Site-specific analysis of protein S-acylation by resin-assisted capture

J Lipid Res. 2011 Feb;52(2):393-8. doi: 10.1194/jlr.D011106. Epub 2010 Nov 2.

Abstract

Protein S-acylation is a major posttranslational modification whereby a cysteine thiol is converted to a thioester. A prototype is S-palmitoylation (fatty acylation), in which a protein undergoes acylation with a hydrophobic 16 carbon lipid chain. Although this modification is a well-recognized determinant of protein function and localization, current techniques to study cellular S-acylation are cumbersome and/or technically demanding. We recently described a simple and robust methodology to rapidly identify S-nitrosylation sites in proteins via resin-assisted capture (RAC) and provided an initial description of the applicability of the technique to S-acylated proteins (acyl-RAC). Here we expand on the acyl-RAC assay, coupled with mass spectrometry-based proteomics, to characterize both previously reported and novel sites of endogenous S-acylation. Acyl-RAC should therefore find general applicability in studies of both global and individual protein S-acylation in mammalian cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acylation
  • Cysteine / metabolism*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / methods
  • Lipoylation*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational*
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sepharose / analogs & derivatives
  • Sepharose / chemistry
  • ras Proteins / analysis

Substances

  • Proteins
  • thiopropyl-sepharose
  • Sepharose
  • ras Proteins
  • Cysteine