title: Quantitative analysis of tryptophan analogue incorporation in recombinant proteins.
abstract: Three different methods to quantitate tryptophan (Trp) analogue incorporation into recombinant proteins are described: first, spectroscopic analysis based on a linear combination of the absorption spectra of the aromatic residues in the denatured Trp-containing or analogue-substituted protein; second, chromatographic separation of analogue-substituted and Trp-containing proteins by HPLC; and third, mass spectrum analysis of the mixture of analogue-substituted and Trp-containing proteins. An accurate estimate of analogue incorporation in single-Trp proteins can be obtained directly by either analysis of the absorption spectrum or HPLC chromatography. While analysis of the absorption spectrum or HPLC chromatogram can provide an assessment of the average level of analogue incorporation for proteins that contain two or more Trp residues, mass spectroscopy analysis of peptides generated by protease digestion and separated by HPLC provides a general method for a complete quantitative description of the distribution of analogue incorporation. The more complex analysis by mass spectroscopy becomes important for multi-Trp proteins because the distribution of analogue versus Trp-containing polypeptide chains may not be the same as that predicted on the basis of average level of analogue incorporation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Donald F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Senear
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mendelson
authors.forename: Deborah B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Luck
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rusinova
authors.forename: J B Alexander
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D002373:Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein / Q000032:analysis; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004926:Escherichia coli; D016547:Kinesins / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002373:Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C066696:ncd protein, Drosophila; D014364:Tryptophan; D016547:Kinesins