We report a novel photoproximity protein interaction (PhotoPPI) profiling method to map protein-protein interactions in vitro and in live cells. This approach utilizes a bioorthogonal, multifunctional chemical probe that can be targeted to a genetically encoded protein of interest (POI) through a modular SNAP-Tag/benzylguanine covalent interaction. A first generation photoproximity probe, PP1, responds to 365 nm light to simultaneously cleave a central nitroveratryl linker and a peripheral diazirine group, resulting in diffusion of a highly reactive carbene nucleophile away from the POI. We demonstrate facile probe loading, and subsequent interaction-and light-dependent proximal labeling of a model protein-protein interaction (PPI) in vitro. Integration of the PhotoPPI workflow with quantitative LC-MS/MS enabled unbiased interaction mapping for the redox regulated sensor protein, KEAP1, for the first time in live cells. We validated known and novel interactions between KEAP1 and the proteins PGAM5 and HK2, among others, under basal cellular conditions. By contrast, comparison of Pho-toPPI profiles in cells experiencing metabolic or redox stress confirmed that KEAP1 sheds many basal interactions and becomes associated with known lysosomal trafficking and proteolytic proteins like SQSTM1, CTSD and LGMN. Together, these data establish PhotoPPI as a method capable of tracking the dynamic sub-cellular and protein interaction "social network" of a redox-sensitive protein in cells with high temporal resolution.
Figure 4. PhotoPPI detects differential KEAP1 localization and protein interactors in response to metabolic and redox stress. A-B)Volcano plots graph of streptavidin-enriched protein SILAC ratios and P-values for both SNAP-KEAP1 (red) and KEAP1-SNAP (blue) expressing cells treated with CBR-470-1 (A) or tertbutylhydroperoxide (tBuOOH, B), followed by treatment of heavy cells with PP1 probe, irradiation of both heavy and light and proteomic processing as above in Fig. 3. Only the marker proteins KEAP1, MGMT (SNAP-Tag) and PGAM5 are labeled. C) Graphical depiction of specific target proteins that were significantly enriched in KEAP1 PhotoPPI profiles. Shown are mean enrichment ratios (y-axis) for each protein across all of the runs in each biological condition (x-axis). Proteins that were enriched as KEAP1 interactors among all conditions are labeled in black; proteins that were enriched in the basal profile but lost in stressed conditions are labeled red; proteins that were selectively enriched only in stressed conditions are labeled in green. When a protein was not detected among any runs in a specific condition, a SILAC ratio of 1 (i.e. no enrichment) was assigned and the point labeled as not detected (N.D.). D) Schematic depicting the altered sub-cellular localization and specific protein interactors detected under basal (left) and metabolic/redox stressed conditions (right).