"Zoom-ln"--A targeted database search for identification of glycation modifications analyzed by untargeted tandem mass spectrometry

Eur J Mass Spectrom (Chichester). 2012;18(6):475-81. doi: 10.1255/ejms.1203.

Abstract

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are very important to biological function, however their identification and characterization is technically challenging. In this study, we have identified glycation modifications by nano LC-MSE, a data independent acquisition work flow, followed by database search using the Protein Lynx Global Server (PLGSJ). PLGS search with a complete human protein database hardly identified glycation modifications in a glycated human serum albumin (HSA), which was detected to be glycated by western blotting with advanced glycation end products (AGE) antibody and fluorescence spectroscopy. To overcome this difficulty, "Zoom-In" approach, a targeted database search was used to identify glycation modifications in a glycated HSA, which were further manually validated. This approach was useful for identification of glycation modifications from untargeted tandem mass spectrometryworkflow such as MSE, but may require the development of a new algorithm or an upgrade of the existing software.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Blotting, Western
  • Databases, Protein*
  • Glycation End Products, Advanced / analysis*
  • Glycopeptides / chemistry
  • Glycopeptides / metabolism
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Serum Albumin / chemistry*
  • Serum Albumin / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*

Substances

  • Glycation End Products, Advanced
  • Glycopeptides
  • Proteins
  • Serum Albumin