Detection and Identification of Heme c-Modified Peptides by Histidine Affinity Chromatography, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, and Database Searching
Multiheme c-type cytochromes (proteins with covalently attached heme c moieties) play important roles in extracellular metal respiration in dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-(LC-MS/MS) characterization of c-type cytochromes is hindered by the presence of multiple heme groups, since the heme c modified peptides are typically not observed, or if observed, not identified. Using a recently reported histidine affinity chromatography (HAC) procedure, we enriched heme c tryptic peptides from purified bovine heart cytochrome c, a bacterial decaheme cytochrome, and subjected these samples to LC-MS/MS analysis. Enriched bovine cytochrome c samples yielded three- to six-fold more confident peptide-spectrum matches to heme-c containing peptides than unenriched digests. In unenriched digests of the decaheme cytochrome MtoA from Sideroxydans lithotrophicus ES-1, heme c peptides for four of the ten expected sites were observed by LC-MS/MS; following HAC fractionation, peptides covering nine out of ten sites were obtained. Heme c peptide spiked into E. coli lysates at mass ratios as low as 10-4 was detected with good signal-to-noise after HAC and LC-MS/MS analysis. In addition to HAC, we have developed a proteomics database search strategy that takes into account the unique physicochemical properties of heme c peptides. The results suggest that accounting for the double thioether link between heme c and peptide, and the use of the labile heme fragment as a reporter ion, can improve database searching results. The combination of affinity chromatography and heme-specific informatics yielded increases in the number of peptide-spectrum matches of 20-100-fold for bovine cytochrome c.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1060127
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-89362; 34708; KP1601010
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Proteome Research, 11(12):6147-6158, Journal Name: Journal of Proteome Research, 11(12):6147-6158
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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