Use of self assembled magnetic beads for on-chip protein digestion

The use of grafted trypsin magnetic beads in a microchip for performing protein digestion is described. The PDMS device uses strong magnets to create a magnetic field parallel to the flow with a strong gradient pointing through the center of the chip channel. This allows for the formation of a low-hydrodynamic resistance plug of magnetic trypsin beads that serves as a matrix for protein digestion. This device represents an inexpensive way of fabricating a multi open-tubular-like column with an appropriate pore size for proteins. Kinetics studies of the hydrolysis of a model peptide show a 100-fold increase in digestion speed obtained by the microsystem when compared to a batch wise system. This system also offers the great advantage of easy replacement, as the bead matrix is easily washed out and replaced. High performance and reproducibility for digesting recombinant human growth hormone are confirmed by analysing the digest products in both CE and MALDI-TOF MS. Similar sequence coverage (of about 44%) is obtained from MS analysis of products after 10 minutes on-chip and 4 h with soluble trypsin in bulk.     

On-chip enzymatic microreactor using trypsin-immobilized superparamagnetic nanoparticles for highly efficient proteolysis

An easily replaceable microchip enzymatic microreactor has been fabricated based on the glass microchip with trypsin-immobilized superparamagnetic nanoparticles. Magnetic nanoparticles with small size (50 nm in diameter) and strong magnetism were synthesized. At first, amine-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with high magnetic responsivity and excellent dispersibility were prepared through a facile one-pot strategy. Then, magnetic nanoparticles were functionalized with numerous aldehyde (-CHO) groups by treating the as-synthesized, amine-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with glutaraldehyde. Finally, immobilization of trypsin onto the aldehyde-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles was achieved through reaction of the aldehyde groups with amine groups of trypsin. The prepared magnetic nanoparticles were then locally packed onto the glass microchip by the application of a strong magnetic field using a magnet to form an on-chip magnetic nanoparticles packing bed. Capability of the proteolytic microreactor was demonstrated by cytochrome c, bovine serum albumin and myoglobin as model proteins. The digestion products were characterized using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry with sequence coverage of 83%, 43% and 79% observed, respectively. Complete protein digestion was achieved in a short time (10 s) under the flow rate of 5 microL/min. These results are expected to open up a new possibility for the proteolysis analysis as well as a new application of magnetic nanoparticles. It is easy to replace the nanoparticles and make the new microreactor. It takes less than 1 min under the condition of extra magnetic to form a new packing bed. The packing bed can be used for at least five times without any treatments. Additionally, since the preparation and surface functionality of magnetic nanoparticles is low-cost and reproducible, the preparation method and application approach of the magnetic nanoparticles may find much potential in proteome research. This microreactor was also successfully applied to the analysis of an RPLC fraction of the rat liver extract. After a database search, six proteins were identified. This opens a route for its further application in bottom-up proteomic analysis.     

Rapid characterization of protein chips using microwave-assisted protein tryptic digestion and MALDI mass spectrometry

We demonstrate that the microwave-assisted protein enzymatic digestion (MAPED) method can be successfully applied to the mass spectrometric characterization of proteins captured on the affinity surfaces of protein chips. The microwave-assisted on-chip tryptic digestion method was developed using a domestic microwave, completing the on-chip proteolysis reaction in minutes, whereas the previous on-chip digestion methods by incubation took hours of incubation time. For the model protein chips, antibody-presenting surfaces were prepared, where anti-α-tubulin1 and antibovine serum albumin (BSA) were immobilized on self-assembled monolayers. The resulting digestion efficiency, displaying sequence coverages of 30 and 14% for α-tubulin1 and BSA, respectively, was comparable to the previous time-consuming incubation studies. It allowed the characterization of immunosensed proteins by MASCOT search using peptide mass fingerprinting. In an example of this method for protein chip applications, BSA naturally involved in fetal bovine serum was unambiguously identified on a model protein chip by imaging mass spectrometry. This work shows that biomass spectrometry techniques can be implemented for surface mass spectrometry and biochip applications. Along with recent advances in imaging mass spectrometry, this technique will provide a new opportunity for high-speed, and thus high-throughput in the future, label-free mass spectrometric assays using protein arrays.     

Assembly-controlled biocompatible interface on a microchip: strategy to highly efficient proteolysis

A biocompatible interface was constructed on a microchip by using the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of charged polysaccharides incorporating proteases for highly efficient proteolysis. The controlled assembly of natural polyelectrolytes and the enzyme-adsorption step were monitored by using a quartz-crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Such a multilayer-assembled membrane provides a biocompatible interconnected network with high enzyme-loading capacity. The maximum digestion rate of the adsorbed trypsin in a microchannel was significantly accelerated to 1600 mM min(-1) microg(-1), compared with the tryptic digestion in solution. Based on the Langmuir isotherm model, the thermodynamic constant of adsorption K was calculated to be 1.6 x 10(5) M(-1) and the maximum adsorption loading Gammamax was 3.6 x 10(-6) mol m(-2), 30 times more than a monolayer of trypsin on the native surface. The tunable interface containing trypsin was employed to construct a microchip reactor for digestion of femtomoles of proteins and the produced peptides were analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. The efficient on-chip proteolysis was obtained within a few seconds, and the identification of biological samples was feasible.     

Improvement of proteolytic efficiency towards low-level proteins by an antifouling surface of alumina gel in a microchannel

A microfluidic reactor has been developed for rapid enhancement of protein digestion by constructing an alumina network within a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) microchannel. Trypsin is stably immobilized in a sol-gel network on the PET channel surface after pretreatment, which produces a protein-resistant interface to reduce memory effects, as characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and electroosmotic flow. The gel-derived network within a microchannel provides a large surface-to-volume ratio stationary phase for highly efficient proteolysis of proteins existing both at a low level and in complex extracts. The maximum reaction rate of the encapsulated trypsin reactor, measured by kinetic analysis, is much faster than in bulk solution. Due to the microscopic confinement effect, high levels of enzyme entrapment and the biocompatible microenvironment provided by the alumina gel network, the low-level proteins can be efficiently digested using such a microreactor within a very short residence time of a few seconds. The on-chip microreactor is further applied to the identification of a mixture of proteins extracted from normal mouse liver cytoplasm sample via integration with 2D-LC-ESI-MS/MS to show its potential application for large-scale protein identification.     

Multifunctional protein processing chip with integrated digestion, solid-phase extraction, separation and electrospray

We describe a microfluidic device in which integrated tryptic digestion, SPE, CE separation and electrospray ionization for MS are performed. The chip comprised of 10 × 30 μm channels for CE, and two serially connected 150?μm deep, 800?μm wide channels packed with 40 to 60 μm diameter beads, loaded with either immobilized trypsin, reversed-phase packing or both. On-chip digestion of cytochrome c using the trypsin bed showed complete consumption of the protein in 3 min, in contrast to the 2 h required for conventional solution phase tryptic digestion. SPE of 0.25 μg/mL solutions of the peptides leu-enkephalin, angiotensin II and LHRH gave concentration enhancements in the range of 4.4-12, for a ten times nominal volume ratio. A 100 nM cytochrome c sample concentrated 13.3 times on-chip gave a sequence coverage of 85.6%, with recovery values ranging from 41.2 to 106%. The same sample run without SPE showed only five fragment peaks and a sequence coverage of 41.3%. When both on-chip digestion and SPE (13.3 volume ratio concentration enhancement) were performed on 200 nM cytochrome c samples, a sequence coverage of 76.0% and recovery values of 21-105% were observed. Performing on-chip digestion alone on the same sample gave only one significant fragment peak. The above digestion/peptide concentration step was compared to on-chip protein concentration by SPE followed by on-chip digestion with solution phase trypsin. Both procedures gave similar recovery results; however, much larger trypsin autodigestion interference in the latter approach was apparent.     

Development of an automated digestion and droplet deposition microfluidic chip for MALDI-TOF MS

An automated proteolytic digestion bioreactor and droplet deposition system was constructed with a plastic microfluidic device for off-line interfacing to matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The microfluidic chips were fabricated in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), using a micromilling machine and incorporated a bioreactor, which was 100 microm wide, 100 microm deep, and possessed a 4 cm effective channel length (400 nL volume). The chip was operated by pressure-driven flow and mounted on a robotic fraction collector system. The PMMA bioreactor contained surface immobilized trypsin, which was covalently attached to the UV-modified PMMA surface using coupling reagents N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and hydroxysulfosuccinimide (sulfo-NHS). The digested peptides were mixed with a MALDI matrix on-chip and deposited as discrete spots on MALDI targets. The bioreactor provided efficient digestion of a test protein, cytochrome c, at a flow rate of 1 microL/min, producing a reaction time of approximately 24 s to give adequate sequence coverage for protein identification. Other proteins were also evaluated using this solid-phase bioreactor. The efficiency of digestion was evaluated by monitoring the sequence coverage, which was 64%, 35%, 58%, and 47% for cytochrome c, bovine serum albumin (BSA), myoglobin, and phosphorylase b, respectively.     

Functionalized magnetic micro- and nanoparticles: optimization and application to micro-chip tryptic digestion

The preparation of an easily replaceable protease microreactor for micro-chip application is described. Magnetic particles coated with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), polystyrene, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate), poly(glycidyl methacrylate), [(2-amino-ethyl)hydroxymethylen]biphosphonic acid, or alginic acid with immobilized trypsin were utilized for heterogeneous digestion. The properties were optimized, with the constraint of allowing immobilization in a microchannel by a magnetic field gradient. To obtain the highest digestion efficiency, sub-micrometer spheres were organized by an inhomogeneous external magnetic field perpendicularly to the direction of the channel. Kinetic parameters of the enzyme reactor immobilized in micro-chip capillary (micro-chip immobilized magnetic enzyme reactor (IMER)) were determined. The capability of the proteolytic reactor was demonstrated by five model (glyco)proteins ranging in molecular mass from 4.3 to 150 kDa. Digestion efficiency of proteins in various conformations was investigated using SDS-PAGE, HPCE, RP-HPLC, and MS. The compatibility of the micro-chip IMER system with total and limited proteolysis of high-molecular-weight (glyco)proteins was confirmed. It opens the route to automated, high-throughput proteomic micro-chip devices.     

Accelerated proteolysis in alternating electric fields for peptide mapping

Sinusoidal alternating voltages (typically 5 V) were employed to enhance the efficiency of proteolysis for peptide mapping in this work. Protein solutions containing trypsin were allowed to digest with the assistance of alternating electric fields (AEFs) between a pair of platinum wire electrodes in Eppendorf tubes. The feasibility and performance of the novel proteolysis approach were investigated by the digestion of several standard proteins. It was demonstrated that AEFs significantly accelerated in-solution proteolysis and the digestion time was substantially reduced to 5 min. The digests were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) with sequence coverages that were comparable to those obtained by using conventional 12-h in-solution proteolysis. The suitability of AEF-assisted proteolysis to real protein samples was demonstrated by digesting and identifying human serum albumin in gel separated from human serum by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The present proteolysis strategy is simple and efficient and will find a wide range of applications in protein identification.     

Absolute and relative quantification of sheep brain prion protein (PrP) allelic variants by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are characterised by the accumulation in the tissues of affected individuals of an abnormal form (PrP(Sc)) of a protein naturally produced by the host, the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). In sheep, susceptibility to TSEs is tightly controlled by polymorphism at positions 136 (A or V), 154 (R or H) and 171 (R or Q) of the Prnp gene encoding the prion protein (PrP). Quantification of PrP variants at positions 136, 154 and 171 can be achieved by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometric analysis of the respective peptides 114-139, 152-159 and 160-171 obtained after tryptic digestion of the PrP protein. In this study we quantified the tryptic peptide 114-139 containing the first polymorphic site. Quantification was either relative, between variants of this peptide, or absolute with respect to the C-terminally (18)O-labelled peptide obtained by hydrolysing known amounts of recombinant protein with trypsin in H(2) (18)O. After purification of PrP(C) and PrP(Sc) from the brain of two heterozygous sheep carrying either the ARQ/VRQ or ARR/VRQ genotypes, the proportion of each variant was measured. In the ARQ/VRQ animal, while both variants were equally represented in the normal isoform, the VRQ variant was predominantly found in the abnormal PrP protein, suggesting dissimilar behaviour of the two variants in the pathological process. The situation was even more contrasted in the ARR/VRQ animal where PrP(Sc) was solely composed of the VRQ variant. These two examples clearly illustrate the value of MALDI-TOF analysis, combined with appropriate immunopurification techniques, in seeking a precise understanding of the influence of PrP polymorphisms on TSE pathogenesis.     

Analysis of the performance of antibody capture methods using fluorescent peptides with capillary zone electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence

A method to analyze the performance of an antibody capture method using fluorescent peptides by capillary zone electrophoresis using laser-induced fluorescence (CZE-LIF) for detection has been developed. Fluorescent peptides from the prion protein were synthesized and the corresponding antibodies were produced in rabbits against these peptides. The antibodies were used to capture the fluorescent peptides. The antibodies were then bound to protein A Sepharose. After elution, the amount of fluorescent peptide that was captured vs. the total amount placed in the assay was evaluated by CZE-LIF. Of the three peptides used in this evaluation, it was found that the recovery was approximately 25-35%. When the abnormal prion protein was prepared from scrapie-infected brain samples from hamsters and a sheep using the previously described extraction method and this method, the amount of abnormal prion protein that was measured in the fluorescence immunoassay correlated with amounts estimated from Western blot. We conclude that this method can be used to detect abnormal prion protein in a tissue sample.     

Rheology and orientational distributions of rodlike particles with magnetic moment normal to the particle axis for semi-dense dispersions (analysis by means of mean field approximation)

We have considered a semi-dense dispersion composed of ferromagnetic rodlike particles with a magnetic moment normal to the particle axis to investigate the rheological properties and particle orientational distribution in a simple shear flow as well as an external magnetic field. We have adopted the mean field approximation to take into account magnetic particle-particle interactions. The basic equation of the orientational distribution function has been derived from the balance of the torques and solved numerically. The results obtained here are summarized as follows. For a very strong magnetic field, the magnetic moment of the rodlike particle is strongly restricted in the field direction, so that the particle points to directions normal to the flow direction (and also to the magnetic field direction). This characteristic of the particle orientational distribution is also valid for the case of a strong particle-particle interaction, as in the strong magnetic field case. To the contrary, for a weak interaction among particles, the particle orientational distribution is governed by a shear flow as well as an applied magnetic field. When the magnetic particle-particle interaction is strong under circumstances of an applied magnetic field, the magnetic moment has a tendency to incline to the magnetic field direction more strongly. This leads to the characteristic that the viscosity decreases with decreasing the distance between particles, and this tendency becomes more significant for a stronger particle-particle interaction. These characteristics concerning the viscosity are quite different from those for a semi-dense dispersion composed of rodlike particles with a magnetic moment along the particle direction.     

On-column tryptic mapping of proteins using metal-ion-chelated magnetic silica microspheres by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Peptide mapping analysis, utilizing an easily replaceable and regenerable on-column enzymatic microreactor with metal-ion-chelated adsorption of enzyme on magnetic silica microspheres, combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), was developed. Firstly, magnetic microspheres of small size and strong magnetism were prepared through solvothermal reaction. Thereafter, by introducing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), magnetic silica (MS) microspheres were formed. Trypsin could then be immobilized onto the MS microspheres based on the Lewis acid-base interaction through the divalent cation chelators such as iminodiacetic acid (IDA), which was chemically bound to the microspheres through the introduction of glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GLYMO). The trypsin-immobilized MS microspheres were then locally packed into the capillary by the application of a strong magnetic field using a magnet. The performance of the method was exemplified with digestion of bovine serum albumin for 5 min at 50 degrees C and the result was comparable to the 12 h in-solution digestion. The ability of regeneration of the prepared on-column microreactor and good reproducibility of microreactor before and after regeneration were also demonstrated.     

Mass spectrometric detection of attomole amounts of the prion protein by nanoLC/MS/MS

Sensitive quantitation of prions in biological samples is an extremely important and challenging analytical problem. Prions are the cause of several fatal neurodegenerative diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). At this time, there are no methods to diagnose TSEs in live animals or to assure a prion-free blood supply for humans. Prions have been shown to be present in blood by transfusion experiments, but based on the amount of infectivity found in these types of experiments, the amount of misfolded prion protein in blood is estimated to be only 30 to 625 amol/mL. More sensitive detection of prions in brain would allow earlier detection of disease and assure a safer food supply. We studied quantitation of the prion protein by use of nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer using the multiple reaction monitoring mode of operation. We developed a method based on the detection of VVEQMCTTQYQK obtained by reduction, alkylation, and digestion with trypsin of the prion protein. Detection of VVEQMCTTQYQK was more sensitive than for the derivative with phenylisothiocyanate (PITC) because of decreased ionization efficiency of the PITC-derivatized peptides. The VVEQMCTTQYQK method has a LOD of 20 to 30 amol for pure standards. Proof of principle is demonstrated by quantitation of the amount of PrP 27-30 in the brains of terminally ill Syrian hamsters.     

Comparative two-dimensional mapping of prion protein isoforms in human cerebrospinal fluid and central nervous system

The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoprotein abundant in neurons. Although its precise function is unknown, PrP(C) represents the substrate for the generation of a conformational pathogenic isoform (PrP(Sc)) in human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases. By applying novel solubilization cocktails, we analyzed normal human brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PrP(C) by immunoblot of two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis preparations, using specific antibodies. Here, we show that PrP(C) from brain and CSF is composed of several charge isomers of differently glycosylated isoforms of the full-length PrP(C) and two N-terminally truncated fragments of 20 and 18 kDa. In the CSF, substantial amounts of the highly glycosylated PrP(C) isoforms and of the unglycosylated 18 kDa fragment are detected. Our study, for the first time, provides a detailed 2-D map of human PrP(C) both in brain and CSF, and establishes an innovative and sensitive method that might help in detecting the CSF pathological PrP(Sc) isoform in vivo. It also shows the incredible microheterogeneity of such isoforms (ca. 60 spots!), as revealed in 2-D mapping, as opposed to 3-4 main zones by mono-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).     

Protein digestion and phosphopeptide enrichment on a glass microchip

This work describes an integrated glass microdevice for proteomics, which directly couples proteolysis with affinity selection. Initial results with standard phosphopeptide fragments from β-casein in peptide mixtures showed selective capture of the phosphorylated fragments using immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) beads packed into a microchannel. Complete selectivity was seen with angiotensin, with capture of only the phosphorylated form. On-chip proteolysis, using immobilized trypsin beads packed into a separate channel, was directly coupled to the phosphopeptide capture and the integrated devices evaluated using β-casein. Captured and eluted fragments were analyzed using both capillary electrophoresis (CE) and capillary liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (cLC/MS). The results show selective capture of only phosphopeptide fragments, but incomplete digestion of the protein was apparent from multiple peaks in the CE separations. The MS analysis indicated a capture bias on the IMAC column for the tetraphosphorylated peptide fragment over the monophosphorylated fragment. Application to digestion and capture of a serum fraction showed capture of material; however, non-specific binding was evident. Additional work will be required to fully optimize this system, but this work represents a novel sample preparation method, incorporating protein digestion on-line with affinity capture for proteomic applications.     

On-chip solid phase extraction and enzyme digestion using cationic PolyE-323 coatings and porous polymer monoliths coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry

We evaluate the compatibility and performance of polymer monolith solid phase extraction beds that incorporate cationic charge, with a polycationic surface coating, PolyE-323, fabricated within microfluidic glass chips. The PolyE-323 is used to reduce protein and peptide adsorption on capillary walls during electrophoresis, and to create anodal flow for electrokinetically driven nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. A hydrophobic butyl methacrylate-based monolithic porous polymer was copolymerized with an ionizable monomer, [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride to form a polymer monolith for solid phase extraction that also sustains anodal electroosmotic flow. Exposure of the PolyE-323 coating to the monolith forming mixture affected the performance of the chip by a minor amount; electrokinetic migration times increased by ～5%, and plate numbers were reduced by an average of 5% for proteins and peptides. 1-mm long on-chip monolithic solid phase extraction columns showed reproducible, linear calibration curves (R(2)=0.9978) between 0.1 and 5 nM BODIPY at fixed preconcentration times, with a capacity of 2.4 pmol or 0.92 mmol/L of monolithic column for cytochrome c. Solution phase on-bed trypsin digestion was conducted by capturing model protein samples onto the monolithic polymer bed. Complete digestion of the proteins was recorded for a 30 min stop flow digestion, with high sequence coverage (88% for cytochrome c and 56% for BSA) and minimal trypsin autodigestion product. The polycationic coating and the polymer monolith materials proved to be compatible with each other, providing a high quality solid phase extraction bed and a robust coating to reduce protein adsorption and generate anodal flow, which is advantageous for electrospray.     

Creation of highly functional thin films using electrochemical nanotechnology

This overview describes the results of our recent study of the application of electrochemical nanotechnology to the fabrication of magnetic recording materials, interconnects in ultra-large-scale integrated (ULSI) devices, energy storage materials, and on-chip biosensors. It is important to note that electrochemical processes play significant roles in developing and fabrication such sophisticated materials and devices. In the field of magnetic recording, electrodeposition methods for preparing CoNiFe and CoFe soft magnetic thin films with a high saturation magnetic flux density were newly developed, and the significant issues for obtaining those films are highlighted. In the area of ULSI interconnects, we developed a technique using a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) for direct bonding of the interconnect layer to SiO2, and proposed a novel electroless deposition method for fabricating a diffusion barrier layer. In the field of batteries, electrodeposited SnNi alloy was proposed as a future anode material for Li batteries, and electrochemical MEMS processes were shown to be useful for fabricating micro-sized direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) as portable batteries for electronics applications. In the area of chemical sensors, we developed a new process for fabricating field effect transistors (FETs) modified with SAMs for on-chip biosensing applications.     

Rapid and efficient protein enzymatic digestion: an experimental comparison

The major objective of proteomics is to identify and examine the large numbers of proteins extracted from complex biological systems. This is generally achieved by combining various techniques of protein separation with a mass spectrometric analysis of proteins that are digested enzymatically. Recently, several alternatives to this standard protocol have been developed for efficient and fast protein digestion. One option is the use of modified trypsin instead of native trypsin for the in-gel digestion of proteins. Microwave, ultrasonic-assisted protein enzymatic digestion and proteolysis accelerated by infrared radiation are other suitable alternatives. The application of the variable performance of the fast enzymatic digestion of proteins by using different techniques is reported here. The advantage of these methods is to have the ability to detect proteins in a shorter span of time. For example, using alternative protein digestion takes only minutes, in contrast to the several hours required by conventional methods. To demonstrate the suitability of this fast procedure, the digestion of carbonic anhydrase, bovine serum albumin, lysozyme and proteins extracted from plants (Hordeum vulgare, Arabidopsis thaliana) were used. Considering that the required reaction time for the conventional method is much longer, these applied methodic approaches tend to give in-gel digestion a much higher efficiency rating. This study examines the fast, efficient and low-cost proteolytic strategies for the digestion process, and for protein identification based on the use of ultrasound and infrared technology. In addition, comparisons of the applied techniques were studied. Several differences were found, suggesting the potential use of proteolysis accelerated by infrared radiation.     

Recombinant Single-Chain Antibody with the Trojan Peptide Penetratin Positioned in the Linker Region Enables Cargo Transfer Across the Blood–Brain Barrier

Delivery of therapeutic proteins into tissues and across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is limited by the size and biochemical properties of the proteins. Efficient delivery across BBB is generally restricted to small, highly lipophilic molecules. However, in the last decades, several peptides that can pass cell membranes have been identified. It has been shown that these peptides are also capable of delivering large hydrophilic cargoes into cells and are therefore a powerful biological tool for transporting drugs across cell membranes and even into the brain. We designed and prepared a single-chain antibody fragment (scFvs), specific for the pathological form of the prion protein (PrP^Sc), where a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) was used as a linker between the two variable domains of the scFv. The intravenously administered recombinant scFv-CPP was successfully targeted to and delivered into mouse brain cells. Our single-chain antibody fragments are of special interest in view of possible therapeutic reagents design not only for prion diseases but also for other neurodegenerative diseases.