Citrullia

Citrullia validates citrullinated peptides from high-resolution mass spectrometry and two-dimensional HFBA separation data to identify PPAD-catalyzed citrullination events in Porphyromonas gingivalis and support studies linking these modifications to rheumatoid arthritis.

Key Features:

• Semi-Automatic Validation: Provides a semi-automatic validation workflow combining automated processing with manual oversight for citrullinated peptide assignment.
• Integration with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry: Optimized to use high-resolution MS data with stringent MS search criteria to increase confidence in peptide validation.
• Two-Dimensional HFBA-Based Separation System: Employs a two-dimensional separation based on hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HFBA) to improve resolution and detection of citrullination sites.

Scientific Applications:

• P. gingivalis pathogenesis studies: Supports investigation of Porphyromonas gingivalis citrullinated epitopes and their potential links to rheumatoid arthritis.
• Outer membrane vesicle (OMV) analysis: Applied to analyze OMVs from wild-type, ΔPPAD, and C351A P. gingivalis strains to assess PPAD-dependent citrullination.
• Identification of citrullinated proteins and sites: Enabled identification of 78 citrullinated proteins encompassing 161 citrullination sites in wild-type OMVs and demonstrated absence of citrullination in ΔPPAD-OMVs with minimal findings in C351A-OMVs.

Methodology:

Combines two-dimensional HFBA-based separation with high-resolution mass spectrometry and stringent MS search criteria within a semi-automatic validation workflow.