Proteomic analyses of different subcellular compartments, so-called organellar proteomics, facilitate the understanding of cellular functions on a molecular level. In this work, various orthogonal multidimensional separation techniques both on the protein and on the peptide level are compared with regard to the number of identified proteins as well as the classes of proteins accessible by the respective methodology. The most complete overview was achieved by a combination of such orthogonal techniques as shown by the analysis of the yeast mitochondrial proteome. A total of 851 different proteins (PROMITO dataset) were identified by use of multidimensional LC-MS/MS, 1D-SDS-PAGE combined with nano-LC-MS/MS and 2D-PAGE with subsequent MALDI-mass fingerprinting. Our PROMITO approach identified the 749 proteins, which were found in the largest previous study on the yeast mitochondrial proteome, and additionally 102 proteins including 42 open reading frames with unknown function, providing the basis for a more detailed elucidation of mitochondrial processes. Comparison of the different approaches emphasizes a bias of 2D-PAGE against proteins with very high isoelectric points as well as large and hydrophobic proteins, which can be accessed more appropriately by the other methods. While 2D-PAGE has advantages in the possible separation of protein isoforms and quantitative differential profiling, 1D-SDS-PAGE with nano-LC-MS/MS and multidimensional LC-MS/MS are better suited for efficient protein identification as they are less biased against distinct classes of proteins. Thus, comprehensive proteome analyses can only be realized by a combination of such orthogonal approaches, leading to the largest dataset available for the mitochondrial proteome of yeast.

AimsThe EMPA‐REG OUTCOME study showed reduced mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure (HF) in diabetic patients treated with empagliflozin. Overexpression and Ca2+‐dependent activation of Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent kinase II (CaMKII) are hallmarks of HF, leading to contractile dysfunction and arrhythmias. We tested whether empagliflozin reduces CaMKII‐ activity and improves Ca2+‐handling in human and murine ventricular myocytes.Methods and resultsMyocytes from wild‐type mice, mice with transverse aortic constriction (TAC) as a model of HF, and human failing ventricular myocytes were exposed to empagliflozin (1 μmol/L) or vehicle. CaMKII activity was assessed by CaMKII–histone deacetylase pulldown assay. Ca2+ spark frequency (CaSpF) as a measure of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ leak was investigated by confocal microscopy. [Na+]i was measured using Na+/Ca2+‐exchanger (NCX) currents (whole‐cell patch clamp). Compared with vehicle, 24 h empagliflozin exposure of murine myocytes reduced CaMKII activity (1.6 ± 0.7 vs. 4.2 ± 0.9, P < 0.05, n = 10 mice), and also CaMKII‐dependent ryanodine receptor phosphorylation (0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 1.0 ± 0.1, P < 0.05, n = 11 mice), with similar results upon TAC. In murine myocytes, empagliflozin reduced CaSpF (TAC: 1.7 ± 0.3 vs. 2.5 ± 0.4 1/100 μm−1 s−1, P < 0.05, n = 4 mice) but increased SR Ca2+ load and Ca2+ transient amplitude. Importantly, empagliflozin also significantly reduced CaSpF in human failing ventricular myocytes (1 ± 0.2 vs. 3.3 ± 0.9, P < 0.05, n = 4 patients), while Ca2+ transient amplitude was increased (F/F0: 0.53 ± 0.05 vs. 0.36 ± 0.02, P < 0.05, n = 3 patients). In contrast, 30 min exposure with empagliflozin did not affect CaMKII activity nor Ca2+‐handling but significantly reduced [Na+]i.ConclusionsWe show for the first time that empagliflozin reduces CaMKII activity and CaMKII‐dependent SR Ca2+ leak. Reduced Ca2+ leak and improved Ca2+ transients may contribute to the beneficial effects of empagliflozin in HF.

Increased glucose consumption distinguishes cancer cells from normal cells and is known as the "Warburg effect" because of increased glycolysis. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is a key glycolytic enzyme, a hallmark of aggressive cancers, and believed to be the major enzyme responsible for pyruvate-to-lactate conversion. To elucidate its role in tumor growth, we disrupted both the and genes in two cancer cell lines (human colon adenocarcinoma and murine melanoma cells). Surprisingly, neither nor knockout strongly reduced lactate secretion. In contrast, double knockout (-DKO) fully suppressed LDH activity and lactate secretion. Furthermore, under normoxia, -DKO cells survived the genetic block by shifting their metabolism to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), entailing a 2-fold reduction in proliferation rates and compared with their WT counterparts. Under hypoxia (1% oxygen), however, suppression completely abolished growth, consistent with the reliance on OXPHOS. Interestingly, activation of the respiratory capacity operated by the-DKO genetic block as well as the resilient growth were not consequences of long-term adaptation. They could be reproduced pharmacologically by treating WT cells with an LDHA/B-specific inhibitor (GNE-140). These findings demonstrate that the Warburg effect is not only based on high LDHA expression, as both and need to be deleted to suppress fermentative glycolysis. Finally, we demonstrate that the Warburg effect is dispensable even in aggressive tumors and that the metabolic shift to OXPHOS caused by / genetic disruptions is responsible for the tumors' escape and growth.

We have employed the proteomic approach in combination with mass spectrometry to study the immune response of honey bee workers at different developmental stages. Analysis of the hemolymph proteins of noninfected, mock-infected and immune-challenged individuals by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed differences in the protein profiles. We present evidence that in vitro reared honey bee larvae respond with a prominent humoral reaction to aseptic and septic injury as documented by the transient synthesis of the three antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hymenoptaecin, defensin1, and abaecin. In contrast, young adult worker bees react with a broader spectrum of immune reactions that include the activation of prophenoloxidase and humoral immune responses. At least seven proteins appeared consistently in the hemolymph of immune-challenged bees, three of which are identical to the AMPs induced also in larvae. The other four, i.e., phenoloxidase (PO), peptidoglycan recognition protein-S2, carboxylesterase (CE), and an Apis-specific protein not assigned to any function (HP30), are induced specifically in adult bees and, with the exception of PO, are not expressed after aseptic injury. Structural features of CE and HP30, such as classical leucine zipper motifs, together with their strong simultaneous induction upon challenge with bacteria suggest an important role of the two novel bee-specific immune proteins in response to microbial infections.