Abstract

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex assembly of proteins that provide interstitial scaffolding and elastic recoil to human lungs. The pulmonary extracellular matrix (ECM) is increasingly recognized as an independent bioactive entity by creating biochemical and mechanical signals that influence disease pathogenesis, making it an attractive therapeutic target. However, the pulmonary ECM proteome ("matrisome") remains challenging to analyze by mass spectrometry due to its inherent biophysical properties and relatively low abundance. Here, we introduce a strategy designed for rapid and efficient characterization of the human pulmonary ECM using the photocleavable surfactant Azo. We coupled this approach with trapped ion mobility MS with diaPASEF to maximize depth of matrisome coverage. Using this strategy, we identify nearly 400 unique matrisome proteins with excellent reproducibility that are known to be important in lung biology, including key insoluble ECM proteins.