Microsequence analysis of the N-terminally blocked proteins immobilized on polyvinylidene difluoride membrane by western blotting

Electrophoresis. 1993 Sep;14(9):839-46. doi: 10.1002/elps.11501401134.

Abstract

A technique has been developed for efficient deblocking and subsequent microsequencing of N-terminally blocked proteins immobilized on a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane at the picomole levels. In this technique, proteins were first separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then transferred onto a PVDF membrane by Western blotting. The electroblotted proteins with N-terminal acetylserine or acetylthreonine could be deblocked on-membrane by treatment with trifluoroacetic acid vapor and sequenced by a gas-phase protein sequencer. Similarly, N-formylated proteins could be deblocked on-membrane in HC1 solution and then directly sequenced from the N-terminal amino acid. Proteins with N-terminal pyroglutamic acid were enzymatically deblocked by in situ pyroglutamyl peptidase digestion, and N-acetylated proteins were also enzymatically deblocked with acylamino acid-releasing enzyme (AARE) after on-membrane digestion with trypsin to generate the N-terminal peptide fragment. This tryptic digestion was required since AARE can remove the acetylamino acid only from a short peptide. Based on these four deblocking methods, we present a strategy for sequential deblocking and subsequent N-terminal sequence analysis of N-blocked protein immobilized on PVDF membrane.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western*
  • Cytochrome c Group / chemistry
  • Geotrichum / enzymology
  • Lipase / chemistry
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Microchemistry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • Polyvinyls*
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid
  • Sequence Analysis*
  • Serine
  • Superoxide Dismutase / chemistry
  • Threonine
  • Trypsin / metabolism
  • Tryptophan Synthase / chemistry

Substances

  • Cytochrome c Group
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Polyvinyls
  • Proteins
  • polyvinylidene fluoride
  • Threonine
  • Serine
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Lipase
  • Trypsin
  • Tryptophan Synthase
  • Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid