Scientists develop new method to identify glycosylated proteins

02-Jun-2010 - Germany

Various processes in our body are controlled by subsequent changes of proteins. Therefore, the identification of such modifications is essential for the further exploration of our organism. Now, scientists of the Max Planck Institute of biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, have made a crucial contribution to this: Using a new method, they have been able to identify more than 6,000 glycosylated protein sites in different tissues and have thus established an important basis for the better understanding of all life processes.

Axel Griesch

Ionization of the sample with electro spray prior to the mass spectrometer measurement.

Many biological mechanisms like immune response, apoptosis or pathogenesis of diseases are based on the subsequent transformation of single components of proteins, the amino acids. Scientists call this process "posttranslational protein modification". Although the technologies in proteomics have developed rapidly in the last years, until now the identification of such modified proteins was only possible with limitations. Particularly, the transformation of proteins by glycosylation - carbohydrates binding to single amino acids - has been widely unexplored. But exactly this process is one of the most important mechanisms for the transformation of proteins and plays an important role in the formation of organs and organisms. When errors occur during the protein modification or in case it takes place in an unregulated way, this can contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Now, scientists of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in the research department "Proteomics and Signal Transduction", headed by Matthias Mann, have been able to shed light on the dark: They developed a method based on mass spectrometry that allows the identification of N-glycosylated protein sites in different tissues in a highly efficient way. N-glycosylation is a specific type of glycosylation, during which the carbohydrates bind on a certain component of a protein, the amino acid asparagine (abbreviated with "N").

The new method is based on a filter technique which offers the possibility to extract also poorly accessible proteins from biological samples. The scientists combined this method with the application of high-resolution mass spectrometers whereby they were able to identify 6,367 N-glycosylated protein sites. Furthermore, they derived novel recognition sequence patterns for N-glycosylation.

These findings constitute an important progress in proteomics, because they help to understand the processes inside of the human body even better. Moreover, they could play an essential role for the investigation of diseases. For example, the scientists managed to identify some modified protein sites which are associated with different illnesses: They discovered N-glycosylated sites, unknown up to now, on proteins which play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease. Because N-glycosylation is involved in many processes which are going wrong in Alzheimer’s disease, scientists suspect that this type of protein modification directly causes the disease or, at least, influences its course crucially. Hence, the Max Planck scientists hope that the results of this study could contribute to the further investigation of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Original publication: D. Zielinska, F. Gnad, J. Wisniewski, M. Mann; "Precision Mapping of an In Vivo N-Glycoproteome Reveals Rigid Topological and Sequence Constraints"; Cell, May 28, 2010

Other news from the department science

These products might interest you

IonTamer ToF MS

IonTamer ToF MS by Spacetek Technology

IonTamer instruments are time-of-flight residual gas analysers (TOF-RGA) for the analysis of gases

Compact Time-of-flight residual gas analyzer (TOF-RGA) for process analysis

Residual gas analyzers
PlasmaQuant MS Elite

PlasmaQuant MS Elite by Analytik Jena

LC-ICP-MS Is the Key to the World of Elemental Species

Highest Sensitivity and Lowest Detection Limits with PlasmaQuant MS Series and PQ LC

Xevo TQ Absolute

Xevo TQ Absolute by Waters

A new Tandem Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer for Quantification with Absolute power

Absolute performance, efficiency, productivity, and confidence for your most challenging compounds

mass spectrometers
iCAP RQ single Quadrupole ICP-MS

iCAP RQ single Quadrupole ICP-MS by Thermo Fisher Scientific

Robust ICP-MS with ease of use and high productivity for routine analysis

A complete multi-element analysis solution for your high-throughput routine laboratory

ICP mass spectrometers
iCAP TQ Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS

iCAP TQ Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS by Thermo Fisher Scientific

Overcome unexpected interferences, reduce detection limits and improve data quality

Ultralow limits of detection with simplicity - even for the most challenging analytical applications

ICP mass spectrometers
Thermo Scientific TSQ Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry Systems

Thermo Scientific TSQ Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry Systems by Thermo Fisher Scientific

Confident quantitation with triple quadrupole LC-MS systems

Mass Spectrometry Systems

triple quadrupole mass spectrometers
TSQ 9610 GC-MS/MS

TSQ 9610 GC-MS/MS by Thermo Fisher Scientific

TSQ 9610 GC-MS/MS for superb sensitivity and selectivity with outstanding reliable productivity

Eliminate unnecessary, unplanned instrument downtime, save helium and maximize productivity

triple quadrupole mass spectrometers
Loading...

Most read news

More news from our other portals

Under the magnifying glass: The world of microscopy

See the theme worlds for related content

Topic World Spectroscopy

Investigation with spectroscopy gives us unique insights into the composition and structure of materials. From UV-Vis spectroscopy to infrared and Raman spectroscopy to fluorescence and atomic absorption spectroscopy, spectroscopy offers us a wide range of analytical techniques to precisely characterize substances. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of spectroscopy!

30+ products
5+ whitepaper
30+ brochures
View topic world
Topic World Spectroscopy

Topic World Spectroscopy

Investigation with spectroscopy gives us unique insights into the composition and structure of materials. From UV-Vis spectroscopy to infrared and Raman spectroscopy to fluorescence and atomic absorption spectroscopy, spectroscopy offers us a wide range of analytical techniques to precisely characterize substances. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of spectroscopy!

30+ products
5+ whitepaper
30+ brochures

Topic World Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry enables us to detect and identify molecules and reveal their structure. Whether in chemistry, biochemistry or forensics - mass spectrometry opens up unexpected insights into the composition of our world. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of mass spectrometry!

15+ products
2 whitepaper
15+ brochures
View topic world
Topic World Mass Spectrometry

Topic World Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry enables us to detect and identify molecules and reveal their structure. Whether in chemistry, biochemistry or forensics - mass spectrometry opens up unexpected insights into the composition of our world. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of mass spectrometry!

15+ products
2 whitepaper
15+ brochures