Detection and localisation of disulphide bonds in a synthetic peptide reproducing the sequence 1-30 of Par j 1.0101 by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry
The structural characterisation of a synthetic peptide reproducing the sequence 1–30 of Par j 1.0101, a major allergenic protein present in the pollen of Parietaria judaica, by combined use of chemical and enzymatic cleavage, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), is described. Direct ESI-MS of the synthetic peptide after reaction with methyl iodide showed that the product is a mixture of two peptides: one form in which two out of the four cysteine residues present in the sequence are oxidised and a minor amount of another form in which all the cysteines are fully reduced. It was ascertained, using the combined…
Toward the Standardization of Mitochondrial Proteomics: The Italian Mitochondrial Human Proteome Project Initiative
The Mitochondrial Human Proteome Project aims at understanding the function of the mitochondrial proteome and its crosstalk with the proteome of other organelles. Being able to choose a suitable and validated enrichment protocol of functional mitochondria, based on the specific needs of the downstream proteomics analysis, would greatly help the researchers in the field. Mitochondrial fractions from ten model cell lines were prepared using three enrichment protocols and analyzed on seven different LC-MS/MS platforms. All data were processed using neXtProt as reference database. The data are available for the Human Proteome Project purposes through the ProteomeXchange Consortium with the iden…
Studies in organic mass spectrometry. Part 23. Role of the aroyl group on the competitive fragmentation reactions of the molecular ion of aroylanilides
The 70 eV and mass-analysed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectra of some thiophenecarboxanilides and benzoylanilides (1–10) have been compared in order to investigate the role of the aroyl (or heteroaroyl) moiety on the abundance of the competitive fragmentation reactions occurring in their molecular ions (amide–bond cleavage and phenol radical ion formation). It has been shown that the electron ionisation induced decompositions with high (70 eV) and low (MIKE) internal energy excess are qualitatively similar, but remarkable quantitative differences have been observed that can be accounted for in terms of the different effectiveness in the transmission of electronic effects of substituents in …
Detection and localisation of disulphide bonds in a synthetic peptide reproducing the sequence 1-30 ofPar j1.0101 by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry
The structural characterisation of a synthetic peptide reproducingthe sequence 1–30 of Par j 1.0101, a major allergenic protein present in the pollen of Parietaria judaica, by combined use of chemical and enzymatic cleavage, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), is described. Direct ESI-MS of the synthetic peptide after reaction with methyl iodide showed that the product is a mixture of two peptides: one form in which two out of the four cysteine residues present in the sequence are oxidised and a minor amount of another form in which all the cysteines are fully reduced. It was ascertained, usingthe combined p…
Studies in organic mass spectrometry. Part 20: a hidden ortho effect in the electron ionisation mass spectra of some 2′-alkyl substituted 2-and 3-thiophenecarboxanilides
The electron-ionisation-induced amide-bond cleavage of some 2′-methyl- and 2′-ethyl-substituted 2- and 3-thiophenecarboxanilides, which yields formally anilylium ions having relative intensities apparently in contrast with the Stevenson‐Audier rule, has been investigated by mass-analysed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry and compared to that of the 3 ′- and 4′-isomers. It has been shown that, in the case of the 2 ′-methyl and 2′-ethyl derivatives, the amide-bond cleavage is anchimerically assisted through the hidden migration of a benzyl hydrogen to the nitrogen. Analysis of the MIKE and collision-induced decomposition (CID) MIKE spectra of model compounds indicates that this cryptic o…
Studies in organic mass spectrometry. Part 17—Formation of phenol radical ions by rearrangement of the molecular ions of someN-arylthiophenecarboxamides and -benzamides
It has been shown by exact mass measurements and collision-induced dissociation mass-analysed ion kinetic energy spectra that the structure of the m/z 124 ion observed in the mass spectra of N-(4-methoxyphenyl)thiophene-2-carboxamide, N-(4-methoxyphenyl)thiophene-3-carboxamide, N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-nitrothiophene-3-carboxamide and N-(4-methoxyphenyl)benzamide is identical with that of the molecular ion of 4-methoxyphenol. This ion becomes abundant in metastable energy window reactions. A probable mechanism for its formation is discussed.
New Bioactive Peptides from the Mediterranean Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and Their Impact on Antimicrobial Activity and Apoptosis of Human Cancer Cells
The demand for new molecules to counter bacterial resistance to antibiotics and tumor cell resistance is increasingly pressing. The Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica is considered a promising source of new bioactive molecules. Polypeptide-enriched fractions of rhizomes and green leaves of the seagrass were tested against Gram-positive (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative bacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli), as well as towards the yeast Candida albicans. The aforementioned extracts showed indicative MIC values, ranging from 1.61 μg/mL to 7.5 μg/mL, against the selected pathogens. Peptide fractions were further analyzed thr…
A Novel Peptide with Antifungal Activity from Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii
The defense system of freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii as a diversified source of bioactive molecules with antimicrobial properties was studied. Antimicrobial activity of two polypeptide-enriched extracts obtained from hemocytes and hemolymph of P. clarkii were assessed against Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) bacteria and toward the yeast Candida albicans. The two peptide fractions showed interesting MIC values (ranging from 11 to 700 μg/mL) against all tested pathogens. Polypeptide-enriched extracts were further investigated using a high-resolution mass spectrometry and database search and 14 n…
Identification of New Antimicrobial Peptides from Mediterranean Medical Plant Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) Speta
The present work was designed to identify and characterize novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) Speta, previously named Urginea maritima, is a Mediterranean plant, well-known for its biological properties in traditional medicine. Polypeptide-enriched extracts from different parts of the plant (roots, leaves and bulb), never studied before, were tested against two relevant pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. With the aim of identifying novel natural AMPs, peptide fraction displaying antimicrobial activity (the bulb) that showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) equal to 30 µ
Immune mediators of sea-cucumber Holothuria tubulosa (Echinodermata) as source of novel antimicrobial and anti-staphylococcal biofilm agents
The present study aims to investigate coelomocytes, immune mediators cells in the echinoderm Holothuria tubulosa, as an unusual source of antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents. The activity of the 5kDa peptide fraction of the cytosol from H. tubulosa coelomocytes (5-HCC) was tested against a reference group of Gram-negative and Gram-positive human pathogens. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 125 to 500 mg/ml were determined against tested strains. The observed biological activity of 5-HCC could be due to two novel peptides, identified by capillary RP-HPLC/nESI-MS/MS, which present the common chemical-physical characteristics of antimicrobial peptides. Such peptides were c…