Preparation and In Vivo Use of an Activity-based Probe for N-acylethanolamine Acid Amidase

J Vis Exp. 2016 Nov 23:(117):54652. doi: 10.3791/54652.

Abstract

Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is a method for the identification of an enzyme of interest in a complex proteome through the use of a chemical probe that targets the enzyme's active sites. A reporter tag introduced into the probe allows for the detection of the labeled enzyme by in-gel fluorescence scanning, protein blot, fluorescence microscopy, or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Here, we describe the preparation and use of the compound ARN14686, a click chemistry activity-based probe (CC-ABP) that selectively recognizes the enzyme N-acylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA). NAAA is a cysteine hydrolase that promotes inflammation by deactivating endogenous peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha agonists such as palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA). NAAA is synthesized as an inactive full-length proenzyme, which is activated by autoproteolysis in the acidic pH of the lysosome. Localization studies have shown that NAAA is predominantly expressed in macrophages and other monocyte-derived cells, as well as in B-lymphocytes. We provide examples of how ARN14686 can be used to detect and quantify active NAAA ex vivo in rodent tissues by protein blot and fluorescence microscopy.

Publication types

  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Amidohydrolases*
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / enzymology
  • Biosensing Techniques*
  • Enzyme Assays*
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / enzymology
  • Macrophages / enzymology

Substances

  • Amidohydrolases