Automatic analysis of hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectra of peptides and proteins using calculations of isotopic distributions

The Deuterium Calculator: An Open-Source Tool for Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful protein footprinting technique to study protein dynamics and binding; however, HDX-MS data analysis is often challenging and time-consuming. Moreover, the HDX community is expanding to investigate multiprotein and highly complex protein systems which further complicates data analysis. Thus, a simple, open-source software package designed to analyze large and highly complex protein systems is needed. In this vein, we have developed "The Deuterium Calculator", a Python-based software package for HDX-MS data analysis. The Deuterium Calculator is capable of differential and nondifferential HDX-MS analysis, produces standardized data files according to recommendations from the International Conference on Hydrogen-Exchange Mass Spectrometry (IC-HDX) to increase transparency in data analysis, and generates Woods' plots for statistical analysis and data visualization. This standard output can be used to perform time dependent deuteration studies and for the study of protein folding kinetics or differential uptake. Moreover, The Deuterium Calculator is capable of performing these analyses on large HDX-MS data sets (e.g., LC-HDX-MS from cell lysate digest). The Deuterium Calculator is freely available for download at https://github.com/OUWuLab/TheDeuteriumCalculator.git. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD036813.

Advances in Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry and the Pursuit of Challenging Biological Systems

Solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) is a widespread tool for structural analysis across academia and the biopharmaceutical industry. By monitoring the exchangeability of backbone amide protons, HDX-MS can reveal information about higher-order structure and dynamics throughout a protein, can track protein folding pathways, map interaction sites, and assess conformational states of protein samples. The combination of the versatility of the hydrogen/deuterium exchange reaction with the sensitivity of mass spectrometry has enabled the study of extremely challenging protein systems, some of which cannot be suitably studied using other techniques. Improvements over the past three decades have continually increased throughput, robustness, and expanded the limits of what is feasible for HDX-MS investigations. To provide an overview for researchers seeking to utilize and derive the most from HDX-MS for protein structural analysis, we summarize the fundamental principles, basic methodology, strengths and weaknesses, and the established applications of HDX-MS while highlighting new developments and applications.

A Review on Computational Approaches for Analyzing Hydrogen- Deuterium (H/D) Exchange of Proteins

Native state Hydrogen-Deuterium (H/D) exchange method has been used to study the structures and the unfolding pathways for quite a number of proteins. The H/D exchange method is generally monitored using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) techniques. NMR-assisted H/D exchange methods primarily monitor the residue level fluctuation of proteins, whereas MS-assisted H/D exchange methods analyze multifold ensemble conformations of proteins. In this connection, quite a large number of computational tools and algorithms have been developed for processing and analyzing huge amount of the H/D exchange data generated from these techniques. In this review, most of the freely available computational tools associated with the H/D exchange of proteins have been comprehensively reviewed and scopes to improve/ develop novel computational approaches for analyzing the H/D exchange data of proteins have also been brought into fore.

Computational methods in mass spectrometry-based structural proteomics for studying protein structure, dynamics, and interactions

Mass spectrometry (MS) has made enormous contributions to comprehensive protein identification and quantification in proteomics. MS is also gaining momentum for structural biology in a variety of ways, complementing conventional structural biology techniques. Here, we will review how MS-based techniques, such as hydrogen/deuterium exchange, covalent labeling, and chemical cross-linking, enable the characterization of protein structure, dynamics, and interactions, especially from a perspective of their data analyses. Structural information encoded by chemical probes in intact proteins is decoded by interpreting MS data at a peptide level, i.e., revealing conformational and dynamic changes in local regions of proteins. The structural MS data are not amenable to data analyses in traditional proteomics workflow, requiring dedicated software for each type of data. We first provide basic principles of data interpretation, including isotopic distribution and peptide sequencing. We then focus particularly on computational methods for structural MS data analyses and discuss outstanding challenges in a proteome-wide large scale analysis.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Protein Footprinting for Higher-Order Structure Analysis: Fundamentals and Applications

Proteins adopt different higher-order structures (HOS) to enable their unique biological functions. Understanding the complexities of protein higher-order structures and dynamics requires integrated approaches, where mass spectrometry (MS) is now positioned to play a key role. One of those approaches is protein footprinting. Although the initial demonstration of footprinting was for the HOS determination of protein/nucleic acid binding, the concept was later adapted to MS-based protein HOS analysis, through which different covalent labeling approaches "mark" the solvent accessible surface area (SASA) of proteins to reflect protein HOS. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX), where deuterium in D2O replaces hydrogen of the backbone amides, is the most common example of footprinting. Its advantage is that the footprint reflects SASA and hydrogen bonding, whereas one drawback is the labeling is reversible. Another example of footprinting is slow irreversible labeling of functional groups on amino acid side chains by targeted reagents with high specificity, probing structural changes at selected sites. A third footprinting approach is by reactions with fast, irreversible labeling species that are highly reactive and footprint broadly several amino acid residue side chains on the time scale of submilliseconds. All of these covalent labeling approaches combine to constitute a problem-solving toolbox that enables mass spectrometry as a valuable tool for HOS elucidation. As there has been a growing need for MS-based protein footprinting in both academia and industry owing to its high throughput capability, prompt availability, and high spatial resolution, we present a summary of the history, descriptions, principles, mechanisms, and applications of these covalent labeling approaches. Moreover, their applications are highlighted according to the biological questions they can answer. This review is intended as a tutorial for MS-based protein HOS elucidation and as a reference for investigators seeking a MS-based tool to address structural questions in protein science.

Native Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry of Structured DNA Oligonucleotides

Although solution hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX/MS) is well-established for the analysis of the structure and dynamics of proteins, it is currently not exploited for nucleic acids. Here we used DNA G-quadruplex structures as model systems to demonstrate that DNA oligonucleotides are amenable to in-solution HDX/MS in native conditions. In trimethylammonium acetate solutions and in soft source conditions, the protonated phosphate groups are fully back-exchanged in the source, while the exchanged nucleobases remain labeled without detectable back-exchange. As a result, the exchange rates depend strongly on the secondary structure (hydrogen bonding status) of the oligonucleotides, but neither on their charge state nor on the presence of nonspecific adducts. We show that native mass spectrometry methods can measure these exchange rates on the second to the day time scale with high precision. Such combination of HDX with native MS opens promising avenues for the analysis of the structural and biophysical properties of oligonucleotides and their complexes.

Considerations in the Analysis of Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry Data

A major component of a hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry experiment is the analysis of protein and peptide mass spectra to yield information about deuterium incorporation. The processing of data that are produced includes the identification of each peptic peptide to create a master table/array of peptide identity that typically includes sequence, retention time and retention time range, mass range, and undeuterated mass. The amount of deuterium incorporated into each of the peptides in this array must then be determined. Various software platforms have been developed in order to perform this specific type of data analysis. We describe the fundamental parameters to be considered at each step along the way and how data processing, either by an individual or by software, must approach the analysis.

Isotopic Distributions

Isotopic information determined by mass spectrometry can be used in a wide variety of applications. Broadly speaking these could be classified as "passive" applications, meaning that they use naturally occurring isotopic information, and "active" applications, meaning that the isotopic distributions are manipulated in some way. The classic passive application is the determination of chemical composition by comparing observed isotopic patterns of molecules to theoretically calculated isotopic patterns. Active applications include isotope exchange experiments of a variety of types, as well as isotope labeling in tracing studies and to provide references for quantitation. Regardless of the type of application considered, the problem of theoretical calculation of isotopic patterns almost invariably arises. This chapter reviews a number of application examples and computational approaches for isotopic studies in mass spectrometry.

Resolution of protein hydrogen/deuterium exchange by fitting amide exchange probabilities to the peptide isotopic envelopes

RATIONALE

Mass spectra processing in protein hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange has been remarkably improved by the introduction of fitting of the amide exchange probabilities to peptide isotopic envelope intensities (Kan et al., 2013), in contrast to methods in which only the peptide deuterium uptakes (centroid shifts of isotopic envelopes) are used. However, the known implementations are based on the general fitting routines that use only the objective function values. Besides, applicability of more than one fitting method makes necessary their comparative evaluation.

METHODS

Two fitting methods were considered: the common least squares and the fitting of the multinomial distribution representing the number of deuterium atoms exchanged in the individual peptides. Both methods were applied either directly to the isotopic envelope data or to the deuterium distributions obtained by envelope deconvolution (i.e. de-isotoping).

RESULTS

An autonomous Matlab script was prepared, based on the exact expressions for the gradient and Hessian of the objective function, with the trust-region algorithm implemented in the compact analytical form recently made available. The least-squares fitting to the envelope data produced the best results, with the greatest precision and good coverage of exact values by the confidence intervals. The deuterium distributions were sensitive to the (simulated) experimental error whose progression by envelope deconvolution caused degradation in accuracy. The multinomial distribution fitting exhibited poor performance due to inadequate representation of the experimental error and missing of the appropriate weight parameters. Some specific peptide arrangement details were discussed as potential sources of ambiguity in the fitting results.

CONCLUSIONS

The method of fitting to peptide isotopic envelopes has been improved by using the exact gradient and Hessian of the objective function. The fitting should be repeated with different initial guesses in order to find not only the global minimum, but also the local minima with similar depths which may exist due to eventual ambiguity of the fitting results.

deMix: Decoding Deuterated Distributions from Heterogeneous Protein States via HDX-MS

Characterization of protein structural changes in response to protein modifications, ligand or chemical binding, or protein-protein interactions is essential for understanding protein function and its regulation. Amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the most favorable tools for characterizing the protein dynamics and changes of protein conformation. However, currently the analysis of HDX-MS data is not up to its full power as it still requires manual validation by mass spectrometry experts. Especially, with the advent of high throughput technologies, the data size grows everyday and an automated tool is essential for the analysis. Here, we introduce a fully automated software, referred to as ‘deMix’, for the HDX-MS data analysis. deMix deals directly with the deuterated isotopic distributions, but not considering their centroid masses and is designed to be robust over random noises. In addition, unlike the existing approaches that can only determine a single state from an isotopic distribution, deMix can also detect a bimodal deuterated distribution, arising from EX1 behavior or heterogeneous peptides in conformational isomer proteins. Furthermore, deMix comes with visualization software to facilitate validation and representation of the analysis results.

MS-based conformation analysis of recombinant proteins in design, optimization and development of biopharmaceuticals

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods for analyzing protein higher order structures have gained increasing application in the field of biopharmaceutical development. The predominant methods used in this area include native MS, hydrogen deuterium exchange-MS, covalent labeling, cross-linking and limited proteolysis. These MS-based methods will be briefly described in this article, followed by a discussion on how these methods contribute at different stages of discovery and development of protein therapeutics.

Computational methods and challenges in hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry

Hydrogen/Deuterium exchange (HDX) has been applied, since the 1930s, as an analytical tool to study the structure and dynamics of (small) biomolecules. The popularity of using HDX to study proteins increased drastically in the last two decades due to the successful combination with mass spectrometry (MS). Together with this growth in popularity, several technological advances have been made, such as improved quenching and fragmentation. As a consequence of these experimental improvements and the increased use of protein-HDXMS, large amounts of complex data are generated, which require appropriate analysis. Computational analysis of HDXMS requires several steps. A typical workflow for proteins consists of identification of (non-)deuterated peptides or fragments of the protein under study (local analysis), or identification of the deuterated protein as a whole (global analysis); determination of the deuteration level; estimation of the protection extent or exchange rates of the labile backbone amide hydrogen atoms; and a statistically sound interpretation of the estimated protection extent or exchange rates. Several algorithms, specifically designed for HDX analysis, have been proposed. They range from procedures that focus on one specific step in the analysis of HDX data to complete HDX workflow analysis tools. In this review, we provide an overview of the computational methods and discuss outstanding challenges. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 36:649-667, 2017.

Protein Footprinting Comes of Age: Mass Spectrometry for Biophysical Structure Assessment

Protein footprinting mediated by mass spectrometry has evolved over the last 30 years from proof of concept to commonplace biophysics tool, with unique capabilities for assessing structure and dynamics of purified proteins in physiological states in solution. This review outlines the history and current capabilities of two major methods of protein footprinting: reversible hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) and hydroxyl radical footprinting (HRF), an irreversible covalent labeling approach. Technological advances in both approaches now permit high-resolution assessments of protein structure including secondary and tertiary structure stability mediated by backbone interactions (measured via HDX) and solvent accessibility of side chains (measured via HRF). Applications across many academic fields and in biotechnology drug development are illustrated including: detection of protein interfaces, identification of ligand/drug binding sites, and monitoring dynamics of protein conformational changes along with future prospects for advancement of protein footprinting in structural biology and biophysics research.

Accounting for isotopic clustering in Fourier transform mass spectrometry data analysis for clinical diagnostic studies

Mass spectrometry based clinical proteomics has emerged as a powerful tool for high-throughput protein profiling and biomarker discovery. Recent improvements in mass spectrometry technology have boosted the potential of proteomic studies in biomedical research. However, the complexity of the proteomic expression introduces new statistical challenges in summarizing and analyzing the acquired data. Statistical methods for optimally processing proteomic data are currently a growing field of research. In this paper we present simple, yet appropriate methods to preprocess, summarize and analyze high-throughput MALDI-FTICR mass spectrometry data, collected in a case-control fashion, while dealing with the statistical challenges that accompany such data. The known statistical properties of the isotopic distribution of the peptide molecules are used to preprocess the spectra and translate the proteomic expression into a condensed data set. Information on either the intensity level or the shape of the identified isotopic clusters is used to derive summary measures on which diagnostic rules for disease status allocation will be based. Results indicate that both the shape of the identified isotopic clusters and the overall intensity level carry information on the class outcome and can be used to predict the presence or absence of the disease.

Statistical Examination of the a and a + 1 Fragment Ions from 193 nm Ultraviolet Photodissociation Reveals Local Hydrogen Bonding Interactions

Dissociation of proteins and peptides by 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) has gained momentum in proteomic studies because of the diversity of backbone fragments that are produced and subsequent unrivaled sequence coverage obtained by the approach. The pathways that form the basis for the production of particular ion types are not completely understood. In this study, a statistical approach is used to probe hydrogen atom elimination from a + 1 radical ions, and different extents of elimination are found to vary as a function of the identity of the C-terminal residue of the a product ions and the presence or absence of hydrogen bonds to the cleaved residue. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Analytical Aspects of Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry

This article reviews the analytical aspects of measuring hydrogen exchange by mass spectrometry (HX MS). We describe the nature of analytical selectivity in hydrogen exchange, then review the analytical tools required to accomplish fragmentation, separation, and the mass spectrometry measurements under restrictive exchange quench conditions. In contrast to analytical quantitation that relies on measurements of peak intensity or area, quantitation in HX MS depends on measuring a mass change with respect to an undeuterated or deuterated control, resulting in a value between zero and the maximum amount of deuterium that can be incorporated. Reliable quantitation is a function of experimental fidelity and to achieve high measurement reproducibility, a large number of experimental variables must be controlled during sample preparation and analysis. The method also reports on important qualitative aspects of the sample, including conformational heterogeneity and population dynamics.

Hexicon 2: automated processing of hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry data with improved deuteration distribution estimation

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) experiments analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS) provide information about the dynamics and the solvent accessibility of protein backbone amide hydrogen atoms. Continuous improvement of MS instrumentation has contributed to the increasing popularity of this method; however, comprehensive automated data analysis is only beginning to mature. We present Hexicon 2, an automated pipeline for data analysis and visualization based on the previously published program Hexicon (Lou et al. 2010). Hexicon 2 employs the sensitive NITPICK peak detection algorithm of its predecessor in a divide-and-conquer strategy and adds new features, such as chromatogram alignment and improved peptide sequence assignment. The unique feature of deuteration distribution estimation was retained in Hexicon 2 and improved using an iterative deconvolution algorithm that is robust even to noisy data. In addition, Hexicon 2 provides a data browser that facilitates quality control and provides convenient access to common data visualization tasks. Analysis of a benchmark dataset demonstrates superior performance of Hexicon 2 compared with its predecessor in terms of deuteration centroid recovery and deuteration distribution estimation. Hexicon 2 greatly reduces data analysis time compared with manual analysis, whereas the increased number of peptides provides redundant coverage of the entire protein sequence. Hexicon 2 is a standalone application available free of charge under http://hx2.mpimf-heidelberg.mpg.de.

Comparison of the Mahalanobis distance and Pearson's χ² statistic as measures of similarity of isotope patterns

To extract a genuine peptide signal from a mass spectrum, an observed series of peaks at a particular mass can be compared with the isotope distribution expected for a peptide of that mass. To decide whether the observed series of peaks is similar to the isotope distribution, a similarity measure is needed. In this short communication, we investigate whether the Mahalanobis distance could be an alternative measure for the commonly employed Pearson's χ(2) statistic. We evaluate the performance of the two measures by using a controlled MALDI-TOF experiment. The results indicate that Pearson's χ(2) statistic has better discriminatory performance than the Mahalanobis distance and is a more robust measure.

Isotopic distributions

Isotopic information determined by mass spectrometry can be used in a wide variety of applications. Broadly speaking these could be classified as "passive" applications, meaning that they use naturally occurring isotopic information, and "active" applications, meaning that the isotopic distributions are manipulated in some way. The classic passive application is the determination of chemical composition by comparing observed isotopic patterns of molecules to theoretically calculated isotopic patterns. Active applications include isotope exchange experiments of a variety of types, as well as isotope labeling in tracing studies and to provide references for quantitation. Regardless of the type of application considered, the problem of theoretical calculation of isotopic patterns almost invariably arises. This paper reviews a number of application examples and computational approaches for isotopic studies in mass spectrometry.

Analysis of overlapped and noisy hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectra

Noisy and overlapped mass spectrometry data hinder the sequence coverage that can be obtained from hydrogen deuterium exchange analysis, and places a limit on the complexity of the samples that can be studied by this technique. Advances in instrumentation have addressed these limits, but as the complexity of the biological samples under investigation increases, these problems are re-encountered. Here we describe the use of binomial distribution fitting with asymmetric linear squares regression for calculating the accurate deuterium content for mass envelopes of low signal or that contain significant overlap. The approach is demonstrated with a test data set of HIV Env gp140 wherein inclusion of the new analysis regime resulted in obtaining exchange data for 42 additional peptides, improving the sequence coverage by 11%. At the same time, the precision of deuterium uptake measurements was improved for nearly every peptide examined. The improved processing algorithms also provide an efficient method for deconvolution of bimodal mass envelopes and EX1 kinetic signatures. All these functions and visualization tools have been implemented in the new version of the freely available software, HX-Express v2.

Considerations in the analysis of hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry data

A major component of a hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry experiment is the analysis of protein and peptide mass spectra to yield information about deuterium incorporation. The processing of data that are produced includes the identification of each peptic peptide to create a master table/array of peptide sequence, retention time and retention time range, mass range, and undeuterated mass. The amount of deuterium incorporated into each of the peptides in this array must then be determined. Various software platforms have been developed in order to perform this specific type of data analysis. We describe the fundamental parameters to be considered at each step along the way and how data processing, either by an individual or by software, must approach the analysis.

HDX workbench: software for the analysis of H/D exchange MS data

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is an established method for the interrogation of protein conformation and dynamics. While the data analysis challenge of HDX-MS has been addressed by a number of software packages, new computational tools are needed to keep pace with the improved methods and throughput of this technique. To address these needs, we report an integrated desktop program titled HDX Workbench, which facilitates automation, management, visualization, and statistical cross-comparison of large HDX data sets. Using the software, validated data analysis can be achieved at the rate of generation. The application is available at the project home page http://hdx.florida.scripps.edu .

Improved sequence resolution by global analysis of overlapped peptides in hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry

Management of the enormous amount of data produced during solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by mass spectrometry has stimulated software analysis development. The proteolysis step of the experiment generates multiple peptide fragments, most of which overlap. Prior automated data reduction algorithms extract the deuteration level for individual peptides, but do not exploit the additional information arising from fragment overlap. Here, we describe an algorithm that determines discrete rate constant values to each of the amide hydrogens in overlapped fragments. By considering all of the overlapped peptide segments simultaneously, sequence resolution can be improved significantly, sometimes to the individual amino acid level. We have validated the method with simulated deuterium uptake data for seven overlapped fragments of a poly-Ala nonapeptide, and then applied it to extract rate constant values for the first 29 N-terminal amino acids of C22A FK506-binding protein.

ExMS: data analysis for HX-MS experiments

A previous paper considered the problems that presently limit the hydrogen exchange-mass spectrometry (HX-MS) method for studying the biophysical and functional properties of proteins. Many of these problems can be overcome by obtaining and analyzing hundreds of sequentially overlapping peptide fragments that cover the protein many times over (Mayne et al. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2011: 10.1007/s13361-011-0235-4). This paper describes a computer program called ExMS that furthers this advance by making it possible to efficiently process crowded mass spectra and definitively identify and characterize these many peptide fragments. ExMS automatically scans through high resolution MS data to find the individual isotopic peaks and isotopic envelopes of a list of peptides previously identified by MS/MS. It performs a number of tests to ensure correct identification in spite of peptide overlap in both chromatographic and mass spectrometric dimensions and possible multi-modal envelopes due to static or dynamic structural heterogeneity or HX EX1 behavior. The program can automatically process data from many sequential HX time points with no operator intervention at the rate of ~2 sec per peptide per HX time point using desktop computer equipment, but it also provides for rapid manual checking and decision when ambiguity exists. Additional subroutines can provide a step by step report of performance at each test along the way and parameter adjustment, deconvolute isotopic envelopes, and plot the time course of single and multi-modal H-D exchange. The program will be available on an open source basis at: http://HX2.med.upenn.edu/download.html.

Modification of citrulline residues with 2,3-butanedione facilitates their detection by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Citrullination is a post-translational modification (PTM) that results from the deimination of the amino acid arginine into citrulline by Peptidyl Arginine Deiminase enzymes and occurs in a wide range of proteins in health and disease. This modification causes a 1 Da mass shift, which can be used to identify citrullination sites in proteins by the use of mass spectrometry. However, other PTMs, such as deamidation from asparagine to aspartic acid or from glutamine to glutamic acid, can also cause a 1 Da mass shift, making correct interpretation of the data more difficult. We developed a chemical tagging strategy which, combined with an open source search application, allowed us to selectively pinpoint citrullinated peptides in a complex mixture after liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis. After incubation of a peptide mixture with 2,3 butanedione, citrulline residues were covalently modified which resulted in a 50 Da shift in singly charged mass. By comparison of the peptide mass fingerprint from a modified and an unmodified version of the same sample, our in-house search application was able to identify the citrullinated peptides in the mixture. This strategy was optimized on synthetic peptides and validated on a digest of in vitro citrullinated fibrinogen, where different proteolytic enzymes were used to augment the protein coverage. This new method results in easy detection of citrullinated residues, without the need for complex mass spectrometry equipment.

Differential hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis of protein-ligand interactions

Functional regulation of ligand-activated receptors is driven by alterations in the conformational dynamics of the protein upon ligand binding. Differential hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled with mass spectrometry has emerged as a rapid and sensitive approach for characterization of perturbations in conformational dynamics of proteins following ligand binding. While this technique is sensitive to detecting ligand interactions and alterations in receptor dynamics, it also can provide important mechanistic insights into ligand regulation. For example, HDX has been used to determine a novel mechanism of ligand activation of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ, perform detailed analyses of binding modes of ligands within the ligand-binding pocket of two estrogen receptor isoforms, providing insight into selectivity, and helped classify different types of estrogen receptor-α ligands by correlating their pharmacology with the way they interact with the receptor based solely on hierarchical clustering of receptor HDX signatures. Beyond small-molecule-receptor interactions, this technique has also been applied to study protein-protein complexes, such as mapping antibody-antigen interactions. In this article, we summarize the current state of the differential HDX approaches and the future outlook. We summarize how HDX analysis of protein-ligand interactions has had an impact on biology and drug discovery.

Methods for the Analysis of High Precision Differential Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange Data

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry has been widely applied to the characterization of protein dynamics. More recently, differential HDX has been shown to be effective for the characterization of ligand binding. Previously we have described a fully automated HDX system for use as a ligand screening platform. Here we describe and validate the required data analysis workflow to facilitate the use of HDX as a robust approach for ligand screening. Following acquisition of HDX data at a single on-exchange time point (n ≥ 3), one way analysis of variance in conjunction with the Tukey multiple comparison procedure is used to establish the significance of any measured difference. Analysis results are graphed with respect to a single peptide, ligand or group of ligands, or displayed as an overview within a heat map. For the heat map display, only Δ%D values with a Tukey-adjusted P value less than 0.05 are colored. Hierarchical clustering is used to bin compounds with highly similar HDX signatures. The workflow is evaluated with a small data set showing the ligand binding domain (LDB) of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) screened against 10 functionally selective ligands. More significantly, data for the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in complex with 87 ligands are presented. To highlight the robustness and precision of our automated HDX platform we analyzed the data from 4191 replicate HDX measurements acquired over an eight month timeframe. Ninety six percent of these measurements were within 10 percent of the mean value. Work has begun to integrate these analysis and graphing components within our HDX software suite.

Bayesian Peptide Peak Detection for High Resolution TOF Mass Spectrometry

In this paper, we address the issue of peptide ion peak detection for high resolution time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) data. A novel Bayesian peptide ion peak detection method is proposed for TOF data with resolution of 10 000-15 000 full width at half-maximum (FWHW). MS spectra exhibit distinct characteristics at this resolution, which are captured in a novel parametric model. Based on the proposed parametric model, a Bayesian peak detection algorithm based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling is developed. The proposed algorithm is tested on both simulated and real datasets. The results show a significant improvement in detection performance over a commonly employed method. The results also agree with expert's visual inspection. Moreover, better detection consistency is achieved across MS datasets from patients with identical pathological condition.

"Lossless" compression of high resolution mass spectra of small molecules

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) provides the highest resolving power of any commercially available mass spectrometer. This advantage is most significant for species of low mass-to-charge ratio (m/z), such as metabolites. Unfortunately, FTICR spectra contain a very large number of data points, most of which are noise. This is most pronounced at the low m/z end of spectra, where data point density is the highest but peak density low. We therefore developed a filter that offers lossless compression of FTICR mass spectra from singly charged metabolites. The filter relies on the high resolving power and mass measurement precision of FTICR and removes only those m/z channels that cannot contain signal from singly charged organic species. The resulting pseudospectra still contain the same signal as the original spectra but less uninformative background. The filter does not affect the outcome of standard downstream chemometric analysis methods, such as principal component analysis, but use of the filter significantly reduces memory requirements and CPU time for such analyses. We demonstrate the utility of the filter for urinary metabolite profiling using direct infusion electrospray ionization and a 15 tesla FTICR mass spectrometer. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11306-010-0202-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Quality control based on isotopic distributions for high-throughput MALDI-TOF and MALDI-FTICR serum peptide profiling

In this study, we have implemented a new quality control (QC) parameter for peptide profiling based on isotopic distributions. This QC parameter is an objective measure and facilitates automatic sorting of large numbers of peptide spectra. Peptides in human serum samples were enriched using reversed-phase C(18)-functionalized magnetic beads using a high-throughput robotic platform. High-resolution MALDI-TOF and ultrahigh resolution MALDI-FTICR mass spectra were obtained and a workflow was developed for automated analysis and evaluation of these profiles. To this end, the isotopic distributions of multiple peptides were quantified from both MALDI-TOF and MALDI-FTICR spectra. Odd peptide isotope distributions in TOF spectra could be rationalized from ultrahigh resolution FTICR spectra that showed overlap of different peptides. The comparison of isotope patterns with estimated polyaveragine distributions was used to calculate a QC value for each single mass spectrum. Sorting these QC values enabled the best MALDI spectrum to be selected from replicate spots. Moreover, using this approach spectra containing high intensities of polymers or other contaminants and lacking peptides of interest can be efficiently removed from a clinical dataset. In general, this method simplifies the exclusion of low quality spectra from further statistical analysis.

Hydra: software for tailored processing of H/D exchange data from MS or tandem MS analyses

Background

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (H/DX-MS) experiments implemented to characterize protein interaction and protein folding generate large quantities of data. Organizing, processing and visualizing data requires an automated solution, particularly when accommodating new tandem mass spectrometry modes for H/DX measurement. We sought to develop software that offers flexibility in defining workflows so as to support exploratory treatments of H/DX-MS data, with a particular focus on the analysis of very large protein systems and the mining of tandem mass spectrometry data.

Results

We present a software package ("Hydra") that supports both traditional and exploratory treatments of H/DX-MS data. Hydra's software architecture tolerates flexible data analysis procedures by allowing the addition of new algorithms without significant change to the underlying code base. Convenient user interfaces ease the organization of raw data files and input of peptide data. After executing a user-defined workflow, extracted deuterium incorporation values can be visualized in tabular and graphical formats. Hydra also automates the extraction and visualization of deuterium distribution values. Manual validation and assessment of results is aided by an interface that aligns extracted ion chromatograms and mass spectra, while providing a means of rapidly reprocessing the data following manual adjustment. A unique feature of Hydra is the automated processing of tandem mass spectrometry data, demonstrated on a large test data set in which 40,000 deuterium incorporation values were extracted from replicate analysis of approximately 1000 fragment ions in one hour using a typical PC.

Conclusion

The customizable workflows and user-friendly interfaces of Hydra removes a significant bottleneck in processing and visualizing H/DX-MS data and helps the researcher spend more time executing new experiments and interpreting results. This increased efficiency will encourage the analysis of larger protein systems. The ability to accommodate the tandem MS dimension supports alternative data collection and analysis strategies, as well as higher resolution localization of deuteration where permitted by the fragmentation mechanism.

HD desktop: an integrated platform for the analysis and visualization of H/D exchange data

Here we describe an integrated software platform titled HD Desktop designed specifically to enhance the analysis of hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry data. HD Desktop integrates tools for data extraction with visualization components within a single web-based application. The interface design enables users to navigate from the peptide view to the sample and experiment levels, tracking all manipulations while updating the aggregate graphs in real time. HD Desktop is integrated with a relational database designed to provide performance enhancements, as well as a robust model for data storage and retrieval. Additional features of the software include retention time determination, which is achieved with the use of theoretical isotope fitting; here, we assume that the best theoretical fit will occur at the correct retention time for any given peptide. Peptide data consolidation for the rendering of data in 2D was realized by automating known and novel approaches. Designed to address broad needs of the HDX community, the platform presented here provides an efficient and manageable workflow for HDX data analysis and is freely available as a web tool at the project home page http://hdx.florida.scripps.edu.

Decomposition of charge-state distributions for a better understanding of electrospray mass spectra of bioorganic compounds. Part 1: basic formalism

Further development in our approach for the interpretation of a mass spectral peak series resulting from unique modifications at a number of molecular sites is described and its application for the analysis of electrospray mass spectra of multiply-charged ions of biopolymers is specified. This method was based initially on the assumption that the modifications are mutually independent. The output is a set of modification probabilities for the considered molecular sites, which explains the observed peak intensity distribution with the best accuracy. It is shown here that the method is also applicable, in some cases, to the strong interaction between modified sites. This is important for the formation of multiply-charged ions, at least in the gas phase, since it should be significantly influenced by the internal electric fields. The capabilities and limitations of this approach are discussed. One limitation is that only unimodal distributions (those having only one maximum) are possible in the considered model. Another is that relatively large biomolecules may not be suitable for this type of analysis. Some experimental results of the application of this method are described in Part 2 of this work.

"TOF2H": a precision toolbox for rapid, high density/high coverage hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry via an LC-MALDI approach, covering the data pipeline from spectral acquisition to HDX rate analysis

Background

Protein-amide proton hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) is used to investigate protein conformation, conformational changes and surface binding sites for other molecules. To our knowledge, software tools to automate data processing and analysis from sample fractionating (LC-MALDI) mass-spectrometry-based HDX workflows are not publicly available.

Results

An integrated data pipeline (Solvent Explorer/TOF2H) has been developed for the processing of LC-MALDI-derived HDX data. Based on an experiment-wide template, and taking an ab initio approach to chromatographic and spectral peak finding, initial data processing is based on accurate mass-matching to fully deisotoped peaklists accommodating, in MS/MS-confirmed peptide library searches, ambiguous mass-hits to non-target proteins. Isotope-shift re-interrogation of library search results allows quick assessment of the extent of deuteration from peaklist data alone. During raw spectrum editing, each spectral segment is validated in real time, consistent with the manageable spectral numbers resulting from LC-MALDI experiments. A semi-automated spectral-segment editor includes a semi-automated or automated assessment of the quality of all spectral segments as they are pooled across an XIC peak for summing, centroid mass determination, building of rates plots on-the-fly, and automated back exchange correction. The resulting deuterium uptake rates plots from various experiments can be averaged, subtracted, re-scaled, error-barred, and/or scatter-plotted from individual spectral segment centroids, compared to solvent exposure and hydrogen bonding predictions and receive a color suggestion for 3D visualization. This software lends itself to a "divorced" HDX approach in which MS/MS-confirmed peptide libraries are built via nano or standard ESI without source modification, and HDX is performed via LC-MALDI using a standard MALDI-TOF. The complete TOF2H package includes additional (eg LC analysis) modules.

Conclusion

"TOF2H" provides a comprehensive HDX data analysis package that has accelerated the processing of LC-MALDI-based HDX data in the authors' lab from weeks to hours. It runs in a standard MS Windows (XP or Vista) environment, and can be downloaded or obtained from the authors at no cost.

Ion mobility adds an additional dimension to mass spectrometric analysis of solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange

The goal of this study was to determine the utility of adding ion mobility spectrometry to studies probing the solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HX) of proteins. The HX profile of the Hck SH3 domain was measured at both the intact protein and the peptic peptide levels in the Waters Synapt HDMS system which uses a traveling wave to accomplish ion mobility separation prior to time-of-flight (Tof) m/z analysis. The results indicated a similar loss of deuterium with or without use of mobility in the Synapt and a level of deuterium loss comparable with a non-mobility Q-Tof instrument. The drift time of this small protein and its peptic peptides did not noticeably change due to solution-based deuterium incorporation. Importantly, ion mobility separations provided an orthogonal dimension of separation in addition to the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The additional dimension of separation allowed for the deconvolution of overlapping isotopic patterns for co-eluting peptides and extraction of valuable deuterium incorporation data for those peptides. Taken together, these results indicate that including ion mobility separation in HX MS analyses further improves the mass spectrometry portion of such experiments.

Hydroponic isotope labelling of entire plants (HILEP) for quantitative plant proteomics; an oxidative stress case study

Hydroponic isotope labelling of entire plants (HILEP) is a cost-effective method enabling metabolic labelling of whole and mature plants with a stable isotope such as (15)N. By utilising hydroponic media that contain (15)N inorganic salts as the sole nitrogen source, near to 100% (15)N-labelling of proteins can be achieved. In this study, it is shown that HILEP, in combination with mass spectrometry, is suitable for relative protein quantitation of seven week-old Arabidopsis plants submitted to oxidative stress. Protein extracts from pooled (14)N- and (15)N-hydroponically grown plants were fractionated by SDS-PAGE, digested and analysed by liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Proteins were identified and the spectra of (14)N/(15)N peptide pairs were extracted using their m/z chromatographic retention time, isotopic distributions, and the m/z difference between the (14)N and (15)N peptides. Relative amounts were calculated as the ratio of the sum of the peak areas of the two distinct (14)N and (15)N peptide isotope envelopes. Using Mascot and the open source trans-proteomic pipeline (TPP), the data processing was automated for global proteome quantitation down to the isoform level by extracting isoform specific peptides. With this combination of metabolic labelling and mass spectrometry it was possible to show differential protein expression in the apoplast of plants submitted to oxidative stress. Moreover, it was possible to discriminate between differentially expressed isoforms belonging to the same protein family, such as isoforms of xylanases and pathogen-related glucanases (PR 2).

Quantitative analysis of isotope distributions in proteomic mass spectrometry using least-squares Fourier transform convolution

Quantitative proteomic mass spectrometry involves comparison of the amplitudes of peaks resulting from different isotope labeling patterns, including fractional atomic labeling and fractional residue labeling. We have developed a general and flexible analytical treatment of the complex isotope distributions that arise in these experiments, using Fourier transform convolution to calculate labeled isotope distributions and least-squares for quantitative comparison with experimental peaks. The degree of fractional atomic and fractional residue labeling can be determined from experimental peaks at the same time as the integrated intensity of all of the isotopomers in the isotope distribution. The approach is illustrated using data with fractional (15)N-labeling and fractional (13)C-isoleucine labeling. The least-squares Fourier transform convolution approach can be applied to many types of quantitative proteomic data, including data from stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture and pulse labeling experiments.

Heat-shock response in Arabidopsis thaliana explored by multiplexed quantitative proteomics using differential metabolic labeling

We have developed a general method for multiplexed quantitative proteomics using differential metabolic stable isotope labeling and mass spectrometry. The method was successfully used to study the dynamics of heat-shock response in Arabidopsis thaliana. A number of known heat-shock proteins were confirmed, and some proteins not previously associated with heat shock were discovered. The method is applicable in stable isotope labeling and allows for high degrees of multiplexing.

Automated charge state determination of complex isotope-resolved mass spectra by peak-target Fourier transform

This study describes a new algorithm for charge state determination of complex isotope-resolved mass spectra. This algorithm is based on peak-target Fourier transform (PTFT) of isotope packets. It is modified from the widely used Fourier transform method because Fourier transform may give ambiguous charge state assignment for low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) or overlapping isotopic clusters. The PTFT algorithm applies a novel "folding" strategy to enhance peaks that are symmetrically spaced about the targeted peak before applying the FT. The "folding" strategy multiplies each point to the high-m/z side of the targeted peak by its counterpart on the low-m/z side. A Fourier transform of this "folded" spectrum is thus simplified, emphasizing the charge state of the "chosen" ion, whereas ions of other charge states contribute less to the transformed data. An intensity-dependent technique is also proposed for charge state determination from frequency signals. The performance of PTFT is demonstrated using experimental electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra. The results show that PTFT is robust for charge state determination of low S/N and overlapping isotopic clusters, and also useful for manual verification of potential hidden isotopic clusters that may be missed by the current analysis algorithms, i.e., AID-MS or THRASH.

Isotopologue distributions of peptide product ions by tandem mass spectrometry: quantitation of low levels of deuterium incorporation

Protonated molecular peptide ions and their product ions generated by tandem mass spectrometry appear as isotopologue clusters due to the natural isotopic variations of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Quantitation of the isotopic composition of peptides can be employed in experiments involving isotope effects, isotope exchange, and isotopic labeling by chemical reactions and in studies of metabolism by stable isotope incorporation. Both ion trap and quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry are shown to be capable of determining the isotopic composition of peptide product ions obtained by tandem mass spectrometry with both precision and accuracy. Tandem mass spectra of clusters of isotopologue ions obtained in profile mode are fit by nonlinear least squares to a series of Gaussian peaks which quantify the Mn/M0 values which define the isotopologue distribution (ID). To determine the isotopic composition of product ions from their ID, a new algorithm that predicts the Mn/M0 ratios and obviates the need to determine the intensity of all of the ions of an ID is developed. Consequently a precise and accurate determination of the isotopic composition of a product ion may be obtained from only the initial values of the ID, however, the entire isotopologue cluster must be isolated prior to fragmentation. Following optimization of the molecular ion isolation width, fragmentation energy, and detector sensitivity, the presence of isotopic excess (2H, 13C, 15N, 18O) is readily determined within 1%. The ability to determine the isotopic composition of sequential product ions permits the isotopic composition of individual amino acid residues in the precursor ion to be determined.

The Deuterator: software for the determination of backbone amide deuterium levels from H/D exchange MS data

Background

The combination of mass spectrometry and solution phase amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange (H/D exchange) experiments is an effective method for characterizing protein dynamics, and protein-protein or protein-ligand interactions. Despite methodological advancements and improvements in instrumentation and automation, data analysis and display remains a tedious process. The factors that contribute to this bottleneck are the large number of data points produced in a typical experiment, each requiring manual curation and validation, and then calculation of the level of backbone amide exchange. Tools have become available that address some of these issues, but lack sufficient integration, functionality, and accessibility required to address the needs of the H/D exchange community. To date there is no software for the analysis of H/D exchange data that comprehensively addresses these issues.

Results

We have developed an integrated software system for the automated analysis and representation of H/D exchange data that has been titled "The Deuterator". Novel approaches have been implemented that enable high throughput analysis, automated determination of deuterium incorporation, and deconvolution of overlapping peptides. This has been achieved by using methods involving iterative theoretical envelope fitting, and consideration of peak data within expected m/z ranges. Existing common file formats have been leveraged to allow compatibility with the output from the myriad of MS instrument platforms and peptide sequence database search engines.

A web-based interface is used to integrate the components of The Deuterator that are able to analyze and present mass spectral data from instruments with varying resolving powers. The results, if necessary, can then be confirmed, adjusted, re-calculated and saved. Additional tools synchronize the curated calculation parameters with replicate time points, increasing throughput. Saved results can then be used to plot deuterium buildup curves and 3D structural overlays. The system has been used successfully in a production environment for over one year and is freely available as a web tool at the project home page .

Conclusion

The automated calculation and presentation of H/D exchange data in a user interface enables scientists to organize and analyze data efficiently. Integration of the different components of The Deuterator coupled with the flexibility of common data file formats allow this system to be accessible to the broadening H/D exchange community.

Investigation of Protein–Ligand Interactions by Mass Spectrometry

The rate of drug discovery is greatly dependent on the development and improvement of rapid and reliable analytical methods that allow screening for protein-ligand interactions. The solution-based methods for investigating protein-ligand interactions by mass spectrometry (MS), which are discussed in this paper, are hydrogen/deuterium exchange of protein backbone amide hydrogens, and photoaffinity labeling. Moreover, MS analysis of intact noncovalent protein-ligand complexes is described. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) with its ultra-high resolution and excellent mass accuracy is also considered herein as it is gaining increasing popularity for a mass spectrometric investigation of protein-ligand interactions.