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Organophosphorus nerve agent (OPNA) adducts to butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) can be used to confirm exposure in humans. A highly accurate method to detect G-series and V-series OPNA adducts to BChE in 75 μL of filtered blood, serum, or plasma has been developed using immunomagnetic separation (IMS) coupled with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The reported IMS method captures > 88% of the BChE in a specimen and corrects for matrix effects on peptide calibrators. The optimized method has been used to quantify baseline BChE levels (unadducted and OPNA-adducted) in a matched set of serum, plasma and whole blood (later processed in-house for plasma content) from 192 unexposed individuals to determine the interchangeability of the tested matrices. The results of these measurements demonstrate the ability to accurately measure BChE regardless of the format of the blood specimen received. Criteria for accepting or denying specimens were established through a series of sample stability and processing experiments. The results of these efforts are an optimized and rugged method that is transferrable to other laboratories and an increased understanding of the BChE biomarker in matrix.

Hydroxyl radical footprinting is a valuable technique for studying protein structure, but care must be taken to ensure that the protein does not unfold during the labeling process due to oxidative damage. Footprinting methods based on submicrosecond laser photolysis of peroxide that complete the labeling process faster than the protein can unfold have been recently described; however, the mere presence of large amounts of hydrogen peroxide can also cause uncontrolled oxidation and minor conformational changes. We have developed a novel method for submicrosecond hydroxyl radical protein footprinting using a pulsed electron beam from a 2 MeV Van de Graaff electron accelerator to generate a high concentration of hydroxyl radicals by radiolysis of water. The amount of oxidation can be controlled by buffer composition, pulsewidth, dose, and dissolved nitrous oxide gas in the sample. Our results with ubiquitin and beta-lactoglobulin A demonstrate that one submicrosecond electron beam pulse produces extensive protein surface modifications. Highly reactive residues that are buried within the protein structure are not oxidized, indicating that the protein retains its folded structure during the labeling process. Time-resolved spectroscopy indicates that the major part of protein oxidation is complete in a time scale shorter than that of large scale protein motions.

Dried matrix spots are safer to handle and easier to store than wet blood products, but factors such as intraspot variability and unknown sample volumes have limited their appeal as a sampling format for quantitative analyses. In this work, we introduce a dried spot activity assay for quantifying butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) specific activity which is BChE activity normalized to the total protein content in a sample spot. The method was demonstrated with blood, serum, and plasma spotted on specimen collection devices (cards) which were extracted to measure total protein and BChE activity using a modified Ellman assay. Activity recovered from dried spots was ∼80% of the initial spotted activity for blood and90% for plasma and serum. Measuring total protein in the sample and calculating specific activity substantially improved quantification and reduced intraspot variability. Analyte stability of nerve agent adducts was also evaluated, and the results obtained via BChE-specific activity measurements were confirmed by quantification of BChE adducts using a previously established LC-MS/MS method. The spotted samples were up to 10 times more resistant to degradation compared to unspotted control samples when measuring BChE inhibition by the nerve agents sarin and VX. Using this method, both BChE activity and adducts can be accurately measured from a dried sample spot. This use of a dried sample spot with normalization to total protein is robust, demonstrates decreased intraspot variability without the need to control for initial sample volume, and enhances analyte stability.

This work describes a new specific, sensitive, and rapid stable isotope dilution method for the simultaneous detection of the organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNAs) tabun (GA), sarin (GB), soman (GD), cyclosarin (GF), VR, VX, and VM adducts to tyrosine (Tyr). Serum, plasma, and lysed whole blood samples (50 μL) were prepared by protein precipitation followed by digestion with Pronase. Specific Tyr adducts were isolated from the digest by a single solid phase extraction (SPE) step, and the analytes were separated by reversed-phase ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) gradient elution in less than 2 min. Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer using time-triggered selected reaction monitoring (SRM) in positive electrospray ionization (ESI) mode. The calibration range was characterized from 0.100-50.0 ng/mL for GB- and VR-Tyr and 0.250-50.0 ng/mL for GA-, GD-, GF-, and VX/VM-Tyr (R(2) ≥ 0.995). Inter- and intra-assay precision had coefficients of variation of ≤17 and ≤10%, respectively, and the measured concentration accuracies of spiked samples were within 15% of the targeted value for multiple spiking levels. The limit of detection was calculated to be 0.097, 0.027, 0.018, 0.074, 0.023, and 0.083 ng/mL for GA-, GB-, GD-, GF-, VR-, and VX/VM-Tyr, respectively. A convenience set of 96 serum samples with no known nerve agent exposure was screened and revealed no baseline values or potential interferences. This method provides a simple and highly specific diagnostic tool that may extend the time postevent that a confirmation of nerve agent exposure can be made with confidence.

Hydrolysis of G- and V-series organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNAs) containing a phosphorus-methyl bond yields a methylphosphonic acid (MeP) product when adducted to human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). The MeP adduct is considered a sign of "aging" and results in loss of the o-alkyl identifier specific to each nerve agent. After aging has occurred, common therapeutics such as oximes cannot reactivate the cholinesterase enzyme and relieve cholinergic inhibition. Until now, a direct, quantitative method for determination of the MeP adduct to BChE was unavailable. Aged adducts in serum samples were processed by immunomagnetic separation of BChE by antibody conjugated bead, isotope-dilution, pepsin digestion, followed by UHPLC separation and detection by conventional electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Ions were detected in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode, and transition m/z 874.3 → 778.3 was used for quantitation. The analytical response ratio was linearly proportional to the serum concentration of MeP-adducted peptide (MeP-P) over the nominal concentration range of 2.0-250 ng/mL, with a coefficient of determination of R(2) ≥ 0.997. Intrarun accuracy, expressed as %Relative Error (%RE), was ≤13.5%, 16.3%, and 3.20% at 2.0, 16, and 250 ng/mL, respectively; the corresponding precision expressed as %RSD was ≤11.9%, 6.15%, and 3.39%. Interday %RSD was ≤7.13%, 5.69%, and 1.91%. Recovery of MeP-P from serum was ≥68% across the validated concentration range, and contributions from matrix effects were minimal. The method provides a direct, quantitative measurement of MeP-P found in clinical samples suspected of nerve agent exposure and subjected to such post-sampling stresses as elevated temperature and extended shipping.

A high-throughput prioritization method was developed for use with a validated confirmatory method detecting organophosphorus nerve agent exposure by immunomagnetic separation high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A ballistic gradient was incorporated into this analytical method to profile unadducted butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in clinical samples. With Zhang et al.'s Z' factor of 0.88 ± 0.01 (SD) of control analytes and Z factor of 0.25 ± 0.06 (SD) of serum samples, the assay is rated an "excellent assay" for the synthetic peptide controls used and a "double assay" when used to prioritize clinical samples. Hits, defined as samples containing BChE Ser-198 adducts or no BChE present, were analyzed in a confirmatory method for identification and quantitation of the BChE adduct, if present. The ability to prioritize samples by highest exposure for confirmatory analysis is of particular importance in an exposure to cholinesterase inhibitors such as organophosphorus nerve agents, in which a large number of clinical samples may be collected. In an initial blind screen, 67 of 70 samples were accurately identified, giving an assay accuracy of 96%, and it yielded no false-negatives. The method is the first to provide a high-throughput prioritization assay for profiling adduction of Ser-198 BChE in clinical samples.

Summary CCL5 (RANTES) is a proinflammatory chemokine known to activate leukocytes through its receptor, CCR5. Although the monomeric form of CCL5 is sufficient to cause cell migration in vitro, CCL5's propensity for aggregation is essential for migration in vivo, T cell activation and apoptosis, and HIV entry into cells. However, there is currently no structural information on CCL5 oligomers larger than the canonical CC chemokine dimer. In this study the solution structure of a CCL5 oligomer was investigated using an integrated approach, including NMR residual dipolar couplings to determine allowed relative orientations of the component monomers, SAXS to restrict overall shape, and hydroxyl radical footprinting and NMR cross-saturation experiments to identify interface residues. The resulting model of the CCL5 oligomer provides a basis for explaining the disaggregating effect of E66 and E26 mutations and suggests mechanisms by which glycosaminoglycan binding may promote oligomer formation and facilitate cell migration in vivo.