Sensitive detection of caspase-3 enzymatic activities and inhibitor screening by mass spectrometry with dual maleimide labelling quantitation

Analyst. 2019 Nov 4;144(22):6751-6759. doi: 10.1039/c9an01458f.

Abstract

There is a great need to develop sensitive and specific methods for quantitative analysis of caspase-3 activities in cell apoptosis. Herein, we report a new method for sensitive detection of caspase-3 enzyme activities and inhibitor screening based on dual maleimide (DuMal) labeling quantitation and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Evaluation of caspase-3 activities is performed using MS analysis of the enzymatic product of the peptide probe, which fuses a caspase-3 cleavable peptide segment (DEVD) and a quantifiable "ID tag" (a peptide segment of FRGLRGFKC labeled by maleimide). The DuMal labeling technique features non-isotopic tagging, rapid reactions, and reproducible quantitation. We have achieved quantitative analysis of the enzyme activities with a limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of caspase-3 down to 0.11 nM and 0.29 nM respectively and a proof-of-concept demonstration of its inhibitor screening. Our method has further been tested for caspase-3 activities in a Parkinson's disease cellular model, suggesting a useful tool for protease activity research.

MeSH terms

  • 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium / pharmacology
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Caspase 3 / analysis*
  • Caspase 3 / chemistry
  • Caspase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enzyme Assays / methods*
  • Humans
  • Limit of Detection
  • Maleimides / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry
  • Parkinson Disease / enzymology
  • Pentanoic Acids / chemistry
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / methods*

Substances

  • 3-(2-(2-tert-butylphenylaminooxalyl)aminopropionylamino)-4-oxo-5-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenoxy)pentanoic acid
  • Caspase Inhibitors
  • Maleimides
  • Oligopeptides
  • Pentanoic Acids
  • Peptides
  • benzoylcarbonyl-aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartyl-fluoromethyl ketone
  • CASP3 protein, human
  • Caspase 3
  • 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium