Multiplexed quantitation via isobaric chemical tags (e.g., tandem mass tags (TMT) and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)) has the potential to revolutionize quantitative proteomics. However, until recently the utility of these tags was questionable due to reporter ion ratio distortion resulting from fragmentation of coisolated interfering species. These interfering signals can be negated through additional gas-phase manipulations (e.g., MS/MS/MS (MS3) and proton-transfer reactions (PTR)). These methods, however, have a significant sensitivity penalty. Using isolation waveforms with multiple frequency notches (i.e., synchronous precursor selection, SPS), we coisolated and cofragmented multiple MS2 fragment ions, thereby increasing the number of reporter ions in the MS3 spectrum 10-fold over the standard MS3 method (i.e., MultiNotch MS3). By increasing the reporter ion signals, this method improves the dynamic range of reporter ion quantitation, reduces reporter ion signal variance, and ultimately produces more high-quality quantitative measurements. To demonstrate utility, we analyzed biological triplicates of eight colon cancer cell lines using the MultiNotch MS3 method. Across all the replicates we quantified 8 378 proteins in union and 6 168 proteins in common. Taking into account that each of these quantified proteins contains eight distinct cell-line measurements, this data set encompasses 174 704 quantitative ratios each measured in triplicate across the biological replicates. Herein, we demonstrate that the MultiNotch MS3 method uniquely combines multiplexing capacity with quantitative sensitivity and accuracy, drastically increasing the informational value obtainable from proteomic experiments.

Highlights d Quantified the proteomes of 375 cell lines from diverse lineages in the CCLE d Correlated expression of proteins across many pathways d Downregulation of multiple protein complexes in microsatellite instability d Protein complexes associated with sensitivity to gene knockdown and mutation

SummaryA systematic quantitative analysis of temporal changes in host and viral proteins throughout the course of a productive infection could provide dynamic insights into virus-host interaction. We developed a proteomic technique called “quantitative temporal viromics” (QTV), which employs multiplexed tandem-mass-tag-based mass spectrometry. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is not only an important pathogen but a paradigm of viral immune evasion. QTV detailed how HCMV orchestrates the expression of >8,000 cellular proteins, including 1,200 cell-surface proteins to manipulate signaling pathways and counterintrinsic, innate, and adaptive immune defenses. QTV predicted natural killer and T cell ligands, as well as 29 viral proteins present at the cell surface, potential therapeutic targets. Temporal profiles of >80% of HCMV canonical genes and 14 noncanonical HCMV open reading frames were defined. QTV is a powerful method that can yield important insights into viral infection and is applicable to any virus with a robust in vitro model.PaperClip

Fewer than half of all tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectra acquired in shotgun proteomics experiments are typically matched to a peptide with high confidence. Here we determine the identity of unassigned peptides using an ultra-tolerant Sequest database search that allows peptide matching even with modifications of unknown masses up to ±500 Da. In a proteome-wide dataset on HEK293 cells (9,513 proteins and 396,736 peptides), this approach matched an additional 184,000 modified peptides, which were linked to biological and chemical modifications representing 523 distinct mass bins, including phosphorylation, glycosylation, and methylation. We localized all unknown modification masses to specific regions within a peptide. Known modifications were assigned to the correct amino acids with frequencies often >90%. We conclude that at least one third of unassigned spectra arise from peptides with substoichiometric modifications.