We describe a method for generating localization and affinity purification (LAP)-tagged inducible stable cell lines for investigating protein function, spatiotemporal subcellular localization and protein-protein interaction networks.
Multi-protein complexes, rather than single proteins acting in isolation, often govern molecular pathways regulating cellular homeostasis. Based on this principle, the purification of critical proteins required for the functioning of these pathways along with their native interacting partners has not only allowed the mapping of the protein constituents of these pathways, but has also provided a deeper understanding of how these proteins coordinate to regulate these pathways. Within this context, understanding a protein’s spatiotemporal localization and its protein-protein interaction network can aid in defining its role within a pathway, as well as how its misregulation may lead to disease pathogenesis. To address this need, several approaches for protein purification such as tandem affinity purification (TAP) and localization and affinity purification (LAP) have been designed and used successfully. Nevertheless, in order to apply these approaches to pathway-scale proteomic analyses, these strategies must be supplemented with modern technological developments in cloning and mammalian stable cell line generation. Here, we describe a method for generating LAP-tagged human inducible stable cell lines for investigating protein subcellular localization and protein-protein interaction networks. This approach has been successfully applied to the dissection of multiple cellular pathways including cell division and is compatible with high-throughput proteomic analyses.
To investigate the cellular function of an uncharacterized protein it is important to determine its in vivo spatiotemporal subcellular localization and its interacting protein partners. Traditionally, single and tandem epitope tags fused to the N or C-terminus of a protein of interest have been used to facilitate protein localization and protein interaction studies. For example, the tandem affinity purification (TAP) technology has enabled the isolation of native protein complexes, even those that are in low abundance, in both yeast and mammalian cell lines1,2. The localization and affinity purification (LAP) technology, is a more recent development that modifies the TAP procedure to include a localization component through the introduction of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as one of the epitope tags3. This approach has given researchers a deeper understanding of a protein’s subcellular localization in living cells while also retaining the ability to perform TAP complex purifications to map protein-protein interaction networks.
However, there are many issues associated with the use of TAP/LAP technologies that has hampered their widespread use in mammalian cells. For example, the length of time that is necessary to generate a stable cell line expressing a TAP/LAP tagged protein of interest; which typically relies on cloning the gene of interest into a viral vector and selecting single cell stable integrants with the desired expression level. Additionally, many cellular pathways are sensitive to constitutive protein overexpression (even at low levels) and can arrest cells or trigger cell death over time making the generation of a TAP/LAP stable cell line impossible. These and other constraints have impeded LAP/TAP methodologies from becoming high-throughput systems for protein localization and protein complex elucidation. Therefore, there has been considerable interest in the development of an inducible high-throughput LAP-tagging system for mammalian cells that takes advantage of current innovations in cloning and cell line technologies.
Here we present a protocol for generating stable cell lines with Doxycycline/Tetracycline (Dox/Tet) inducible LAP-tagged proteins of interest that applies advances in both cloning and mammalian cell line technologies. This approach streamlines the acquisition of data with regards to LAP-tagged protein subcellular localization, protein complex purification and identification of interacting proteins4. Although affinity proteomics utilizes a wide range of techniques for protein complex elucidation5, our approach is beneficial for expediting the identification of these complexes and their native interaction networks and is amenable to high-throughput protein tagging that is necessary to investigate complex biological pathways that contain a multitude of protein constituents. Key to this approach are advancements in cloning strategies that enable high fidelity and expedited cloning of target genes into an array of vectors for gene expression in vitro, in various organisms like bacteria and baculovirus, and in mammalian cells6,7. Additionally, the ORFeome collaboration has cloned thousands of sequence validated open reading frames in vectors that incorporate these advances in cloning, which are available to the scientific community8-11. In our system, the pGLAP1 LAP-tagging vector enables the simultaneous cloning of a large number of clones, which facilitates high-throughput LAP-tagging. This expedited cloning procedure is coupled to a streamlined approach for generating cell lines with LAP-tagged genes of interest inserted at a single pre-determined genomic locus. This makes use of cell lines that contain a single flippase recognition target (FRT) site within their genome, which is the site of integration for LAP-tagged genes. These cell lines also express the tetracycline repressor (TetR) that binds to Tet operators (TetO2) upstream of the LAP-tagged genes and silences their expression in the absence of Dox/Tet. This allows for Dox/Tet inducible expression of the LAP-tagged protein at any given time. Having the capability of inducible LAP-tagged protein expression is critical, since many cellular pathways are sensitive to the levels of critical proteins governing the pathway and can arrest cell growth or trigger cell death when these proteins are constitutively overexpressed, even at low levels, making the generation of non-inducible LAP-tagged stable cell lines impossible12.
概述的协议描述了感兴趣的基因的克隆到LAP标记向量,生成诱导LAP标记的稳定细胞株,以及LAP标记蛋白质复合物的蛋白质组分析的纯化。对于其他LAP / TAP标记的方法,该协议已被简化为与高通量方法的细胞通路中映射蛋白定位和蛋白质 – 蛋白质相互作用兼容。这种方法已被广泛应用到为细胞周期进程,有丝分裂纺锤体组装,纺锤体极稳态,和ciliogenesis临界仅举几蛋白质的功能特性,并且辅助的这些蛋白质的误调节如何能导致人类疾病15的理解, 16,19,20。例如,我们的小组最近利用这个系统来定义纺锤体组装15,21的中STARD9丝分裂驱动蛋白的功能和调节(候选癌症的目标),定义在Tctex1d2动力蛋白轻链之间的新型分子联系 和短肋多指畸形综合征(SRPS)19,并确定了新的分子联系,以了解MID2泛素连接酶突变如何导致X-连锁智力残疾16。其他实验室还成功地应用这个方法,其中包括一个确定Tctn1,小鼠Hedgehog信号的调节,是一个ciliopathy相关蛋白复合物,的一部分以依赖组织方式22,23稳压睫状膜组成和ciliogenesis。因此,此协议可以广泛地应用到任何细胞途径的解剖。
在本协议中的一个关键步骤是那些潮霉素抗性LAP-标记的稳定细胞系的选择。特别应注意,以确保在控制板上的所有细胞是在实验板上放大选择灶之前死亡。潮霉素也可以ADDE的LAP标记的稳定细胞株常规细胞培养期间d,来进一步确保所有细胞维持感兴趣的LAP-标记基因在FRT位点。我们告诫,并非所有的LAP标记的蛋白质将是正常,并且它具有在位置测定可用于测试蛋白质的功能是重要的。用于测试蛋白质的功能测定法的实例包括siRNA的诱导表型和体外活性测定法救援。为了解决与另外一个大LAP-标签的任何潜在的问题,我们先前已经产生与该系统包含小的标记,如FLAG,这是不太可能抑制所感兴趣的蛋白的功能和定位兼容的TAP标记的载体4。此外,用于产生C-末端LAP标记蛋白或C末端的TAP标记的蛋白质与本系统,可以在的情况下使用,其中一个LAP / TAP标记不在在N耐受兼容存在LAP标记矢量蛋白质的-terminus。此外,日纯化缓冲器(LAPX N)的电子盐和洗涤剂浓度可以被修饰以提高或如果观察到无或过多的相互作用降低纯化严格性。类似地,串联亲和纯化过程比单一纯化步骤和弱相互作用物更严格的可能丢失,从而可以在很少或没有相互作用物被识别用于一个单一的纯化方案。
要注意的是其他的GFP的表位标记的方法存在允许大规模的GFP蛋白标记的蛋白质的定位和纯化研究24,25是重要的。这些包括上述BAC TransgenOmics方法,利用细菌人工染色体从其天然环境表达感兴趣GFP标记基因包含所有调节元件,该模拟内源基因表达24。最近,CAS9 /单引导RNA(因组)核糖核蛋白复合物(的RNP)已经被用于结束ogenously标记的有分流-GFP系统,使从它们的内源基因位点25的GFP标记基因的表达感兴趣的基因。虽然这两种方法使标记的蛋白质的内源性的条件下,表达相比,这里描述的LAP标记协议,它们不允许针对感兴趣的标记基因的诱导和可调表达。此外,他们还没有被应用到串联表位标记的TAP。同样重要的是要注意,其他标签系统也可以被修改以成为与在此描述用于产生诱导的表位标记的稳定细胞株的系统兼容。例如,接近度依赖生物素标识(BioID)已经获得相当多的关注,因为它能够相互作用蛋白26之间限定的空间和时间关系的能力。这种技术利用蛋白质融合到大肠杆菌生物素连接酶生物素化酶BirA的混杂菌株,其中生物素化S中的酶的〜10nm的范围内的任何蛋白质。生物素化的蛋白,然后亲和使用生物素亲和捕获纯化和通过质谱法的组合物进行分析。生物素化酶BirA将生物素化的任何蛋白质在接近,甚至短暂,这使得它特别适合于复杂的27内检测弱相互作用伙伴。此外,纯化方案并不需要内源性蛋白质 – 蛋白质相互作用保持不变,并可以在变性条件下进行,从而降低假阳性率。在我们目前的协议,通过生物素化酶BirA标记矢量的pGLAP1向量的置换可以从确定基于亲和力基于接近检测它们的蛋白质 – 蛋白质相互作用变换这个系统。因为是许多酶 – 底物的相互作用之间并用于映射时空蛋白质INTE的情况下这样的系统将是,用于检测瞬时蛋白质相互作用是非常有利的作为中心体和纤毛26,28已进行了限定的结构内ractions。
The authors have nothing to disclose.
This work was supported by a National Science Foundation Grant NSF-MCB1243645 (JZT), any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Flp-In T-REx Core Kit | Invitrogen | K6500-01 | Kit for generating cell lines that contain an FRT site and TrtR expression |
PETG, 5X | Nunc, Inc. | 73520-734 | Roller bottle for growing cells |
PETG, 2.5X | Nunc, Inc. | 73520-420 | Roller bottle for growing cells |
Cell stackers | Corning CellSTACK | 3271 | Cell stacker for growing cells |
500 mL conical centrifuge tubes | Corning | 431123 | Tubes for harvesting cells |
Anti-GFP antibody | Invitrogen | A11122 | Rabbit anti GFP antibody |
Affiprep Protein A beads | Biorad | 156-0006 | Used as a matrix for conjugating anti-GFP antibodies |
Dimethylpimelimidate (DMP) | ThermoFisher Scientific | 21667 | Used for conjugating anti-GFP antibodies to Protein A beads |
TLA100.3 tubes | Beckman | 349622 | Tubes for centrifuging protein lysates during the clearing step |
TEV protease | Invitrogen | 12575-015 | Used for cleaving the GFP tag off of N-terminal LAP-tagged proteins |
Precession Protease | GE Healthcare | 27-0843-01 | Used for cleaving the GFP tag off of C-terminal LAP-tagged proteins |
S-protein agarose | Novagen | 69704 | Used as a second affinity matrix during the purification of LAP-tagged protein complexes |
QIAquick DNA gel extraction kit | Qiagen | 28704/28706 | For use in purifying PCR products from an agarose gel |
BP clonase II | Invitrogen | 11789020 | Used for cloning ORF PCR products into the pDONR221 shuttle vector |
LR clonase II | Invitrogen | 11791020 | Used for cloning the ORF of the gene of interest into the pGLAP1 LAP-tagging vector |
ccdB Survival 2 T1R E. coli | Invitrogen | A10460 | Used for propgating shuttle vectors and pGLAP empty vectors |
Fugene 6 | Promega | E2691 | Transfection reagent for transfecting vectors into human cells |
Tetracycline | Invitrogen | Q100-19 | Drug for inducing Dox/Tet inducible protein expression |
Doxycycline | Clontech | 631311 | Drug for inducing Dox/Tet inducible protein expression |
Hygromycin B | Invitrogen | 10687010 | Drug for selecting stable LAP-tagged integrants |
Kanamycin | Corning | 61-176-RG | Drug for selecting Kanamycin resistant bacterial colonies |
Ampicillin | Fisher | BP1760-5 | Drug for selecting Ampicillin resistant bacterial colonies |
4-20% Tris Glycine SDS-PAGE gels | Biorad | 4561094 | Used for separating protein samples and final LAP-tag purification eluates |
Silver Stain Plus Kit | Biorad | 1610449 | Used for silver staining the eluates of LAP-tagged pufications and samples collected throughout the purification process |
Coomassie Blue stain | Invitrogen | LC6060 | Used for staining SDS-PAGE gels to visulize LAP-tagged purifications and cutting out protein bands, mass spectrometry compatible |
Shuttle vector pDONR221 | Invitrogen | 12536017 | Shuttle vector for cloning the ORFs of genes of interest |
Flippase expressing vector pOG44 | Invitrogen | V600520 | Vector that expresses the Flippase recombinase for integrating LAP-tagged genes into the genome of FRT site containing cell lines |
Platinum Taq DNA Polymerase | ThermoFisher Scientific | 10966018 | Used for PCR amplification of the ORFs of genes of interest |
4X Laemmli sample buffer | Biorad | 1610747 | Sample buffer for eluting purified LAP-tagged protein complexes from the bead matrix |
Luria broth (LB) media | Fisher | BP9723-2 | Used for growing DH5α bacteria |
DNA miniprep kit | Promega | A1222 | Used for making DNA plasmid minipreps |
DMEM/F12 media | Hyclone | SH30023.01 | For growing Hek293 human cells |
FBS lacking Tet | Altanta Biologicals | S10350 | Used for making -Tet DMEM/F12 media for generating and growing inducible LAP-tagged stable cell lines |
Trypsin | Hyclone | SH30042.01 | For lifting Hek293 cell foci from plates |
Protease inhibitor tablets | Roche | 11836170001 | Used for making protocol buffers, EDTA-free |
10% nonyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol | Roche | 11332473001 | Used for making protocol buffers |
PBS | Corning | 21-040-CM | Used for making protocol buffers |
Tween-20 | Fisher | BP337-500 | Used for making protocol buffers |
Sodium Borate | Fisher | S249-500 | Used for making protocol buffers |
Boric Acid | Fisher | A78-500 | Used for making protocol buffers |
Ethanolamine | Calbiochem | 34115 | Used for making protocol buffers |
NaCl | Fisher | P217-3 | Used for making protocol buffers |
KCl | Fisher | BP358-10 | Used for making protocol buffers |
Dithiothreitol (DTT) | Fisher | BP172-25 | Used for making protocol buffers |
MgCl2 | Fisher | M33-500 | Used for making protocol buffers |
Tris base | Fisher | BP152-5 | Used for making protocol buffers |