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High-throughput screening of surface displayed gene products.

With the human genome project approaching completion, there is a growing interest in functional analysis of gene products. The characterization of large numbers of proteins, their expression patterns and in vivo localisations, demands the use of automated technology that maintains a logistic link to the encoding genes. As a complementary approach, phage display is used for recombinant protein expression and the selection of interacting (binding) molecules. Cloning of libraries in filamentous bacteriophage or phage mid vectors provides a physical link between the expressed protein and its encoding DNA sequence. High-throughput technology for automated library handling and phage display selection has been developed using picking-spotting robots and a module for pin-based magnetic particle handling. This system enables simultaneous interaction screening of libraries and the selection of binders to different target molecules at high throughput. Target molecules are either displayed on high-density filter membranes (protein filters) or tag-bound to magnetic particles and can be handled as native ligands. Binding activity is confirmed by magnetic particle ELISA in the microtitre format. The whole procedure from immobilisation of target molecules to confirmed clones of binders is automatable. Using this technology, we have selected human scFv antibody fragments against expression products of human cDNA libraries.

Bacteriophages↗

High-throughput screening for soluble recombinant expressed kinases in Escherichia coli and insect cells.

We have constructed a dual expression vector for the production of recombinant proteins in both Escherichia coli and insect cells. In this vector, the baculoviral polyhedrin promoter was positioned upstream of the bacteriophage T7 promoter and the lac operator. This vector, designated pBEV, was specifically designed to exploit the advantages that both hosts would provide. This vector also facilitates one-stop cloning, thereby simplifying the expression process for automation, and the development of a high-throughput method for protein expression. Utilizing the multi-system vector pBEV, a high-throughput process was developed with expression in deep-well blocks and purification in micro-titer plates enabling the identification of expression and solubility in both E. coli and insect cells. In this study, using pBEV, we have successfully expressed and purified multiple human kinases produced in E. coli and insect cells. Our results validate expression screening as a strategy to rapidly triage proteins identifying the optimum expression system and conditions for production.

Animals↗

PathwayExplorer: web service for visualizing high-throughput expression data on biological pathways.

While generation of high-throughput expression data is becoming routine, the fast, easy, and systematic presentation and analysis of these data in a biological context is still an obstacle. To address this need, we have developed PathwayExplorer, which maps expression profiles of genes or proteins simultaneously onto major, currently available regulatory, metabolic and cellular pathways from KEGG, BioCarta and GenMAPP. PathwayExplorer is a platform-independent web server application with an optional standalone Java application using a SOAP (simple object access protocol) interface. Mapped pathways are ranked for the easy selection of the pathway of interest, displaying all available genes of this pathway with their expression profiles in a selectable and intuitive color code. Pathway maps produced can be downloaded as PNG, JPG or as high-resolution vector graphics SVG. The web service is freely available at https://pathwayexplorer.genome.tugraz.at; the standalone client can be downloaded at http://genome.tugraz.at.

Computer Graphics↗

A solid-phase glycosyltransferase assay for high-throughput screening in drug discovery research.

Glycosyltransferases mediate changes in glycosylation patterns which, in turn, may affect the function of glycoproteins and/or glycolipids and, further downstream, processes of development, differentiation, transformation and cell-cell recognition. Such enzymes, therefore, represent valid targets for drug discovery. We have developed a solid-phase glycosyltransferase assay for use in a robotic high-throughput format. Carbohydrate acceptors coupled covalently to polyacrylamide are coated onto 96-well plastic plates. The glycosyltransferase reaction is performed with recombinant enzymes and radiolabeled sugar-nucleotide donor at 37 degrees C, followed by washing, addition of scintillation counting fluid, and measurement of radioactivity using a 96-well beta-counter. Glycopolymer construction and coating of the plastic plates, enzyme and substrate concentrations, and linearity with time were optimized using recombinant Core 2 beta1-6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (Core 2 GlcNAc-T). This enzyme catalyzes a rate-limiting reaction for expression of polylactosamine and the selectin ligand sialyl-Lewis(x) in O-glycans. A glycopolymer acceptor for beta1-6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V was also designed and shown to be effective in the solid-phase assay. In a high-throughput screen of a microbial extract library, the coefficient of variance for positive controls was 9.4%, and high concordance for hit validation was observed between the Core 2 GlcNAc-T solid-phase assay and a standard solution-phase assay. The solid-phase assay format, which can be adapted for a variety of glycosyltransferase enzymes, allowed a 5-6 fold increase in throughput compared to the corresponding solution-phase assay.

Acrylic Resins↗

A new pooling strategy for high-throughput screening: the Shifted Transversal Design.

BACKGROUND: In binary high-throughput screening projects where the goal is the identification of low-frequency events, beyond the obvious issue of efficiency, false positives and false negatives are a major concern. Pooling constitutes a natural solution: it reduces the number of tests, while providing critical duplication of the individual experiments, thereby correcting for experimental noise. The main difficulty consists in designing the pools in a manner that is both efficient and robust: few pools should be necessary to correct the errors and identify the positives, yet the experiment should not be too vulnerable to biological shakiness. For example, some information should still be obtained even if there are slightly more positives or errors than expected. This is known as the group testing problem, or pooling problem. RESULTS: In this paper, we present a new non-adaptive combinatorial pooling design: the "shifted transversal design" (STD). It relies on arithmetics, and rests on two intuitive ideas: minimizing the co-occurrence of objects, and constructing pools of constant-sized intersections. We prove that it allows unambiguous decoding of noisy experimental observations. This design is highly flexible, and can be tailored to function robustly in a wide range of experimental settings (i.e., numbers of objects, fractions of positives, and expected error-rates). Furthermore, we show that our design compares favorably, in terms of efficiency, to the previously described non-adaptive combinatorial pooling designs. CONCLUSION: This method is currently being validated by field-testing in the context of yeast-two-hybrid interactome mapping, in collaboration with Marc Vidal's lab at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Many similar projects could benefit from using the Shifted Transversal Design.

Algorithms↗

High-throughput assessment of calcium sensitivity in skinned cardiac myocytes.

Isolated permeabilized cardiac myocytes have been used in the study of myofilament calcium sensitivity through measurement of the isometric force-pCa curve. Determining this force-pCa relationship in skinned myocytes is relatively expensive and carries a high degree of variability. We therefore attempted to establish an alternative high-throughput method to measure calcium sensitivity in cardiac myocytes. With the use of commercially available software that allows for precise measurement of sarcomere spacing, we measured sarcomere length changes in unloaded skinned cardiac myocytes over a range of calcium concentrations. With the use of this technique, we were able to accurately detect acute increases or decreases in myofilament calcium sensitivity after exposure to 10 mM caffeine or 5 mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime, respectively. This technique allows for the simple and rapid determination of myofilament calcium sensitivity in cardiac myocytes in a reproducible and inexpensive manner and could be used for high-throughput screening of pharmacological agents and/or transgenic mouse models for changes in myofilament calcium sensitivity.

Animals↗

Integration of a rapid automated solubility classification into early validation of hits obtained by high throughput screening.

Besides the structural verification of hits generated by high throughput screening also the determination of physicochemical properties is essential for an efficient lead identification. Especially solubility is fundamental for the correct planning and interpretation of experiments. We describe the set up of a fast automated solubility test within our existing workflow for hit validation to assure compound identity and purity. 384-Well plates with hit validation compound solution are used for analysis employing liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The remaining compound solution was used for a fast automated solubility classification employing a nephelometer integrated into a Tecan robotic workstation. Thereby 9000 compounds were classified as poorly- and well-soluble. This rapid and simple test does not require any additional amount of sample or sample processing than before but provides additional information on the hits at an early stage of lead identification. Validated by a more detailed nephelometric analysis for 500 out of the 9000 compounds in different buffer systems this simple test has shown to produce relevant data.

Automation↗

A high-throughput quantitative multiplex kinase assay for monitoring information flow in signaling networks: application to sepsis-apoptosis.

To treat complex human diseases effectively, a systems-level approach is needed to understand the interplay of environmental cues, intracellular signals, and cellular behaviors that underlie disease states. This approach requires high-throughput, multiplex techniques that measure quantitative temporal variations of multiple protein activities in the intracellular signaling network. Here, we describe a single microtiter-based format that simultaneously quantifies protein kinase activities in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway (Akt), nuclear factor-kappaB pathway (IKK), and three core mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways (ERK, JNK1, MK2). These parallel high-throughput assays are stringently linear, redundantly specific, reproducible, and sensitive compared with classical low-throughput techniques. When applied to a model of sepsis-induced colon epithelial apoptosis, this approach identified a late phase of Akt activity as a critical mediator of cell survival that quantitatively contributed to the efficacy of insulin as an anti-apoptotic cue. Thus, sampling parallel nodes in the intracellular signaling network identified part of the molecular mechanism underlying the efficacy of insulin in the treatment of human sepsis.

Apoptosis↗

The Human MitoChip: a high-throughput sequencing microarray for mitochondrial mutation detection.

Somatic mitochondrial mutations are common in human cancers, and can be used as a tool for early detection of cancer. We have developed a mitochondrial Custom Reseq microarray as an array-based sequencing platform for rapid and high-throughput analysis of mitochondrial DNA. The MitoChip contains oligonucleotide probes synthesized using standard photolithography and solid-phase synthesis, and is able to sequence >29 kb of double-stranded DNA in a single assay. Both strands of the entire human mitochondrial coding sequence (15,451 bp) are arrayed on the MitoChip; both strands of an additional 12,935 bp (84% of coding DNA) are arrayed in duplicate. We used 300 ng of genomic DNA to amplify the mitochondrial coding sequence in three overlapping long PCR fragments. We then sequenced >2 million base pairs of mitochondrial DNA, and successfully assigned base calls at 96.0% of nucleotide positions. Replicate experiments demonstrated >99.99% reproducibility. In matched fluid samples (urine and pancreatic juice, respectively) obtained from five patients with bladder cancer and four with pancreatic cancer, the MitoChip detected at least one cancer-associated mitochondrial mutation in six (66%) of nine samples. The MitoChip is a high-throughput sequencing tool for the reliable identification of mitochondrial DNA mutations from primary tumors in clinical samples.

Body Fluids↗

Novel mobilizable prokaryotic two-hybrid system vectors for high-throughput protein interaction mapping in Escherichia coli by bacterial conjugation.

Since its initial description, the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system has been widely used for the detection and analysis of protein-protein interactions. Mating-based strategies have been developed permitting its application for automated proteomic interaction mapping projects using both exhaustive and high-throughput strategies. More recently, a number of prokaryotic two-hybrid (P2H) systems have been developed but, despite the many advantages such Escherichia coli-based systems have over the Y2H system, they have not yet been widely implemented for proteomic interaction mapping. This may be largely due to the fact that high-throughput strategies employing bacterial transformation are not as amenable to automation as Y2H mating-based strategies. Here, we describe the construction of novel conjugative P2H system vectors. These vectors carry a mobilization element of the IncPalpha group plasmid RP4 and can therefore be mobilized with high efficiency from an E.coli donor strain encoding all of the required transport functions in trans. We demonstrate how these vectors permit the exploitation of bacterial conjugation for technically simplified and automated proteomic interaction mapping strategies in E.coli, analogous to the mating-based strategies developed for the Y2H system.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Development of a fluorescence based high throughput assay for antagonists of the human chorionic gonadotropin receptor extracellular domain: analysis of peptide inhibitors.

A simple method for prompt fluorescent detection of inhibitors of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) binding to the extracellular domain of the human luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (hLH/CG) receptor was developed for high throughput screening (HTS). Construction and analysis of a recombinant phage that displays the extracellular binding domain of the hLH/CG receptor on its surface and specifically binds hCG was previously described. To facilitate the identification of molecules that disrupt the interaction of hCG with its receptor, a method for prompt fluorescent detection of these phage bound to hCG was developed. This technique is extremely sensitive and employs fluorescent labels (PBXL dyes) that are derived from red and blue-green algae. Antibodies labeled with PBXL dye were able to specifically detect phage that display the extracellular domain of the hLH/CG receptor when bound to hCG immobilized in 96-well microplates. Decreases in fluorescence correlate with the concentration of exogenous hCG or hCG antagonists in the assay. This prompt fluorescence detection assay was optimized in a 96-well format as a model system for HTS applications that target the receptors for the group of hormones known as the gonadotropins. Low-affinity molecules that disrupt binding of the phage-displayed receptor extracellular domain to hCG can be rapidly identified in this high throughput screen.

Automation↗

An automated multistep high-throughput screening assay for the identification of lead inhibitors of the inducible enzyme mPGES-1.

Prostaglandin E2 synthase (mPGES-1), the enzyme which catalyzes the synthesis of PGE2, is induced during the inflammatory response. For this reason, mPGES-1 could be a potential therapeutic target. A high-throughput screening assay was developed to identify potential inhibitors of mPGES-1. The assay consisted of a 30-s mPGES-1 enzymatic reaction followed by the detection of PGE2 by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The enzymatic reaction was performed in a batch mode because the instability of the substrate (10 min) limited the number of plates assayed within a working day. The detection of the product by EIA was performed on 3 instruments requiring 14 different steps for complete automation. The authors describe here the optimization and implementation of a 2-part assay on a Thermo CRS robotic system. More than 315,000 compounds were tested, and a hit rate of 0.84% was obtained for this assay. Although the entire assay required multiple steps, the assay was successfully miniaturized and automated for a high-throughput screening campaign.

Animals↗

High-throughput cloning of Campylobacter jejuni ORfs by in vivo recombination in Escherichia coli.

A rate-limiting and costly step in many proteomics analyses is the cloning of all of the ORFs for an organism into technique-specific vectors. Here, we describe the generation of a Campylobacter jejuni expression clone set using a high-throughput cloning approach based on recombination in E. coli. The approach uses native E. coli recombination functions and requires no in vitro enzymatic steps or special strains. Our results indicate that this approach is an efficient and economical alternative for high-throughput cloning.

Campylobacter jejuni↗

High-throughput genotyping with infrared fluorescence allele specific hybridization (iFLASH): a simple, reliable and low-cost alternative.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a novel genotyping approach, named infrared Fluorescence Allele Specific Hybridization (iFLASH), which combines the principles of allele specific oligonucleotide (ASO) hybridization with the advanced possibilities of infrared imaging. DESIGN AND METHODS: As an example, we genotyped the 55L > M and the 192Q > R common genetic variants of the paraoxonase-1 gene in 92 DNA samples using the iFLASH technique, and validated the outcomes with the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and TAQman genotyping assays. RESULTS: There was a 100 percent agreement in genotype outcome among the three methods. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found complete unity in genotype outcome, the iFLASH assay has essential advantages over the RFLP and TAQman genotyping assays. First, the iFLASH technique is capable of handling up to 1536 samples per assay, which makes it a suitable technique for high-throughput genotyping. Secondly, because the costs per assay are lower, high-throughput genotyping with iFLASH is affordable.

Alleles↗

Optimized high-throughput microRNA expression profiling provides novel biomarker assessment of clinical prostate and breast cancer biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that microRNAs (miRNAs) are mechanistically involved in the development of various human malignancies, suggesting that they represent a promising new class of cancer biomarkers. However, previously reported methods for measuring miRNA expression consume large amounts of tissue, prohibiting high-throughput miRNA profiling from typically small clinical samples such as excision or core needle biopsies of breast or prostate cancer. Here we describe a novel combination of linear amplification and labeling of miRNA for highly sensitive expression microarray profiling requiring only picogram quantities of purified microRNA. RESULTS: Comparison of microarray and qRT-PCR measured miRNA levels from two different prostate cancer cell lines showed concordance between the two platforms (Pearson correlation R2 = 0.81); and extension of the amplification, labeling and microarray platform was successfully demonstrated using clinical core and excision biopsy samples from breast and prostate cancer patients. Unsupervised clustering analysis of the prostate biopsy microarrays separated advanced and metastatic prostate cancers from pooled normal prostatic samples and from a non-malignant precursor lesion. Unsupervised clustering of the breast cancer microarrays significantly distinguished ErbB2-positive/ER-negative, ErbB2-positive/ER-positive, and ErbB2-negative/ER-positive breast cancer phenotypes (Fisher exact test, p = 0.03); as well, supervised analysis of these microarray profiles identified distinct miRNA subsets distinguishing ErbB2-positive from ErbB2-negative and ER-positive from ER-negative breast cancers, independent of other clinically important parameters (patient age; tumor size, node status and proliferation index). CONCLUSION: In sum, these findings demonstrate that optimized high-throughput microRNA expression profiling offers novel biomarker identification from typically small clinical samples such as breast and prostate cancer biopsies.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Development and characterization of a high-throughput system for assessing cell-surface receptor-ligand engagement.

A nonfouling interfacial interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of poly(acrylamide-co-ethylene glycol/acrylic acid) [p(AAm-co-EG/AAc)] was grafted to polystyrene for use as a novel platform for the development of high-throughput assays for screening of specific bimolecular interactions (i.e., receptor-ligand engagement). For the development of the IPN, a water-soluble hydrogen-abstracting photoinitiator was investigated: (4-benzoylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride. IPN-modified polystyrene surfaces were characterized using XPS, contact angle goniometry, and protein adsorption analysis. These IPN surfaces minimized fibrinogen adsorption compared to tissue culture polystyrene (>96% reduction), prevented mammalian cell adhesion, and served as nonfouling surfaces to graft biological ligands. For bimolecular interaction studies, a model peptide ligand from bone sialoprotein (Ac-CGGNGEPRGDTYRAY-NH(2)) was grafted to p(AAm-co-EG/AAc) via a 3400 M(w) linear pEG spacer. Ligand density measurements, cell culture, and a centrifugal adhesion assay were used to study cell adhesion to peptide-modified IPNs (i.e., receptor-ligand engagement). Ligand density (Gamma) was controllable from approximately 1 to 20 pmol/cm(2) by modulating the peptide input concentration (0.02-20 microM). Cell adhesion was directly dependent on the ligand density. This technology creates a powerful high-throughput system to simultaneously probe a myriad of cell-surface receptor-ligand interactions.

Cell Adhesion↗

A high-throughput plasmid DNA preparation method.

Genome projects require a high-throughput method for DNA template preparation, which traditional protocols can rarely provide. We introduce here a new protocol for plasmid and cosmid DNA preparation based on alkaline denaturation in a 96-well format. The essential improvement made in this protocol on previous 96-well preparation includes the purification by Pro-Cipitate in 96-well microfilters. The yield and quality of DNA are sufficient for restriction digestion, radioactive sequencing, and automated fluorescent sequencing. It is also significantly more cost-effective than several of the commercial mini-prep kits.

DNA↗

A microtiter plate-based high-throughput DNA purification method.

A fast, reliable, inexpensive, and high-throughput method to purify DNA has been developed. It is based on DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction utilizing a mini spin-column made from a 96-well membrane-bottomed assay plate. With this method, 50% of the DNA is recovered routinely using Sephacryl-500HR as filtration media. Purified DNA can then be used in various enzymatic manipulations, such as sequencing and hybridization. This provides an economical alternative protocol for routine large-scale purification of DNA templates for sequencing or other enzymatic manipulations.

Base Sequence↗