response through the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha. We suggest that SDH mutations can promote tumor formation by contributing to both reactive oxygen species production and to a proliferative response normally induced by hypoxia via the accumulation of succinate.