A simple and rapid pipeline for identification of receptor-binding sites on the surface proteins of pathogens

Sci Rep. 2020 Jan 24;10(1):1163. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-58305-y.

Abstract

Ligand-receptor interactions play a crucial role in the plethora of biological processes. Several methods have been established to reveal ligand-receptor interface, however, the majority of methods are time-consuming, laborious and expensive. Here we present a straightforward and simple pipeline to identify putative receptor-binding sites on the pathogen ligands. Two model ligands (bait proteins), domain III of protein E of West Nile virus and NadA of Neisseria meningitidis, were incubated with the proteins of human brain microvascular endothelial cells immobilized on nitrocellulose or PVDF membrane, the complex was trypsinized on-membrane, bound peptides of the bait proteins were recovered and detected on MALDI-TOF. Two peptides of DIII (~916 Da and ~2003 Da) and four peptides of NadA (~1453 Da, ~1810 Da, ~2051 Da and ~2433 Da) were identified as plausible receptor-binders. Further, binding of the identified peptides to the proteins of endothelial cells was corroborated using biotinylated synthetic analogues in ELISA and immunocytochemistry. Experimental pipeline presented here can be upscaled easily to map receptor-binding sites on several ligands simultaneously. The approach is rapid, cost-effective and less laborious. The proposed experimental pipeline could be a simpler alternative or complementary method to the existing techniques used to reveal amino-acids involved in the ligand-receptor interface.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / chemistry
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Amino Acids
  • Binding Sites*
  • Collodion
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Immobilized Proteins
  • Ligands*
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Neisseria meningitidis / chemistry
  • Polyvinyls
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Domains
  • Proteomics / methods*
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Virus / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Trypsin / metabolism
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / metabolism
  • West Nile virus / chemistry

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • Amino Acids
  • Immobilized Proteins
  • Ligands
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • NadA protein, Neisseria meningitidis
  • Polyvinyls
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Receptors, Virus
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Viral Envelope Proteins
  • polyvinylidene fluoride
  • Collodion
  • Trypsin