The degree and the origins of quantitative variability of most human plasma proteins are largely unknown. Because the twin study design provides a natural opportunity to estimate the relative contribution of heritability and environment to different traits in human population, we applied here the highly accurate and reproducible SWATH mass spectrometry technique to quantify 1,904 peptides defining 342 unique plasma proteins in 232 plasma samples collected longitudinally from pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins at intervals of 2–7 years, and proportioned the observed total quantitative variability to its root causes, genes, and environmental and longitudinal factors. The data indicate that different proteins show vastly different patterns of abundance variability among humans and that genetic control and longitudinal variation affect protein levels and biological processes to different degrees. The data further strongly suggest that the plasma concentrations of clinical biomarkers need to be calibrated against genetic and temporal factors. Moreover, we identified 13 cis-SNPs significantly influencing the level of specific plasma proteins. These results therefore have immediate implications for the effective design of blood-based biomarker studies.

SWATH-MS is a data-independent acquisition method that generates, in a single measurement, a complete recording of the fragment ion spectra of all the analytes in a biological sample for which the precursor ions are within a predetermined m/z versus retention time window. To assess the performance and suitability of SWATH-MS-based protein quantification for clinical use, we compared SWATH-MS and SRM-MS-based quantification of N-linked glycoproteins in human plasma, a commonly used sample for biomarker discovery. Using dilution series of isotopically labeled heavy peptides representing biomarker candidates, the LOQ of SWATH-MS was determined to reach 0.0456 fmol at peptide level by targeted data analysis, which corresponds to a concentration of 5-10 ng protein/mL in plasma, while SRM reached a peptide LOQ of 0.0152 fmol. Moreover, the quantification of endogenous glycoproteins using SWATH-MS showed a high degree of reproducibility, with the mean CV of 14.90%, correlating well with SRM results (R(2) = 0.9784). Overall, SWATH-MS measurements showed a slightly lower sensitivity and a comparable reproducibility to state-of-the-art SRM measurements for targeted quantification of the N-glycosites in human blood. However, a significantly larger number of peptides can be quantified per analysis. We suggest that SWATH-MS analysis combined with N-glycoproteome enrichment in plasma samples is a promising integrative proteomic approach for biomarker discovery and verification.

SUMMARY Research advancing our understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) biology and complex host-Mtb interactions requires consistent and precise quantitative measurements of Mtb proteins. We describe the generation and validation of a compendium of assays to quantify 97% of the 4,012 annotated Mtb proteins by the targeted mass spectrometric method selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Furthermore, we estimate the absolute abundance for 55% of all Mtb proteins, revealing a dynamic range within the Mtb proteome of over four orders of magnitude, and identify previously un-annotated proteins. As an example of the assay library utility, we monitored the entire Mtb dormancy survival regulon (DosR), which is linked to anaerobic survival and Mtb persistence, and show its dynamic protein-level regulation during hypoxia. In conclusion, we present a publicly available research resource that supports the sensitive, precise, and reproducible quantification of virtually any Mtb protein by a robust and widely accessible mass spectrometric method.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) enables the study of protein dynamics by measuring the time-resolved deuterium incorporation into a protein incubated in D2O. By using electron-based fragmentation in the gas-phase it is possible to measure deuterium uptake at single residue resolution. However, a prerequisite for this approach is that the solution phase labeling is conserved in the gas-phase prior to precursor fragmentation. It is therefore essential to reduce or even avoid intramolecular hydrogen/deuterium migration, which causes randomization of the deuterium labels along the peptide (hydrogen scrambling). Here we describe an optimization strategy for reducing scrambling to a negligible level while minimizing the impact on sensitivity on a high-resolution Q-TOF equipped with ETD and an electrospray ionization interface consisting of a glass transfer-capillary followed by a dual ion-funnel. In our strategy we have narrowed down the optimization to two accelerating potentials and we have defined the optimization of these in a simple rule by accounting for their interdependency in relation to scrambling and transmission efficiency. Using this rule, we were able to reduce scrambling from 75% to below 5% on average using the highly scrambling-sensitive quadruply charged P1 peptide scrambling probe resulting in a minor 33% transmission loss. To demonstrate the applicability of this approach, we probe the dynamics of certain regions in cytochrome c.