title: Biologically and diagenetically derived peptide modifications in moa collagens.
abstract: The modifications that occur on proteins in natural environments over time are not well studied, yet characterizing them is vital to correctly interpret sequence data recovered from fossils. The recently extinct moa (Dinornithidae) is an excellent candidate for investigating the preservation of proteins, their post-translational modifications (PTMs) and diagenetic alterations during degradation. Moa protein extracts were analysed using mass spectrometry, and peptides from collagen I, collagen II and collagen V were identified. We also identified biologically derived PTMs (i.e. methylation, di-methylation, alkylation, hydroxylation, fucosylation) on amino acids at locations consistent with extant proteins. In addition to these in vivo modifications, we detected novel modifications that are probably diagenetically derived. These include loss of hydroxylation/glutamic semialdehyde, carboxymethyllysine and peptide backbone cleavage, as well as previously noted deamidation. Moa collagen sequences and modifications provide a baseline by which to evaluate proteomic studies of other fossils, and a framework for defining the molecular relationship of moa to other closely related taxa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12182, USA clelat@rpi.edu.
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Cleland
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Elena R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Schroeter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA.
authors.forename: Mary H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005580:Fossils; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D046108:Palaeognathae / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen
keywords: collagen; diagenesis; moa; post-translational modifications