Analysis of Protein Folding, Transport, and Degradation in Living Cells by Radioactive Pulse Chase

Summary

Here we describe a protocol for a general pulse-chase method that allows the kinetic analysis of folding, transport, and degradation of proteins to be followed in live cells.

Abstract

Radioactive pulse-chase labeling is a powerful tool for studying the conformational maturation, the transport to their functional cellular location, and the degradation of target proteins in live cells. By using short (pulse) radiolabeling times (<30 min) and tightly controlled chase times, it is possible to label only a small fraction of the total protein pool and follow its folding. When combined with nonreducing/reducing SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoprecipitation with (conformation-specific) antibodies, folding processes can be examined in great detail. This system has been used to analyze the folding of proteins with a huge variation in properties such as soluble proteins, single and multi-pass transmembrane proteins, heavily N- and O-glycosylated proteins, and proteins with and without extensive disulfide bonding. Pulse-chase methods are the basis of kinetic studies into a range of additional features, including co- and posttranslational modifications, oligomerization, and polymerization, essentially allowing the analysis of a protein from birth to death. Pulse-chase studies on protein folding are complementary with other biochemical and biophysical methods for studying proteins in vitro by providing increased temporal resolution and physiological information. The methods as described within this paper are adapted easily to study the folding of almost any protein that can be expressed in mammalian or insect-cell systems.

Introduction

The folding of even relatively simple proteins involves many different folding enzymes, molecular chaperones, and covalent modifications¹. A complete reconstitution of these processes in vitro is practically impossible, given the vast number of different components involved. It is highly desirable, therefore, to study protein folding in vivo, in live cells. Radioactive pulse-chase techniques prove a powerful tool for studying the synthesis, folding, transport, and degradation of proteins in their natural environment.

The metabolic labeling of proteins during a short pulse with ³⁵S-labeled....

Protocol

All radioactive reagents and procedures were handled in accordance with local Utrecht University radiation rules and regulations.

1. Pulse Chase

1. Pulse Chase for Adherent Cells
   NOTE: The volumes given here are based on 60 mm cell culture dishes. For 35 mm or 100 mm dishes, multiply the volumes by 1/2 or 2, respectively. This protocol uses a pulse time of 10 min and chase times of 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 min. These can be varied depending on the specific proteins being studied (discussed below).
   1. Seed adherent cells (e.g., HEK 293, HeLa, CHO) in six 60 mm cell culture dishes so ....

Results

The folding and secretion of HIV-1 gp120 from an adherent pulse chase is shown in Figure 2. The nonreducing gel (Cells NR in the figure) shows the oxidative folding of gp120. Immediately after the pulse labeling of 5 min (0 min chase) gp120 appears as a diffuse band higher in the gel, and as the chase progresses, the band migrates down the gel through even more diffused folding intermediates (IT) until it accumulates in the tight band (NT) that represents nat.......

Discussion

Pulse-chase methods have been essential for developing scientists' understanding of protein folding in intact cells. While we have attempted to provide a method that is as general as possible, this approach has the potential for almost limitless variations to study various processes that occur during the folding, the transport, and the life of proteins inside the cell.

When performing a pulse chase using adherent cells in dishes, it is essential to treat each dish the same as much as possi.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1.5 mL safeseal microcentrifuge tubes	Sarstedt	72.706.400
Acetic Acid	Sigma	A6283	glacial acetic acid
BAS Storage phosphor screen 20x25 cm	GE Life Sciences	28956475
Bromophenol Blue	Sigma	B8026	Molecular biology grade
Carestream Biomax MR films	Kodak	Z350370-50EA
Cell-culture media	Various	N/A	Normal cell culture media for specific cell-lines used
Cell-culture media, no methionine/cysteine	Various	N/A	Same media formulation as normal culture media e.g DMEM/MEM/RPMI, lacking methionine and cysteine
Charcoal filter paper	Whatman	1872047
Charcoal filtered pipette tips	Molecular bioproducts	5069B
Charcoal vacu-guard	Whatman	67221001
Coomassie Brilliant Blue R250	Sigma	112,553	for electrophoresis
Cysteine	Sigma	C7352	Molecular biology grade, Make 500 mM stock, store at -20
Dithiothreitol (DTT)	Sigma	10197777001	Molecular biology grade
EasyTag Express35S Protein Labeling Mix	Perkin Elmer	NEG772014MC	Other size batches of label are available depending on useage
EDTA	Sigma	E1644	Molecular biology grade
Gel-drying equipment	Various	N/A
Glycerol	Sigma	G5516	Molecular biology grade
Grade 3 chromatography paper	GE Life Sciences	3003-917
Hank's Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS)	Gibco	24020117
Kimwipes delicate task wipes	VWR	21905-026
MES	Sigma	M3671	Molecular biology grade
Methanol	Sigma	MX0490
Methionine	Sigma	M5308	Molecular biology grade, Make 250 mM stock, store at -20
Minigel casting/running equipment	Various	N/A
NaCl	Sigma	S7653	Molecular biology grade
N-ethylmaleimide	Sigma	E3876	Molecular biology grade, Make 1M stock in 100% ethanol, store at -20
PBS	Sigma	P5368	Molecular biology grade
Protein-A Sepharose fastflow beads	GE health-care	17-5280-04
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS)	Sigma	L3771	Molecular biology grade
Triton X-100	Sigma	T8787	Molecular biology grade
Trizma base (Tris)	Sigma	T6066	Molecular biology grade
Typhoon IP Biomolecular imager	Amersham	29187194
Unwire Test Tube Rack 20 mm for waterbath	Nalgene	5970-0320PK