Este projeto teve como objetivo principal realizar um estudo proteômico diferencial aplicado às amostras de casca do caule de plantas cítricas sadias e infectadas pela morte súbita dos citros. Subsequentemente, a identificação de proteínas diferentemente expressas será de grande importância, uma vez que estas poderão servir não somente como candidatos a biomarcadores para a doenças, mas também auxiliarão no melhor compreensão da doença. À partir dos géis bidimensionais obtidos para amostras de porta-enxerto (limão cravo e limão volkameriano) e copa (laranja valência) foi possível verificar que existem dois conjuntos de proteínas sensivelmente sub-expressas em plantas doentes. Um desses conjuntos, constituído por 13 spots, apresenta valores de pI entre 4,5 e 5,2 e MM aproximadamente igual a 30 kDa. No outro conjunto, esse composto por 9 spots, valores de pI variando entre 6,1 e 9,6 e MM em torno de 20 kDa são observados. Por meio das técnicas de MALDI-TOF-TOF e LC-ESI-MS/MS, inúmeros spots foram inequivocamente identificados, incluindo os spots correspondentes às regiões diferentemente expressas. Os 13 spots correspondentes a região com valores de pI entre 4,5 e 5,2 e MM ~ 30 kDa foram todos identificados como sendo constituídos por três isoformas de quitinases. Por outro lado, os spots referentes a região com pI entre 6,1 e 9,6 e MM ~ 20 kDa foram identificados como proteína putativa similar a miraculina 2. A justificativa para o fato de diversos spots terem recebido a mesma identificação é atribuída às inúmeras e diferentes modificações pós-traducionais, comumente verificadas em plantas. Entretando, o aspecto mais relevante relacionado a essas identificações é o fato de que ambas as proteínas são conhecidas marcadoras de resistência de defesa em plantas e assim sendo, a priori, espera-se-ia que estivessem sendo super expressas em plantas doentes. Porém, um comportamento inverso foi verificado, o que reforça as evidências de que as quitinases não agem apenas como marcadores de defesa em plantas, possuindo assim outras funções. Além disso, no total, outras 19 proteínas puderam ser identificadas. / The main goal of this project was to perform a differential proteomic analysis of bark tissues of healthy and CSD (citrus sudden death)- affected citrus plants. Subsequently, the identification of differently expressed proteins will be of great importance since they can be used not only as biomarkers for CSD but also as basic information for improving the knowledge about the disease. According to the 2D gels, obtained for bark tissues of both rootstock (rangpur lime and volkamerian lemon) and scion samples, there are two sets of proteins remarkably under expressed in CSD-affected samples. One of these sets is composed by 13 proteins, which presents MW around 30 kDa and pI ranging from 4.5 to 5.2. The other set includes 9 proteins with pI ranging from 6.1 to 9.6 and MW around 20 kDa. By using two mass spectrometry approaches (MALDI-TOF-TOF and LC-ESI-MS/MS), several proteins have been unequivocally identified, including the differentially expressed ones. Thirteen spots have been identified as a mixture of three chitinase isoforms. These spots are relative to the region with pI ranging from 4.5 to 5.2 and MW ~ 30 kDa. On the other hand, the 9 spots referent to the region with MW ~ 20 kDa and pI between 6.1 and 9.6 were identified as putative miraculin-like 2 protein. Several spots have been identified as the same protein most probably due to the occurrence of different post-translational modifications. The most valuable point regarding the identity of these proteins is the fact that they are well-known plant pathogen-related proteins and then they should be over expressed in affected plants. However, the opposite behavior was verified, which may indicate that chitinases and putative miraculin-like 2 protein perform unknown functions, besides the established ones. In addition, other 19 constitutive proteins have been identified.

No / Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis-separated and excised haptoglobin alpha2-chain protein spots were subjected to in-gel digestion with trypsin. Previously unassigned peptide ion signals observed in mass spectrometric fingerprinting experiments were sequenced using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-quadrupole ion trap-time of flight (MALDI-QIT-TOF) mass spectrometer and showed that the haptoglobin alpha-chain derivative under study was cleaved by trypsin unspecifically. Abundant cleavages occurred C-terminal to histidine residues at H23, H28, and H87. In addition, mild acidic hydrolysis leading to cleavage after aspartic acid residues at D13 was observed. The uninterpreted tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectrum of the peptide with ion signal at 2620.19 was submitted to database search and yielded the identification of the corresponding peptide sequence comprising amino acids (aa) aa65-87 from the haptoglobin alpha-chain protein. Also, the presence of a mixture of two tryptic peptides (mass to charge ratio m/z 1708.8; aa40-54, and aa99-113, respectively), that is caused by a tiny sequence variation between the two repeats in the haptoglobin alpha2-chain protein was resolved by MS/MS fragmentation using the MALDI-QIT-TOF mass spectrometer instrument. Advantageous features such as (i) easy parent ion creation, (ii) minimal sample consumption, and (iii) real collision induced dissociation conditions, were combined successfully to determine the amino acid sequences of the previously unassigned peptides. Hence, the novel mass spectrometric sequencing method applied here has proven effective for identification of distinct molecular protein structures.

Gegenwärtig ist das Interesse und der Bedarf von Proteinbindern insbesondere in der Biotechnik und Pharmaforschung sehr groß. Kombinatorische, Partikel-basierte (One-Bead-One-Compound) Peptidbibliotheken sind eine Technik, um selektiv bindende Proteine zu identifizieren. Allerdings beinhaltet das Screening dieser Peptidbibliotheken aufwendige Schritte, wie die Separation, Sequenzierung und Charakterisierung von identifizierten Bindern. In dieser Arbeit wurde ein Chip-System entwickelt, auf dem alle Schritte eines Screenings durchgeführt werden können. Dafür wurde ein Glasobjektträger mit einem magnetisch leitenden, doppelseitigen Klebeband versehen. Die Partikel der Bibliothek wurden durch ein Sieb aufgetragen. Dies führte zu einer geordneten Immobilisierung der Partikel auf dem Chip. Über 30.000 Partikel konnten so auf einem Chip immobilisiert werden. Für die Identifizierung von selektiven Protein-bindenden Peptiden wird die immobilisierte Peptidbibliothek mit einem Fluorophor-markierten Protein inkubiert, bindende Partikel mittels Fluoreszenzscan identifiziert und die Peptidsequenz direkt auf dem Chip mittels Matrix-Assisted-Laser-Desorption/Ionization-(MALDI)-Flugzeit-(TOF)-Massenspektroskopie (MS) bestimmt. Die Durchführung einer Abbruchsequenz-Methode erlaubt die eindeutige Bestimmung der Peptidsequenzen mit einer nahezu 100 % Genauigkeit. Die entwickelte Technologie wurde in einem FLAG-Peptid-Modell validiert. Bei dem Screening wurden neue anti-FLAG-Antikörper-bindende Peptide identifiziert. Anschließend wurden in einem Screening von ca. 30.000 Partikeln IgG-bindende Peptide mit mittleren mikromolaren Dissoziationskonstanten identifiziert. Für die Identifizierung stärkerer Binder wurde eine magnetische Anreicherung entwickelt, die dem Chip-Screening vorgeschaltet werden kann. Hiermit wurden aus ca. 1 Million gescreenter Partikel, Peptide mit Dissoziationskonstanten im niedrigen mikromolaren Bereich identifiziert. / The screening of one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) libraries is a well-established technique for the identification of protein-binding ligands. The demand for binders with high affinity and specificity towards various targets has surged in the biomedical and pharmaceutical field in recent years. The combinatoric peptide screening traditionally involves tedious steps such as affinity selection, bead picking, sequencing and characterization. In this thesis, a high-throughput “all-on-one chip” system is presented to avoid slow and technically complex bead picking steps. Beads of a combinatorial peptide library are immobilized on a conventional glass slide equipped with an electrically conductive tape. The beads are applied by using a precision sieve, which allows the spatially ordered immobilization of more than 30,000 beads on one slide. For the target screening, the immobilized library is subsequently incubated with a fluorophore-labeled target protein. In a fluorescence scan followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS), high-affinity binders are directly and unambiguously sequenced directly from the bead. The use of an optimized ladder sequencing approach improved the accuracy of the de-novo sequencing step to 100 %. This new technique was validated by employing a FLAG-based model system. In a first step, new peptide binders for the M2 anti-FLAG monoclonal antibody were identified. Finally, this system was utilized to screen for IgG-binding peptides. The screening of about 30.000 peptides on one chip led to the identification of peptide binders in the mid micromolar range. A magnetic enrichment technique was developed to increase the number of screened beads. By combining the magnetic enrichment strategy with the chip system, 1 million beads were screened and IgG-binders in the low micromolar range were identified.

This thesis deals with the analysis of natural peptide libraries using mass spectrometry. In the course of the study, both ribosomal and non-ribosomal classes of peptides have been investigated. Microheterogeneity, post-translational modifications (PTM), isobaric amino acids and disulfide crosslinks present critical challenges in routine mass spectral structure determination of natural peptides. These problems form the core of this thesis. Chapter 2 describes an approach where chemical derivatization, in unison with high resolution LC-MSn experiments, resulted in deconvolution of a microheterogenous peptide library of B. subtilis K1. Chapter 3 describes an approach for distinction between isobaric amino acids (Leu/Ile/Hyp), by the use of combined ETD-CID fragmentation, through characteristic side chain losses. Chapters 4-6 address a long standing problem in structure elucidation of peptide toxins; the determination of disulfide connectivity. Through the use of direct mass spectral CID fragmentation, a methodology has been proposed for determination of the S-S pairing schemes in polypeptides. Further, an algorithm DisConnect has been developed for a rapid and robust solution to the problem. This general approach is applicable to both peptides and proteins, irrespective of the size and the number of disulfide bonds present. The method has been successfully applied to a large number of peptide toxins from marine cone snails, conotoxins, synthetic foldamers and proteins. Chapter 7 describes an attempt to integrate next generation sequencing (NGS) data with mass spectrometric analysis of the crude venom. This approach couples rapidly generated cDNA sequences, with high-throughput LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, which provides mass spectral fragmentation information. An algorithm has been developed that allows the construction of a putative conus peptide database from the NGS data, followed by a protocol that permits rapid annotation of tandem MS data. The approach is exemplified by an analysis of the peptide components present in the venom of Conus amadis, yielding 225 chemically unique sequences, with identification of more than 150 sites of PTMs. In summary, this thesis presents different methodologies that address the existing limitations of de novo mass spectral structure determination of natural peptides and presents new methodologies that permit for rapid and efficient analysis of complex mixtures.