Two-Dimensional Fractionation Method for Proteome-Wide Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Anal Chem. 2022 Mar 15;94(10):4236-4242. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04485. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Abstract

Cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) is an emergent technology for studying protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and elucidating architectures of protein complexes. The development of various MS-cleavable cross-linkers has facilitated the identification of cross-linked peptides, enabling XL-MS studies at the systems level. However, the scope and depth of cellular networks revealed by current XL-MS technologies remain limited. Due to the inherently broad dynamic range and complexity of proteomes, interference from highly abundant proteins impedes the identification of low-abundance cross-linked peptides in complex samples. Thus, peptide enrichment prior to MS analysis is necessary to enhance cross-link identification for proteome-wide studies. Although chromatographic techniques including size exclusion (SEC) and strong cation exchange (SCX) have been successful in isolating cross-linked peptides, new fractionation methods are still needed to further improve the depth of PPI mapping. Here, we present a two-dimensional (2D) separation strategy by integrating peptide SEC with tip-based high pH reverse-phase (HpHt) fractionation to expand the coverage of proteome-wide XL-MS analyses. Combined with the MS-cleavable cross-linker DSSO, we have successfully mapped in vitro PPIs from HEK293 cell lysates with improved identification of cross-linked peptides compared to existing approaches. The method developed here is effective and can be generalized for cross-linking studies of complex samples.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Chemical Fractionation / methods
  • Cross-Linking Reagents / chemistry
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mass Spectrometry* / methods
  • Peptides* / chemistry
  • Proteome*

Substances

  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Peptides
  • Proteome