Structural analysis of guanylyl cyclase-activating protein-2 (GCAP-2) homodimer by stable isotope-labeling, chemical cross-linking, and mass spectrometry

J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2013 Dec;24(12):1969-79. doi: 10.1007/s13361-013-0734-6. Epub 2013 Sep 12.

Abstract

The topology of the GCAP-2 homodimer was investigated by chemical cross-linking and high resolution mass spectrometry. Complementary conducted size-exclusion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation studies indicated that GCAP-2 forms a homodimer both in the absence and in the presence of Ca(2+). In-depth MS and MS/MS analysis of the cross-linked products was aided by (15)N-labeled GCAP-2. The use of isotope-labeled protein delivered reliable structural information on the GCAP-2 homodimer, enabling an unambiguous discrimination between cross-links within one monomer (intramolecular) or between two subunits (intermolecular). The limited number of cross-links obtained in the Ca(2+)-bound state allowed us to deduce a defined homodimeric GCAP-2 structure by a docking and molecular dynamics approach. In the Ca(2+)-free state, GCAP-2 is more flexible as indicated by the higher number of cross-links. We consider stable isotope-labeling to be indispensable for deriving reliable structural information from chemical cross-linking data of multi-subunit protein assemblies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Cattle
  • Cross-Linking Reagents / chemistry
  • Guanylate Cyclase-Activating Proteins / chemistry*
  • Guanylate Cyclase-Activating Proteins / metabolism
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Nitrogen Isotopes / chemistry
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Guanylate Cyclase-Activating Proteins
  • Nitrogen Isotopes
  • Calcium