Application of elemental analysis-coupled isotope ratio mass spectrometry for protein turnover analysis using deuterium labeling: Purification and analysis of hydrogen isotope ratio of non-derivatized protein-bound alanine

RationaleHeavy water can be used as a tracer for the evaluation of protein turnover. By adding heavy water (D2O) to the precursor pool, nonessential amino acids, including alanine, can be isotopically labeled in vivo. Protein turnover can then be quantified by measuring the hydrogen isotope ratio of protein-bound alanine. MethodsIn this study, we constructed a novel method to apply deuterium labeling of alanine to the evaluation of protein turnover using elemental analysis-coupled isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). We established a preparative high-performance liquid chromatography method to isolate alanine from protein hydrolysates. EA-IRMS was then used to determine the hydrogen isotope ratio of alanine isolated from hydrolysates of protein from mouse myoblast C2C12 cells that had been treated with D2O over the course of 72 h. ResultsIn cells treated with 4% D2O, the deuterium enrichment of alanine increased to approximately 0.9% over time, while that of cells treated with 0.017% D2O increased to approximately 0.006%. The rate of protein synthesis calculated by fitting the increase of deuterium excess to rise-to-plateau kinetics was similar regardless of the concentration of D2O. When C2C12 cells treated with insulin and rapamycin were analyzed 24 h after the addition of 0.017% D2O, protein turnover was found to be accelerated by insulin, but this effect was offset by co-treatment with rapamycin. ConclusionThe derivative-free measurement of the hydrogen isotope ratio of protein-bound alanine using EA-IRMS can be applied to the evaluation of protein turnover. The proposed method is an accessible option for many laboratories to perform highly sensitive IRMS-based evaluations of protein metabolic turnover.