May 23, 2023

Public workspaceCell lysis and immunoblotting for protein and phospho-protein quantification

  • Dan Dou1,2,
  • C. Alexander Boecker3,
  • Erika L.F. Holzbaur1,2
  • 1Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
  • 2Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA;
  • 3Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
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Protocol CitationDan Dou, C. Alexander Boecker, Erika L.F. Holzbaur 2023. Cell lysis and immunoblotting for protein and phospho-protein quantification. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.5jyl8j5zrg2w/v1
Manuscript citation:
Dou D, Smith EM, Evans CS, Boecker CA, Holzbaur EL, Regulatory imbalance between LRRK2 kinase, PPM1H phosphatase, and ARF6 GTPase disrupts the axonal transport of autophagosomes. Cell reports 42(5). doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112448
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: October 13, 2022
Last Modified: May 31, 2024
Protocol Integer ID: 71304
Keywords: Lysate, Immunoblot, Western, Phospho, LRRK2, ASAPCRN
Funders Acknowledgement:
ASAP
Grant ID: ASAP-000350
Abstract

Here, we describe the procedure by which human iPSC-derived neurons or mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were lysed and probed for levels of proteins of interest using Western blot.
Attachments
Materials

Reagents

  • RIPA buffer

AB
Tris-HCl50 mM
NaCl150 mM
Triton X-1000.1%
Deoxycholate0.5%
SDS0.1%

  • ReagentHALT phosphatase and protease inhibitor cocktail (100x)Thermo Fisher ScientificCatalog #78442
  • ReagentMicrocystin-LR Microcystis aeruginosa - CAS 101043-37-2 - CalbiochemSigma AldrichCatalog #475815m
  • ReagentPierce BCA Protein Assay Kit Thermo Fisher ScientificCatalog #23225
  • 4x Protein Loading Buffer

AB
Tris-HCl, pH 6.8125 mM
Glycerol50%
SDS4%
Orange G0.2%

  • Acrylamide

  • 4x Running buffer

AB
Trizma base48 g
Glycine230.4 g
NaN320 mL
ddH2ODiluted to 4 L


  • Running buffer

AB
4x running buffer250 mL
ddH2O750 mL
10% SDS10 mL


  • Transfer buffer

AB
4x running buffer125 mL
ddH2O875 mL
10% SDS500 µL
For RABs add 20% Methanol


  • ReagentImmobilon®-FL PVDF MembraneSigma AldrichCatalog #Ipfl00010
  • ReagentChameleon® Duo Pre-stained Protein LadderLI-CORCatalog #928-60000
  • ReagentRevert™ 700 Total Protein Stain for Western Blot Normalization (250 ml)LicorCatalog #926-11021

  • Revert Wash Solution

AB
Acetic acid6.7%
Methanol 30%
in ddH2O


  • Revert Reversal Solution

AB
NaOH0.1 M
Methanol 30%
in ddH2O

  • ReagentEveryBlot Blocking Buffer 500 mlBIO-RADCatalog #12010020
  • Primary antibodies (see Materials and Methods for specific antibodies used)
  • Secondary antibodies (see Materials and Methods for specific antibodies used)


Equipment

  • ODYSSEY CLx Imaging System (LI-COR)
Equipment
Mini-PROTEAN Tetra Vertical Electrophoresis Cell
NAME
Electrophoresis Cell
TYPE
Bio-Rad
BRAND
1658004
SKU
LINK

Equipment
Mini Trans-Blot Electrophoretic Transfer Cell
NAME
Electrophoretic Transfer Cell
TYPE
Bio-Rad
BRAND
1703930
SKU
LINK



Safety warnings

  • Microcystin-LR is an extremely potent hepatotoxin and should be handled with great care.
  • Acrylamide is a neurotoxin and should be handled with care.
  • Methanol-containing reagents should be handled carefully, as methanol can penetrate single-layer laboratory gloves.
Preparation of cell lysates
Preparation of cell lysates
Quickly wash cells twice with ice-cold PBS. After the second wash, tilt the dish and completely aspirate all residual PBS.
Wash
Immediately add ice-cold lysis buffer, ensuring that the entire surface is covered by lysis buffer. Place cells TemperatureOn ice .

Note
The amount of lysis buffer to use depends on cell confluency / cell number, cell type, and cell culture dish. In most cases, using Amount100 µL Amount150 µL lysis buffer per well of a 6-well plate should result in a protein concentration > Concentration1 µg/µL .


Note
Halt protease and phosphatase inhibitor cocktail and microcystein-LR should be added fresh on the day of use.

Pipetting
Scrape cells off the dish using a cell lifter.


Transfer the cell lysate to an Eppendorf tube TemperatureOn ice .

Leave lysates TemperatureOn ice for Duration00:20:00 to allow for efficient lysis.
Note
Cell lysates can be snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at Temperature-80 °C for future use.




20m
Centrifuge for Duration00:10:00 at Centrifigation17000 x g and Temperature4 °C .

10m
Centrifigation

Discard pellet and use clarified supernatant to determine protein concentration by BCA assay following the manufacturer’s instructions, performing all measurements in triplicates.
Pipetting
Add Amount100 µL ß-mercaptoethanol toAmount900 µL of 4x Protein Loading Buffer and mix well.

Pipetting
Mix

Add complete 4x Protein Loading Buffer to cell lysates, mix well, and boil for Duration00:05:00 at Temperature95 °C .
Note
Do not store Protein Loading Buffer with BME for more than two weeks.



5m
Pipetting
Mix
SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
Load samples onto 8% (for LRRK2 protein) to 15% (for PPM1H and Rab proteins) acrylamide gels alongside Chameleon Duo pre-stained protein ladder (LI-COR).
Note
Carefully rinse wells with running buffer before loading cell lysates.

Pipetting
Wash
Start electrophoresis at 80 V for Duration00:20:00 , then increase to 120 V and electrophorese until orange dye runs out.

20m
Protein transfer
Protein transfer
Activate Immobilon-FL PVDF membrane by submerging in methanol for Duration00:00:30 - Duration00:01:00 .

1m 30s
Wash in ddH2O and equilibrate in transfer buffer.
Wash
Soak sponges in methanol, wash in ddH2O and equilibrate in transfer buffer.
Wash

Equilibrate filter paper in transfer buffer.
Assemble blotting sandwich.

Carefully remove any air bubbles between layers using a roller.
Fill transfer tank with ice-cold transfer buffer.
Pipetting
Place transfer system TemperatureOn ice .


Transfer proteins from gel onto PVDV membrane at 100 V for Duration01:15:00 .

1h 15m
Pipetting
Total protein stain, membrane blocking, and antibody incubation
Total protein stain, membrane blocking, and antibody incubation
1h 41m
1h 41m
After wet-tank transfer, let membrane dry completely for at least Duration01:00:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature .

1h
Rehydrate membrane for Duration00:01:00 in 100% methanol, then wash Duration00:05:00 in 1x TBS.

6m
Wash
Incubate for Duration00:05:00 in Revert total protein stain (LI-COR) while gently shaking at TemperatureRoom temperature .

5m
Incubation

Wash twice with Revert wash solution, then rinse in ddH2O and image membrane on ODYSSEY CLx imaging system.
Wash
Imaging
Remove Revert total protein stain by incubating membrane in Revert reversal solution for Duration00:10:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature while gently shaking.

10m
Incubation
Rinse membrane with ddH2O.
Wash
Block membrane for Duration00:05:00 in Everyblot Blocking Buffer (Bio-Rad) at TemperatureRoom temperature .

5m
Dilute primary antibodies in Everyblot Blocking Buffer and incubate at Temperature4 °C DurationOvernight .

5m
Incubation
Pipetting
Overnight
Wash membrane in 1x TBS + 0.1% Tween-20 (TBS-T) at TemperatureRoom temperature (4 washes, Duration00:05:00 each).

5m
Wash
Dilute secondary antibodies 1:20,000 in Everyblot Blocking Buffer and 0.02% SDS.
Note
Incubate membrane in secondary antibodies for Duration01:00:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature .


Incubation
Pipetting
Wash membrane in TBS-T at TemperatureRoom temperature (4 washes, Duration00:05:00 each).

5m
Wash
Rinse membrane with TBS (no detergent), then image on ODYSSEY CLx imaging system. Quantify signal intensity using Image Studio Software.
Wash
Imaging