Quantification of small GTPase glucosylation by clostridial glucosylating toxins using multiplexed MRM analysis

Large clostridial toxins (LCT) mono-O-glucosylate small GTPases of the Rho and Ras subfamily. As a result of the glucosylation the GTPases are inhibited and thereby corresponding downstream signaling pathways are disturbed. Current methods for quantifying the extent of glucosylation include sequential [14C]glucosylation, sequential [32P]ADP-ribosylation and Western Blot detection of non-glucosylated GTPases, with neither method allowing the quantification of the extent of glucosylation of an individual GTPase. Here we describe a novel mass spectrometry based multiplexed MRM-assay to specifically quantify the glucosylation degree of small GTPases. This targeted proteomics approach achieves a high selectivity and reproducibility, which allows determination of the in vivo substrate pattern of glucosylating toxins. As proof of principle, GTPase glucosylation was analyzed in CaCo-2 cells treated with TcdA and glucosylation kinetics were determined for RhoA/B, RhoC, RhoG, Ral, Rap1, Rap2, (H/K/N)Ras, and R-Ras2. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved