Preparation of low molecular weight model conjugates for ADP-ribose linkages to protein

Using TLC-MALDI-TOF to Interrogate In Vitro Peptidyl Proximal Preferences of PARP14 and Glycohydrolase Specificity

The transfer of ADP-ribose (ADPr) from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to target proteins is mediated by a class of human diphtheria toxin-like ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTDs; previously referred to as poly-ADP-ribose polymerases or PARPs) and the removal of ADPr is catalyzed by a family of glycohydrolases. Although thousands of potential ADPr modification sites have been identified using high-throughput mass-spectrometry, relatively little is known about the sequence specificity encoded near the modification site. Herein, we present a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) method that facilitates the in vitro analysis of proximal factors that guide ARTD target selection. We identify a minimal 5-mer peptide sequence that is necessary and sufficient to drive glutamate/aspartate targeting using PARP14 while highlighting the importance of the adjacent residues in PARP14 targeting. We measure the stability of the resultant ester bond and show that non-enzymatic removal is pH and temperature dependent, sequence independent, and occurs within hours. Finally, we use the ADPr-peptides to highlight differential activities within the glycohydrolase family and their sequence preferences. Our results highlight (1) the utility of MALDI-TOF in analyzing proximal ARTD-substrate interactions and (2) the importance of peptide sequences in governing ADPr transfer and removal.

Identification of a Novel PARP14 Site Motif and Glycohydrolase Specificity Using TLC-MALDI-TOF

Transfer of ADP-ribose (ADPr) from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to target proteins is mediated by a class of human poly-ADP-ribose polymerases, PARPs, and removal of ADPr is catalyzed by a family of glycohydrolases. Although thousands of potential ADPr modification sites have been identified using high-throughput mass-spectrometry, relatively little is known about sequence specificity encoded near the modification site. Herein, we present a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) method that facilitates the discovery and validation of ADPr site motifs. We identify a minimal 5-mer peptide sequence that is sufficient to drive PARP14 specific activity while highlighting the importance of the adjacent residues in PARP14 targeting. We measure the stability of the resultant ester bond and show that non-enzymatic removal is sequence independent and occurs within hours. Finally, we use the ADPr-peptide to highlight differential activities within the glycohydrolase family and their sequence specificities. Our results highlight: 1) the utility of MALDI-TOF in motif discovery and 2) the importance of peptide sequence in governing ADPr transfer and removal.

Poly(ADP-ribosylation) of P-TEFb by PARP1 disrupts phase separation to inhibit global transcription after DNA damage

DNA damage shuts down genome-wide transcription to prevent transcriptional mutagenesis and to initiate repair signalling, but the mechanism to stall elongating RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is not fully understood. Central to the DNA damage response, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) initiates DNA repair by translocating to the lesions where it catalyses protein poly(ADP-ribosylation). Here we report that PARP1 inhibits Pol II elongation by inactivating the transcription elongation factor P-TEFb, a CDK9-cyclin T1 (CycT1) heterodimer. After sensing damage, the activated PARP1 binds to transcriptionally engaged P-TEFb and modifies CycT1 at multiple positions, including histidine residues that are rarely used as an acceptor site. This prevents CycT1 from undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation that is required for CDK9 to hyperphosphorylate Pol II and to stimulate elongation. Functionally, poly(ADP-ribosylation) of CycT1 promotes DNA repair and cell survival. Thus, the P-TEFb-PARP1 signalling plays a protective role in transcription quality control and genomic stability maintenance after DNA damage.

Androgen signaling uses a writer and a reader of ADP-ribosylation to regulate protein complex assembly

Androgen signaling through the androgen receptor (AR) directs gene expression in both normal and prostate cancer cells. Androgen regulates multiple aspects of the AR life cycle, including its localization and post-translational modification, but understanding how modifications are read and integrated with AR activity has been difficult. Here, we show that ADP-ribosylation regulates AR through a nuclear pathway mediated by Parp7. We show that Parp7 mono-ADP-ribosylates agonist-bound AR, and that ADP-ribosyl-cysteines within the N-terminal domain mediate recruitment of the E3 ligase Dtx3L/Parp9. Molecular recognition of ADP-ribosyl-cysteine is provided by tandem macrodomains in Parp9, and Dtx3L/Parp9 modulates expression of a subset of AR-regulated genes. Parp7, ADP-ribosylation of AR, and AR-Dtx3L/Parp9 complex assembly are inhibited by Olaparib, a compound used clinically to inhibit poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases Parp1/2. Our study reveals the components of an androgen signaling axis that uses a writer and reader of ADP-ribosylation to regulate protein-protein interactions and AR activity.

HPF1 and nucleosomes mediate a dramatic switch in activity of PARP1 from polymerase to hydrolase

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is an important player in the response to DNA damage. Recently, Histone PARylation Factor (HPF1) was shown to be a critical modulator of the activity of PARP1 by facilitating PARylation of histones and redirecting the target amino acid specificity from acidic to serine residues. Here, we investigate the mechanism and specific consequences of HPF1-mediated PARylation using nucleosomes as both activators and substrates for PARP1. HPF1 provides that catalytic base Glu284 to substantially redirect PARylation by PARP1 such that the histones in nucleosomes become the primary recipients of PAR chains. Surprisingly, HPF1 partitions most of the reaction product to free ADP-ribose (ADPR), resulting in much shorter PAR chains compared to reactions in the absence of HPF1. This HPF1-mediated switch from polymerase to hydrolase has important implications for the PARP1-mediated response to DNA damage and raises interesting new questions about the role of intracellular ADPR and depletion of NAD⁺.

Dynamic ADP-Ribosylome, Phosphoproteome, and Interactome in LPS-Activated Macrophages

We have used mass spectrometry (MS) to characterize protein signaling in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages from human blood, human THP1 cells, mouse bone marrow, and mouse Raw264.7 cells. Protein ADP-ribosylation was truncated down to phosphoribose, allowing for enrichment and identification of the resulting phosphoribosylated peptides alongside phosphopeptides. Size exclusion chromatography-MS (SEC-MS) was used to separate proteoforms by size; protein complexes were then identified by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) based on their correlated movement into or out of SEC fractions following stimulation, presenting an analysis method for SEC-MS that does not rely on established databases. We highlight two modules of interest: one linked to the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK) signalosome and the other containing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 9 (PARP9). Finally, PARP inhibition was used to perturb the characterized systems, demonstrating the importance of ADP-ribosylation for the global interactome. All post-translational modification (PTM) and interactome data have been aggregated into a meta-database of 6729 proteins, with ADP-ribosylation characterized on 2905 proteins and phosphorylation characterized on 2669 proteins. This database-titled MAPCD, for Macrophage ADP-ribosylation, Phosphorylation, and Complex Dynamics-serves as an invaluable resource for studying crosstalk between the ADP-ribosylome, phosphoproteome, and interactome.

The coronavirus nucleocapsid protein is ADP-ribosylated

ADP-ribosylation is a common post-translational modification, although how it modulates RNA virus infection is not well understood. While screening for ADP-ribosylated proteins during coronavirus (CoV) infection, we detected a ~55kDa ADP-ribosylated protein in mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-infected cells and in virions, which we identified as the viral nucleocapsid (N) protein. The N proteins of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV were also ADP-ribosylated. ADP-ribosylation of N protein was also observed in cells exogenously expressing N protein by transduction using Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicon particles (VRPs). However, plasmid-derived N protein was not ADP-ribosylated following transient transfection but was ADP-ribosylated after MHV infection, indicating that this modification requires virus infection. In conclusion, we have identified a novel post-translation modification of the CoV N protein that may play a regulatory role for this important structural protein.

Proteomic Analysis of the Downstream Signaling Network of PARP1

Poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) is a protein posttranslational modification (PTM) that is critically involved in many biological processes that are linked to cell stress responses. It is catalyzed by a class of enzymes known as poly-ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs). In particular, PARP1 is a nuclear protein that is activated upon sensing nicked DNA. Once activated, PARP1 is responsible for the synthesis of a large number of PARylated proteins and initiation of the DNA damage response mechanisms. This observation provided the rationale for developing PARP1 inhibitors for the treatment of human malignancies. Indeed, three PARP1 inhibitors (Olaparib, Rucaparib, and Niraparib) have recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Moreover, in 2017, both Olaparib and Niraparib have also been approved for the treatment of fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal cancer. Despite this very exciting progress in the clinic, the basic signaling mechanism that connects PARP1 to a diverse array of biological processes is still poorly understood. This is, in large part, due to the inherent technical difficulty associated with the analysis of protein PARylation, which is a low-abundance, labile, and heterogeneous PTM. The study of PARylation has been greatly facilitated by the recent advances in mass spectrometry-based proteomic technologies tailored to the analysis of this modification. In this Perspective, we discuss these breakthroughs, including their technical development, and applications that provide a global view of the many biological processes regulated by this important protein modification.

Ubiquitin Modification by the E3 Ligase/ADP-Ribosyltransferase Dtx3L/Parp9

ADP-ribosylation of proteins is emerging as an important regulatory mechanism. Depending on the family member, ADP-ribosyltransferases either conjugate a single ADP-ribose to a target or generate ADP-ribose chains. Here we characterize Parp9, a mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase reported to be enzymatically inactive. Parp9 undergoes heterodimerization with Dtx3L, a histone E3 ligase involved in DNA damage repair. We show that the Dtx3L/Parp9 heterodimer mediates NAD⁺-dependent mono-ADP-ribosylation of ubiquitin, exclusively in the context of ubiquitin processing by E1 and E2 enzymes. Dtx3L/Parp9 ADP-ribosylates the carboxyl group of Ub Gly76. Because Gly76 is normally used for Ub conjugation to substrates, ADP-ribosylation of the Ub carboxyl terminus precludes ubiquitylation. Parp9 ADP-ribosylation activity therefore restrains the E3 function of Dtx3L. Mutation of the NAD⁺ binding site in Parp9 increases the DNA repair activity of the heterodimer. Moreover, poly(ADP-ribose) binding to the Parp9 macrodomains increases E3 activity. Dtx3L heterodimerization with Parp9 enables NAD⁺ and poly(ADP-ribose) regulation of E3 activity.

ADP-Ribosylated Peptide Enrichment and Site Identification: The Phosphodiesterase-Based Method

Protein ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification (PTM) that plays an important role in all major cellular processes, including DNA repair, cellular signaling, and RNA metabolism. Site identification for this PTM has recently become possible through the development of several mass spectrometry-based methods, a critical step in understanding the regulatory role played by mono(ADP-ribose) (MAR), poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), and the enzymes which make these modifications: poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), best known for their role in DNA repair and as targets for chemotherapeutic PARP inhibitors. Here, we have described our method for enriching and identifying ADP-ribosylation events through the use of a phosphodiesterase to digest protein-conjugated ADP-ribose down to its attachment structure, phosphoribose. We also include here a guide to choosing between collision-induced dissociation (CID)-, higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD)-, and electron-transfer dissociation (ETD)-based peptide fragmentation for the identification of phosphoribosylated peptides.

ADPriboDB: The database of ADP-ribosylated proteins

ADP-ribosylation refers to the addition of one or more ADP-ribose units onto proteins post-translationally. This protein modification is often added by ADP-ribosyltransferases, commonly known as PARPs, but it can also be added by other enzymes, including sirtuins or bacterial toxins. While past literature has utilized a variety of methods to identify ADP-ribosylated proteins, recent proteomics studies bring the power of mass spectrometry to determine sites of the modification. To appreciate the diverse roles of ADP-ribosylation across the proteome, we have created ADPriboDB – a database of ADP-ribosylated proteins (http://ADPriboDB.leunglab.org). Each entry of ADPriboDB is annotated manually by at least two independent curators from the literature between January 1975 and July 2015. The current database includes over 12 400 protein entries from 459 publications, identifying 2389 unique proteins. Here, we describe the structure and the current state of ADPriboDB as well as the criteria for entry inclusion. Using this aggregate data, we identified a statistically significant enrichment of ADP-ribosylated proteins in non-membranous RNA granules. To our knowledge, ADPriboDB is the first publicly available database encapsulating ADP-ribosylated proteins identified from the past 40 years, with a hope to facilitate the research of both basic scientists and clinicians to better understand ADP-ribosylation at the molecular level.

The Promise of Proteomics for the Study of ADP-Ribosylation

ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification where single units (mono-ADP-ribosylation) or polymeric chains (poly-ADP-ribosylation) of ADP-ribose are conjugated to proteins by ADP-ribosyltransferases. This post-translational modification and the ADP-ribosyltransferases (also known as PARPs) responsible for its synthesis have been found to play a role in nearly all major cellular processes, including DNA repair, transcription, translation, cell signaling, and cell death. Furthermore, dysregulation of ADP-ribosylation has been linked to diseases including cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and heart failure, leading to the development of therapeutic PARP inhibitors, many of which are currently in clinical trials. The study of this therapeutically important modification has recently been bolstered by the application of mass spectrometry-based proteomics, arguably the most powerful tool for the unbiased analysis of protein modifications. Unfortunately, progress has been hampered by the inherent challenges that stem from the physicochemical properties of ADP-ribose, which as a post-translational modification is highly charged, heterogeneous (linear or branched polymers, as well as monomers), labile, and found on a wide range of amino acid acceptors. In this Perspective, we discuss the progress that has been made in addressing these challenges, including the recent breakthroughs in proteomics techniques to identify ADP-ribosylation sites, and future developments to provide a proteome-wide view of the many cellular processes regulated by ADP-ribosylation.

Identification and analysis of ADP-ribosylated proteins

The analysis of ADP-ribosylated proteins is a challenging task, on the one hand because of the diversity of the target proteins and the modification sites, on the other hand because of the particular problems posed by the analysis of ADP-ribosylated peptides. ADP-ribosylated proteins can be detected in in vitro experiments after the incorporation of radioactively labeled or chemically modified ADP-ribose. Endogenously ADP-ribosylated proteins may be detected and enriched by antibodies directed against the ADP-ribosyl moiety or by ADP-ribosyl binding macro domains. The determination of the exact attachment site of the modification, which is a prerequisite for the understanding of the specificity of the various ADP-ribosyl transferases and the structural consequences of ADP-ribosylation, necessitates the proteolytic cleavage of the proteins. The resulting peptides can afterwards be enriched either by IMAC (using the affinity of the pyrophosphate group for heavy metal ions) or by immobilized boronic acid beads (using the affinity of the vicinal ribose hydroxy groups for boronic acid). The identification of the modified peptides usually requires tandem mass spectrometric measurements. Problems that hamper the mass spectrometric analysis by collision-induced decay (CID) can be circumvented either by the application of different fragmentation techniques (electron transfer or electron capture dissociation; ETD or ECD) or by enzymatic cleavage of the ADP-ribosyl group to ribosyl-phosphate.

Proteomics approaches to identify mono-(ADP-ribosyl)ated and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated proteins

ADP-ribosylation refers to the addition of one or more ADP-ribose units onto protein substrates and this protein modification has been implicated in various cellular processes including DNA damage repair, RNA metabolism, transcription, and cell cycle regulation. This review focuses on a compilation of large-scale proteomics studies that identify ADP-ribosylated proteins and their associated proteins by MS using a variety of enrichment strategies. Some methods, such as the use of a poly(ADP-ribose)-specific antibody and boronate affinity chromatography and NAD(+) analogues, have been employed for decades while others, such as the use of protein microarrays and recombinant proteins that bind ADP-ribose moieties (such as macrodomains), have only recently been developed. The advantages and disadvantages of each method and whether these methods are specific for identifying mono(ADP-ribosyl)ated and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated proteins will be discussed. Lastly, since poly(ADP-ribose) is heterogeneous in length, it has been difficult to attain a mass signature associated with the modification sites. Several strategies on how to reduce polymer chain length heterogeneity for site identification will be reviewed.

Poly(ADP-ribose): an organizer of cellular architecture

Distinct properties of poly(ADP-ribose)—including its structural diversity, nucleation potential, and low complexity, polyvalent, highly charged nature—could contribute to organizing cellular architectures. Emergent data indicate that poly(ADP-ribose) aids in the formation of nonmembranous structures, such as DNA repair foci, spindle poles, and RNA granules. Informatics analyses reported here show that RNA granule proteins enriched for low complexity regions, which aid self-assembly, are preferentially modified by poly(ADP-ribose), indicating how poly(ADP-ribose) could direct cellular organization.

Family-wide analysis of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity

The poly(adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose) polymerase (PARP) protein family generates ADP-ribose (ADPr) modifications onto target proteins using NAD(+) as substrate. Based on the composition of three NAD(+) coordinating amino acids, the H-Y-E motif, each PARP is predicted to generate either poly(ADPr) (PAR) or mono(ADPr) (MAR). However, the reaction product of each PARP has not been clearly defined, and is an important priority since PAR and MAR function via distinct mechanisms. Here we show that the majority of PARPs generate MAR, not PAR, and demonstrate that the H-Y-E motif is not the sole indicator of PARP activity. We identify automodification sites on seven PARPs, and demonstrate that MAR and PAR generating PARPs modify similar amino acids, suggesting that the sequence and structural constraints limiting PARPs to MAR synthesis do not limit their ability to modify canonical amino-acid targets. In addition, we identify cysteine as a novel amino-acid target for ADP-ribosylation on PARPs.

Phosphoproteomic approach to characterize protein mono- and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation sites from cells

Poly(ADP-ribose), or PAR, is a cellular polymer implicated in DNA/RNA metabolism, cell death, and cellular stress response via its role as a post-translational modification, signaling molecule, and scaffolding element. PAR is synthesized by a family of proteins known as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases, or PARPs, which attach PAR polymers to various amino acids of substrate proteins. The nature of these polymers (large, charged, heterogeneous, base-labile) has made these attachment sites difficult to study by mass spectrometry. Here we propose a new pipeline that allows for the identification of mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation sites via the enzymatic product of phosphodiesterase-treated ADP-ribose, or phospho(ribose). The power of this method lies in the enrichment potential of phospho(ribose), which we show to be enriched by phosphoproteomic techniques when a neutral buffer, which allows for retention of the base-labile attachment site, is used for elution. Through the identification of PARP-1 in vitro automodification sites as well as endogenous ADP-ribosylation sites from whole cells, we have shown that ADP-ribose can exist on adjacent amino acid residues as well as both lysine and arginine in addition to known acidic modification sites. The universality of this technique has allowed us to show that enrichment of ADP-ribosylated proteins by macrodomain leads to a bias against ADP-ribose modifications conjugated to glutamic acids, suggesting that the macrodomain is either removing or selecting against these distinct protein attachments. Ultimately, the enrichment pipeline presented here offers a universal approach for characterizing the mono- and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated proteome.

DNA-N-glycosylases process novel O-glycosidic sites in DNA

After the hydrolysis of the N-glycosyl bond between a damaged base and C1' of a deoxyribosyl moiety of DNA, human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) and Escherichia coli 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase II (AlkA) bind tightly to their abasic DNA products, potentially protecting these reactive species. Here we show that both AAG and AlkA catalyze reactions between bound abasic DNA and small, primary alcohols to form novel DNA-O-glycosides. The synthesis reactions are reversible, as the DNA-O-glycosides are converted back into abasic DNA upon being incubated with AAG or AlkA in the absence of alcohol. AAG and AlkA are therefore able to hydrolyze O-glycosidic bonds in addition to N-glycosyl bonds. The newly discovered DNA-O-glycosidase activities of both enzymes compare favorably with their known DNA-N-glycosylase activities: AAG removes both methanol and 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine (εA) from DNA with single-turnover rate constants that are 2.9 × 10(5)-fold greater than the corresponding uncatalyzed rates, whereas the rate enhancement of 3.7 × 10(7) for removal of methanol from DNA by AlkA is 300-fold greater than its rate enhancement for removal of εA from DNA. Although the biological significance of the DNA-O-glycosidase reactions is not known, the evolution of new DNA repair pathways may be aided by enzymes that practice catalytic promiscuity, such as these two unrelated DNA glycosylases.

One-step, nonenzymatic synthesis of O-acetyl-ADP-ribose and analogues from NAD and carboxylates

O-Acetyl-ADP-ribose (OAADPR) is a metabolite produced from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) as a product of sirtuin-mediated protein deacetylation. We present here a simple, one-step, nonenzymatic synthesis of OAADPR from NAD and sodium acetate in acetic acid. We extended the reaction to other carboxylic acids, demonstrating that the reaction between NAD and nonaqueous carboxylate buffers produces mixtures of the corresponding 2'- and 3'-carboxylic esters.

Molecular mechanism of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation by PARP1 and identification of lysine residues as ADP-ribose acceptor sites

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) synthesizes poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) as a substrate. Despite intensive research on the cellular functions of PARP1, the molecular mechanism of PAR formation has not been comprehensively understood. In this study, we elucidate the molecular mechanisms of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and identify PAR acceptor sites. Generation of different chimera proteins revealed that the amino-terminal domains of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3 cooperate tightly with their corresponding catalytic domains. The DNA-dependent interaction between the amino-terminal DNA-binding domain and the catalytic domain of PARP1 increased V_max and decreased the K_m for NAD. Furthermore, we show that glutamic acid residues in the auto-modification domain of PARP1 are not required for PAR formation. Instead, we identify individual lysine residues as acceptor sites for ADP-ribosylation. Together, our findings provide novel mechanistic insights into PAR synthesis with significant relevance for the different biological functions of PARP family members.