title: Fragmentation-free LC-MS can identify hundreds of proteins.
abstract: One of the most common approaches for large-scale protein identification is LC, followed by MS. If more than a few proteins are to be identified, the additional fragmentation of individual peptides has so far been considered as indispensable, and thus, the associated costs, in terms of instrument time and infrastructure, as unavoidable. Here, we present evidence to the contrary. Using a combination of (i) highly accurate and precise mass measurements, (ii) modern retention time prediction, and (iii) a robust scoring algorithm, we were able to identify 257 proteins of Francisella tularensis from a single LC-MS experiment in a fragmentation-free approach (i.e. without experimental fragmentation spectra). This number amounts to 59% of the number of proteins identified in a standard fragmentation-based approach, when executed with the same false discovery rate. Independent evidence supports at least 27 of a set of 31 proteins that were identified only in the fragmentation-free approach. Our results suggest that additional developments in retention time prediction, measurement technology, and scoring algorithms may render fragmentation-free approaches an interesting complement or an alternative to fragmentation-based approaches.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie Systémique, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. pascal.bochet@pasteur.fr
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bochet
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rügheimer
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guina
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goodlett
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clote
authors.forename: Benno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schwikowski
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D019295:Computational Biology; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins