A versatile and user-friendly approach for the analysis of proteins in ancient and historical objects

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.104039
• Publication Date: 2020-11-02T09:33:06Z
• Authors: Georgia Ntasi; Daniel P. Kirby; Ilaria Stanzione; Andrea Carpentieri; Patrizia Somma; Paola Cicatiello; Gennaro Marino; Paola Giardina; Leila Birolo
• Keywords: Aurora Universities Network; 0303 health sciences; EC; H2020; Biophysics; Proteins; Biochemistry; 03 medical and health sciences; Archaeology; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; European Training Networks; Trypsin; European Commission; European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program; Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage; Chromatography, Liquid

Identification and characterization of ancient proteins still require technical developments towards non-invasiveness, sensitivity, versatility ease use the analyses. We report that enzyme functionalized films, described in Cicatiello et al. (2018), can be used efficiently on surface different objects ranging from fixative-coated paper to canvas coating an albumen photograph, as well much harder surfaces ivory proteinaceous binders decoration a wooden Egyptian coffin. The mixture digested peptides are captured also amenable LC-MS/MS analysis, which is necessary confidently identify chemical modifications induced upon degradation, order characterize conservation state proteins. Moreover, two-step procedure, we have combined trypsin film with PNGaseF film, adds deglycosylation pretreatment allowing improved detection glycosylated User friendly films were implemented expand their potential versatile, modular tools widely exploited world diagnosis cultural heritage objects, proteins, palaeoproteomics: procedure could carried out by conservators or archaeologists first on-site later analysed standard MS techniques.