面向亲和富集-质谱分析通用需求的生物信息学分析平台

A Bioinformatics Platform for General Affinity Purification-Mass Spectrometry Analysis

  • 摘要: 亲和富集-质谱(affinity purification-mass spectrometry, AP-MS)技术是解析蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用的重要手段。随着质谱仪器性能的持续提升,高质量AP-MS数据得以快速积累,然而,相应数据分析工具的开发和更新尚未与之同步。为此,本研究构建了一款多功能数据分析R语言包——APMSflow,其封装了常见的处理蛋白质组学数据的函数,用户无需重复写代码,即可高效处理AP-MS数据。该工具集成了质量控制、数据预处理、差异分析、下游功能分析、蛋白质互作网络和预测等多个模块,覆盖了AP-MS数据分析的核心流程。APMSflow设计旨在助力提升对质谱数据的处理能力,为深入解析蛋白质相互作用及重建蛋白质复合物网络提供便捷、高效的解决方案。

     

    Abstract: Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are fundamental to cellular regulation, governing complex biological processes through the assembly of stable or transient molecular machineries. Affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry (AP-MS) has emerged as the gold standard for characterizing these interactomes. However, as AP-MS datasets grow in heterogeneity and complexity—incorporating both data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition (DIA) modes as well as multi-bait and time-series experimental designs—researchers face significant challenges. These include high levels of non-specific binding, complex background noise, and the lack of standardized, end-to-end computational pipelines that integrate quality control with advanced structural prediction. In this study, APMSflow, a comprehensive, R/Shiny-based analytical platform was developed, specifically engineered for the systematic processing of AP-MS data. The workflow integrates several critical modules: 1) Quality assessment, utilizing PCA and peptide-level metrics to evaluate sample reproducibility and digestion efficiency; 2) Pre-processing, offering multiple normalization strategies (e.g., median, bait-based, or endogenous biotinylated protein-based) and sophisticated missing value imputation methods; 3) Differential analysis, implementing moderated t-tests via the Limma package and a novel “multi-bait background modeling” strategy to enhance interaction specificity without requiring independent negative controls; 4) Downstream integration, combining cluster-based functional enrichment (clusterProfiler) with structural bioinformatics analysis. Uniquely, APMSflow incorporates AlphaFold-Multimer to perform structural modeling and scoring of predicted protein pairs, transitioning from statistical association analyse to structural validation. Validation performed using published large-scale proteomics datasets (PXD020709) demonstrated that APMSflow effectively filters non-specific contaminants and identifies high-confidence interactors. The platform successfully captured the temporal dynamics of the EGFR interactome, categorizing proteins into transient or stable interaction clusters based on their abundance profiles across time points. By applying stringent CV-based filtering and specialized handling of bait-specific proteins (addressing “NA” values in control groups), APMSflow recovered biologically relevant early-transient signaling components that are often missed by conventional pipelines. The integration of AlphaFold-Multimer further provided structural evidence for candidate protein complexes, streamlining the prioritization of targets for biochemical validation. APMSflow addresses a critical gap in the proteomics community by providing an accessible, standardized, and robust tool for protein interactome analysis. It lowers the technical barrier for wet-lab researchers while ensuring experimental reproducibility across studies. While current iterations focus on protein-level quantification, future updates aim to incorporate post-translational modification (PTM) site-specific analysis and more advanced protein complex prediction algorithms. APMSflow represents a significant step toward the automated, structure-aware interpretation of the dynamic protein interaction landscape, facilitating the discovery of novel regulatory mechanisms in systems biology. The tool is freely accessible as a web application at: https://humility3238.shinyapps.io/apmsflow/.

     

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