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Hsu, Chuan-Chih

Publications and source records attributed to Hsu, Chuan-Chih.

A Tip-based Workflow for Sensitive IMAC-based Low Nanogram Level Phosphoproteomics

Analyzing the phosphoproteome at nanoscale poses a significant challenge, mainly due to the substantial sample loss from non-specific surface adsorption during the enrichment of low stoichiometric phosphopeptides. Here, we describe a tandem tip-based phosphoproteomics sample preparation method capable of sequential sample cleanup and enrichment without the need for additional sample transfer, thereby minimizing sample loss. Integration of this method to our recently developed SOP (Surfactant-assisted One-Pot sample preparation) and iBASIL (improved Boosting to Amplify Signal with Isobaric Labeling) approaches creates a streamlined workflow, enabling sensitive, high-throughput nanoscale phosphoproteomics measurements.

Phosphoproteome, Immobilized metal ion affinity ch↗

A streamlined tandem tip-based workflow for sensitive nanoscale phosphoproteomics

Effective phosphoproteome of nanoscale sample analysis remains a daunting task, primarily due to significant sample loss associated with non-specific surface adsorption during enrichment of low stoichiometric phosphopeptide. We develop a tandem tip phosphoproteomics sample preparation method that is capable of sample cleanup and enrichment without additional sample transfer, and its integration with our recently developed SOP (Surfactant-assisted One-Pot sample preparation) and iBASIL (improved Boosting to Amplify Signal with Isobaric Labeling) approaches provides a streamlined workflow enabling sensitive, high-throughput nanoscale phosphoproteome measurements. This approach significantly reduces both sample loss and processing time, allowing the identification of >3000 (>9500) phosphopeptides from 1 (10) µg of cell lysate using the label-free method without a spectral library. It also enables precise quantification of ~600 phosphopeptides from 100 sorted cells (single-cell level input for the enriched phosphopeptides) and ~700 phosphopeptides from human spleen tissue voxels with a spatial resolution of 200 µm (equivalent to ~100 cells) in a high-throughput manner. The new workflow opens avenues for phosphoproteome profiling of mass-limited samples at the low nanogram level.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Surfactant-assisted one-pot sample preparation for label-free single-cell proteomics

Large numbers of cells are generally required for quantitative global proteome profiling due to surface adsorption losses associated with sample processing. Such bulk measurement obscures important cell-to-cell variability (cell heterogeneity) and makes proteomic profiling impossible for rare cell populations (e.g., circulating tumor cells (CTCs)). Here we report a surfactant-assisted one-pot sample preparation coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) method termed SOP-MS for label-free global single-cell proteomics. SOP-MS capitalizes on the combination of a MS-compatible nonionic surfactant, n-Dodecyl-β-D-maltoside, and hydrophobic surface-based low-bind tubes or multi-well plates for ‘all-in-one’ one-pot sample preparation. This ‘all-in-one’ method including elimination of all sample transfer steps maximally reduces surface adsorption losses for effective processing of single cells, thus improving detection sensitivity for single-cell proteomics. This method allows convenient label-free quantification of hundreds of proteins from single human cells and ~1200 proteins from small tissue sections (close to ~20 cells). When applied to a patient CTC-derived xenograft (PCDX) model at the single-cell resolution, SOP-MS can reveal distinct protein signatures between primary tumor cells and early metastatic lung cells, which are related to the selection pressure of anti-tumor immunity during breast cancer metastasis. The approach paves the way for routine, precise, quantitative single-cell proteomics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Estimating the Efficiency of Phosphopeptide Identification by Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry has played a significant role in the identification of unknown phosphoproteins and sites of phosphorylation in biological samples. Analyses of protein phosphorylation, particularly large scale phosphoproteomic experiments, have recently been enhanced by efficient enrichment, fast and accurate instrumentation, and better software, but challenges remain because of the low stoichiometry of phosphorylation and poor phosphopeptide ionization efficiency and fragmentation due to neutral loss. Phosphoproteomics has become an important dimension in systems biology studies, and it is essential to have efficient analytical tools to cover a broad range of signaling events. To evaluate current mass spectrometric performance, we present here a novel method to estimate the efficiency of phosphopeptide identification by tandem mass spectrometry. Phosphopeptides were directly isolated from whole plant cell extracts, dephosphorylated, and then incubated with one of three purified kinases—casein kinase II, mitogen-activated protein kinase 6, and SNF-related protein kinase 2.6—along with {sup 16}O{sub 4}- and {sup 18}O{sub 4}-ATP separately for in vitro kinase reactions. Phosphopeptides were enriched and analyzed by LC-MS. The phosphopeptide identification rate was estimated by comparing phosphopeptides identified by tandem mass spectrometry with phosphopeptide pairs generated by stable isotope labeled kinase reactions. Overall, we found that current high speed and high accuracy mass spectrometers can only identify 20%–40% of total phosphopeptides primarily due to relatively poor fragmentation, additional modifications, and low abundance, highlighting the urgent need for continuous efforts to improve phosphopeptide identification efficiency. .

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗