天冬氨酸作为非特异性吸附抑制剂在二氧化钛选择性富集磷酸肽中的应用

二氧化钛富集法作为目前使用最为广泛的金属氧化物富集磷酸肽的方法,在富集过程中常常对富含天冬氨酸和谷氨酸的酸性非磷酸化肽段存在一定的非特异性吸附作用。这些肽段与磷酸化肽段一同被富集,降低了磷酸肽富集的选择性。传统方法中使用的非特异性吸附抑制剂常会对质谱的电喷雾离子源造成污染,因而限制了其在液相色谱-质谱联用(LC-MS)系统中的应用。本研究将天冬氨酸作为一种新型的非特异性吸附抑制剂加入到二氧化钛富集体系中,并分别对3种和9种标准蛋白质酶切肽段混合物进行富集实验,同时与添加另一种非特异性吸附抑制剂——谷氨酸以及不添加任何非特异性吸附抑制剂的富集体系进行了富集效果的比较。结果表明,天冬氨酸可以有效地提高二氧化钛对磷酸肽富集的选择性。将添加天冬氨酸的二氧化钛富集体系应用于鼠肝全蛋白质磷酸肽的富集中,同样取得了很好的效果,表明天冬氨酸在复杂的生物样本的磷酸肽富集中也同样具有良好的应用前景。此外,由于天冬氨酸在反相色谱中极易被洗脱去除,从而避免了传统抑制剂对LC-MS系统离子源的污染问题。     

Comparison of metal and metal oxide media for phosphopeptide enrichment prior to mass spectrometric analyses

Several affinity resins consisting of ionic metals or metal oxides were investigated for their phosphopeptide enrichment capabilities with subsequent mass spectrometric analyses. Commercially-available enrichment metal oxide affinity chromatography (MOAC) resins using manufacturer’s and/or published protocols were compared and evaluated for the most efficient and selective method that could be implemented as a standard enrichment procedure. From these comparative analyses, using a tryptic digest of casein proteins, it was determined that in our hands, two of the resins out-performed the others based on a variety of criteria, including the number of phosphorylation sites identified during MS analyses, the lower numbers of nonspecifically bound peptides observed, and the limits of detection. Applicability of these enrichment resins to a complex biological mixture was investigated. For this work, a mixture of avian histones was digested, subjected to titanium dioxide phosphopeptide enrichment, and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Eight phosphorylated tryptic peptides were observed following enrichment and subsequent LC/MS/MS analyses. Of note, seven of the eight phosphopeptides were not observed without titanium dioxide enrichment. From these analyses, four sites of phosphorylation were unequivocally determined, two of which have not been reported previously. Four additional phosphopeptides were observed; however, the site of phosphorylation could not be distinguished but was localized to one of two possible amino acids. These methods should aid in the investigation of proteins post-translationally modified with phosphate, especially those present at low concentrations as was demonstrated by successful enrichment at the femtomole level.     

Development of core–shell structure Fe3O4@Ta2O5 microspheres for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides for mass spectrometry analysis

Protein phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications. Due to the dynamic nature and low stoichiometry of the protein phosphorylation, enrichment of phosphopeptides from proteolytic mixtures is often necessary prior to their characterization by mass spectrometry. Many metal oxides such as titanium dioxide and zirconium dioxide have been successfully applied to isolation and enrichment of phosphopeptides. Recently, niobium pentoxide was proved to have the ability for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides. Considering the proximity of tantalum to niobium, we supposed that Ta₂O₅ can be used as affinity probes for phosphopeptide enrichment. In the work, we synthesized Fe₃O₄@Ta₂O₅ magnetic microspheres with core–shell structure for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides. To demonstrate its ability for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides, we applied Fe₃O₄@Ta₂O₅ magnetic microspheres to isolation and enrichment of the phosphopeptides from tryptic digestion of standard proteins and real samples, and then the enriched peptides were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry analysis (MALDI-MS) or liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS). Experiment results demonstrate that Ta₂O₅ coated-magnetic microspheres show the excellent potential for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides.     

Coupling of TiO(2)-mediated enrichment and on-bead guanidinoethanethiol labeling for effective phosphopeptide analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Titanium dioxide (TiO2)-mediated phosphopeptide enrichment has been introduced as an effective method for extracting phosphopeptides from highly complex peptide mixtures. Chemical labeling by beta-elimination/Michael addition is also useful for increasing mass intensity in phosphopeptide analysis. Both of these methods were coupled in order to simultaneously enrich phosphopeptides and allow for detection and sequencing of the enriched peptides with high mass sensitivity. Phosphopeptides were successfully enriched on TiO2 beads without the use of any hydroxy acid additives like 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid. Labeling was accomplished on-bead with a guanidinoethanethiol (GET) tag containing a guanidine moiety. These GET-labeled derivatives were detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). GET labeling converted phosphoserine into guanidinoethylcysteine, a structural arginine-mimic. In particular, GET-labeled lysine-terminated phosphopeptides showed dramatically increased peak intensities compared to those of the corresponding intact phosphopeptides. Additionally, the on-bead labeling minimized manipulation steps and sample loss. The coupled technique was also further validated by applying to the analysis of phosphopeptides from complex tryptic digests of phosphoprotein mixtures.     

Selective detection of phosphopeptides in complex mixtures by electrospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A mass spectrometry-based method that does not involve the use of radiolabeling was developed for selective detection of phosphopeptides in complex mixtures. Mixtures of phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated peptides at the low picomole level are analyzed by negative ion electrospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using C-18 packed fused-silica columns (≤320-μm i.d.). Peptides and phosphopeptides in the chromatographic eluant undergo collision-induced dissociation in the free-jet expansion region prior to the mass analyzing quadrupole. Using relatively high collisional excitation potentials, phospho|peptides containing phosphoserine, phosphothreonine, and phosphotyrosine fragment to yield diagnostic ions at m/z 63 and 79 corresponding to PO₂ ^?; and PO₃ ^?, respectively. Chromatographic peaks containing phosphopeptides are indicated where these diagnostic ions maximize. The highest sensitivity for phosphopeptide detection is obtained using selected-ion monitoring for m/z 63 and 79. Full-scan mass spectra that exhibit the diagnostic phosphopeptide fragment ions, together with pseudomolecular ions, may be obtained by stepping the collisional excitation potential from a high value during the portion of each scan in which the low-mass-to-charge ratio diagnostic marker ions are being detected to a lower value while the upper mass-to-charge ratio range is being scanned. Good sensitivity for phosphopeptide detection was achieved using standard trifluoroacetic acid containing mobile phases for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Data illustrating the selectivity and sensitivity of the approach are presented for mixtures of peptides and phosphopeptides containing the three commonly phosphorylated amino acids.     

Dynamic identification of phosphopeptides using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography enrichment, subsequent partial beta-elimination/chemical tagging and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis

The enrichment of phosphopeptides using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis is a powerful protocol for detecting phosphopeptides and analyzing their phosphorylation state. However, nonspecific binding peptides, such as acidic, nonphosphorylated peptides, often coelute and make analyses of mass spectra difficult. This study used a partial chemical tagging reaction of a phosphopeptide mixture, enriched by IMAC and contaminated with nonspecific binding peptides, following a modified beta-elimination/Michael addition method, and dynamic mass analysis of the resulting peptide pool. Mercaptoethanol was used as a chemical tag and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) immobilized on Sepharose beads was used for IMAC enrichment. The time-dependent dynamic mass analysis of the partially tagged reaction mixture detected intact phosphopeptides and their mercaptoethanol-tagged derivatives simultaneously by their mass difference (-20 Da for each phosphorylation site). The number of new peaks appearing with the mass shift gave the number of multiply phosphorylated sites in a phosphopeptide. Therefore, this partial chemical tagging/dynamic mass analysis method can be a powerful tool for rapid and efficient phosphopeptide identification and analysis of the phosphorylation state concurrently using only MS analysis data.     

Titanium-containing magnetic mesoporous silica spheres: effective enrichment of peptides and simultaneous separation of nonphosphopeptides and phosphopeptides

Protein phosphorylation is a common posttranslational modification, and involved in many cellular processes. Like endogenous peptides, endogenous phosphopeptides contain many biomarkers of preclinical screening and disease diagnosis. In this work, titanium-containing magnetic mesoporous silica spheres were synthesized and applied for effective enrichment of peptides from both tryptic digests of standard proteins and human serum. Besides, the enriched peptides can be further separated into nonphosphopeptides and phosphopeptides by a simple elution. First, titanium-containing magnetic mesoporous silica spheres were synthesized by a sol-gel method and found to have high surface area, narrow pore size distribution, and useful magnetic responsivity. Then, as the prepared material was used for selective capturing of phosphopeptides, it demonstrated to have higher selectivity than commercial titanium dioxide. Moreover, via combination of size-exclusion mechanism, hydrophobic interaction, and affinity chromatography, titanium-containing magnetic mesoporous silica spheres were successfully applied to simultaneously extract and separate nonphosphopeptides and phosphopeptides from standard protein digestion and human serum.     

基于TMT10-plex等量标记结合SMOAC富集磷酸肽的定量磷酸化蛋白质组性能评价

探索并建立了一种快速、 简便且高通量定量磷酸化蛋白质组的策略, 即采用连续互补的磷酸化富集方法SMOAC(Sequential enrichment of metal oxide affinity chromatography)结合TMT(Tandem mass tag)标记技术定量磷酸化蛋白质组学. 以3例经紫草素处理的及3例正常的人肝癌 HepG2 细胞为实验材料, 经Trypsin酶解后的肽段用TMT10-plex试剂进行等量标记, 标记肽段先经TiO₂富集, 收集包含磷酸化肽段的洗脱液, 接着用次氮基三醋酸铁(Fe-NTA)对TiO₂的流穿液和清洗液进行二次富集, 再次收集包含磷酸化肽段的洗脱液. 整个实验流程做2组, 对其中一组的2次洗脱液分别分析, 另一组的2次洗脱液合并分析. 在SMOAC的2次洗脱液合并分析中鉴定到4263个磷酸化蛋白上超过13000条磷酸化肽, 富集特异性>97%, 其中被定量的磷酸化蛋白为3848个, 占总鉴定量的90%以上. 研究结果表明, SMOAC 能够有效提高磷酸化肽段的鉴定效率, 且能与TMT等量标记试剂结合, 实现对少量蛋白样品的磷酸化蛋白定量分析.     

Mesoporous TiO2 aerogel for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides in rat liver mitochondria

The enrichment of low abundance phosphopeptides before MS analysis is a critical step for in-depth phosphoproteome research. In this study, mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO₂) aerogel was prepared by precipitation and supercritical drying. The specific surface area up to 490.7 m² g⁻¹ is achieved by TiO₂ aerogel, much higher than those obtained by commercial TiO₂ nanoparticles and by the latest reported mesoporous TiO₂ spheres. Due to the large specific surface area and the mesoporous structure of the aerogel, the binding capacity for phosphopeptides is six times higher than that of conventional TiO₂ microparticles (173 vs 28 μmol g⁻¹). Because of the good compatibility of enrichment procedure with MALDI-TOF-MS and the large binding capacity of TiO₂ aerogel, a detection limit as low as 30 amol for analyzing phosphopeptides in β-casein digest was achieved. TiO₂ aerogel was further applied to enrich phosphopeptides from rat liver mitochondria, and 266 unique phosphopeptides with 340 phosphorylation sites, corresponding to 216 phosphoprotein groups, were identified by triplicate nanoRPLC-ESI-MS/MS runs, with false-positive rate less than 1% at the peptide level. These results demonstrate that TiO₂ aerogel is a kind of promising material for sample pretreatment in the large-scale phosphoproteome study.     

纳升级电喷雾离子源-四极杆-飞行时间质谱中磷酸化肽的离子抑制作用

目前磷酸化蛋白质组学研究中的主要技术是蛋白质酶解产生的磷酸化肽的质谱检测。但是实际样品中的磷酸化肽(特别是多磷酸化肽)很难被检测到。其原因普遍认为是由于质谱检测时,非磷酸化肽抑制磷酸化肽。但也有认为非磷酸化肽对磷酸化肽没有抑制作用。另外磷酸化肽之间是否存在离子抑制作用还没有报道。本文采用相同氨基酸序列的标准磷酸化肽和非磷酸化肽,将其单独和混合进行质谱检测,通过对比混合前后磷酸化肽的信号强度,证明了非磷酸化肽对磷酸化肽有离子抑制作用;单磷酸化肽对二磷酸化肽有一定的抑制作用,但不太显著;单磷酸化肽对三磷酸化肽、二磷酸化肽对三磷酸化肽均有显著的离子抑制作用。该研究为今后单磷酸化肽和多磷酸化肽的分段富集和检测提供了有力的证明。     

Sequential Fe3O4/TiO2 enrichment for phosphopeptide analysis by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Protein phosphorylation regulates a wide range of cellular functions and is associated with signaling pathways in cells. Various strategies for enrichment of phosphoproteins or phosphopeptides have been developed. Here, we developed a novel sequential phosphopeptide enrichment method, using magnetic iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles, to detect mono‐ and multi‐phosphorylated peptides. In the first step, phosphopeptides were captured on Fe₃O₄ particles. In a subsequent step, any residual phosphopeptides were captured on TiO₂ particles. The particles were eluted and rinsed to yield phosphopeptide‐enriched fractions that were combined and analyzed using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The validity of this sequential Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ enrichment strategy was demonstrated by the successful enrichment of bovine α‐casein phosphopeptides. We then applied the sequential Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ enrichment method to the analysis of phosphopeptides in L6 muscle cell lysates and successfully identified mono‐ and multi‐phosphorylated peptides. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facile fabrication of hydrophilic PAA-Ti/TiO2 nanocomposite for selective enrichment and detection of phosphopeptides from complex biological samples

Highly selective enrichment of trace phosphorylated proteins or peptides from complex biological samples is of profound significance for the discovery of disease biomarkers in biological systems. In this study, a novel affinity material has been synthesized to improve the enrichment specificity for phosphopeptides by using PAAS as coupling molecule. In the resulting materials, highly abundant titanium is available for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides, with plenty of carboxylate groups that can inhibit nonspecific adsorption. The enrichment results demonstrated that the hydrophilic PAA-Ti/TiO₂ composite possesses excellent selectivity for phosphopeptides even at a very low molar ratio of phosphopeptides/non-phosphopeptides (1:1000), extreme sensitivity (the detection limit was at the fmol level), and high recovery of phosphopeptides (as high as 78%). Moreover, the as-prepared nanocomposite provides effective enrichment of phosphopeptides from real samples (mouse liver), showing great potential in the detection of low-abundance phosphopeptides in biological samples.     

Nanodiamond-based two-step sampling of multiply and singly phosphorylated peptides for MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis

Simultaneous detection of multiply and singly phosphorylated peptides using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is challenging because of suppression effects during ionization. In oder to overcome this problem, this study presents a new approach to improve the detection of phosphopeptides by stepwise enrichment using polyarginine-coated (PA-coated) and titanium dioxide-coated (TiO(2)-coated) nanodiamonds for fractionation of multiply and singly phosphorylated peptides prior to on-probe MALDI MS analysis. The feasibility of this approach was demonstrated using synthetic peptides containing different numbers of phosphate groups, tryptic digests of α-casein, β-casein, and complex protein mixtures. The high specificity of the approach is shown in its effective enrichment and fractionation of phosphopeptides from the digest of β-casein and bovine serum albumin at a molar ratio as low as 1 : 1000, which out-performs the commercial Fe(3+)-IMAC and TiO(2) isolation kits. It offers a simple and effective alternative for the fractionation and identification of multiply and singly phosphorylated peptides by MALDI MS and allows for deduction of more information from limited starting materials.     

The relative influence of phosphorylation and methylation on responsiveness of peptides to MALDI and ESI mass spectrometry

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of post‐translational protein modifications by mass spectrometry is often hampered by changes in the ionization/detection efficiencies caused by amino acid modifications. This paper reports a comprehensive study of the influence of phosphorylation and methylation on the responsiveness of peptides to matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Using well‐characterized synthetic peptide mixtures consisting of modified peptides and their unmodified analogs, relative ionization/detection efficiencies of phosphorylated, monomethylated, and dimethylated peptides were determined. Our results clearly confirm that the ion yields are generally lower and the signal intensities are reduced with phosphopeptides than with their nonphosphorylated analogs and that this has to be taken into account in MALDI and ESI mass spectrometry. However, the average reduction of ion yield caused by phosphorylation is more pronounced with MALDI than with ESI. The unpredictable impact of phosphorylation does not depend on the hydrophobicity and net charge of the peptide, indicating that reliable quantification of phosphorylation by mass spectrometry requires the use of internal standards. In contrast to phosphorylation, mono‐ and dimethylated peptides frequently exhibit increased signal intensities in MALDI mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS). Despite minor matrix‐dependent variability, MALDI methods are well suited for the sensitive detection of dimethylated arginine and lysine peptides. Mono‐ and dimethylation of the arginine guanidino group did not significantly influence the ionization efficiency of peptides in ESI‐MS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of a TiO2 nanoparticle-deposited capillary column by liquid phase deposition and its application in phosphopeptide analysis

Analysis of phosphopeptides from complex mixtures derived from proteolytic digestion of biological samples is a challenging yet highly important task. Since phosphopeptides are usually present in small amounts, enrichment is often necessary prior to their characterization by mass spectrometry. In this study, a thin layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) was deposited onto the surface of capillary column by liquid phase deposition (LPD) technique and applied to selectively concentrate phosphopeptides from protein digest products. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of using liquid phase deposition to construct in-tube solid phase microextraction devices for biological analysis. By coupling the device off-line or on-line with mass spectrometry analysis, experiments for systematic optimization of loading and washing conditions were carried out, and good trapping selectivity of TiO2 NP-deposited capillary columns towards phosphopeptides was demonstrated.     

In‐situ enrichment of phosphopeptides on MALDI plates modified by ambient ion landing

We report substantial in‐situ enrichment of phosphopeptides in peptide mixtures using titanium and zirconium dioxide‐coated matrix assisted laser desorption‐ionization (MALDI) plates prepared by recently reported ambient ion landing deposition technique. The technique was able to modify four common materials currently used for MALDI targets (stainless steel, aluminum, indium‐tin oxide glass and polymeric anchor chip). The structure of the deposited dioxide was investigated by electron microscopy, and different surfaces were compared and discussed in this study. Two standard proteins were used to test the enrichment capabilities of modified MALDI plates: casein and in‐vitro phosphorylated trehalase. The enrichment of casein tryptic digest resulted in identification of 20 phosphopeptides (including miscleavages). Trehalase was used as a suitable model of larger protein that provided more complex peptide mixture after the trypsin digestion. All four possible phosphorylation sites in trehalase were identified and up to seven phosphopetides were found (including methionine oxidations and miscleavages). Two different mass spectrometers, MALDI‐Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) and MALDI‐time of flight, were used to detect the phosphopeptides from modified MALDI plates after the enrichment procedure. It was observed that the desorption‐ionization phenomena on the modified surfaces are not critically influenced by the parameters of the different MALDI ion sources (e.g. different pressure, different extraction voltages), and thus the presence of dioxide layer on the standard MALDI plate does not significantly interfere with the main MALDI processes. The detection of phosphopeptides after the enrichment could be done by both instruments. Desorption electrospray ionization coupled to the FTICR was also tested, but, unlike MALDI, it did not provide satisfactory results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facile preparation of titanium phosphate‐modified chitosan for selective capture of phosphopeptides

A facile two‐step method for preparing chitosan‐based immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography was developed. First, chitosan was phosphorylated by esterification with phosphoric acid, and then titanium was chelated onto the phosphorylated chitosan. The obtained chitosan‐based titanium immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography was ultrafine microparticles and had good dispersibility in acidic buffer. The selectivity and sensitivity were evaluated by phosphopeptide enrichment of mixtures of α‐casein and bovine serum albumin. The enriched peptides were analyzed by mass spectrum. Enrichment protocols were optimized and the optimum‐loading buffer was 80% acetonitrile with 1% trifluoroacetic acid. With α‐casein concentration as low as 2 pmol, 12 phosphopeptides were detected with considerably high intensity from the digest mixtures of α‐casein and bovine serum albumin with molar ratio of 1:200. The microparticles was also applied in real biological samples, 29 phosphoproteins containing 40 phosphorylated sites were identified from salt‐stressed Arabidopsis thaliana leaves.     

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle coating of polymethacrylate-based chromatographic monoliths for phosphopetides enrichment

Metal oxide affinity chromatography has been one of the approaches for specific enrichment of phosphopeptides from complex samples, based on specific phosphopeptide adsorption forming bidentate chelates between phosphate anions and the surface of a metal oxide, such as TiO₂, ZrO₂, Fe₂O₃, and Al₂O₃. Due to convective mass transfer, flow-independent resolution and high dynamic binding capacity, monolith chromatographic supports have become important in studies where high resolution and selectivity are required. Here, we report the first synthesis and characterization of immobilisation of rutile TiO₂ nanoparticles onto organic monolithic chromatographic support (CIM-OH-TiO₂). We demonstrate the specificity of CIM-OH-TiO₂ column for enrichment of phosphopeptides by studying chromatographic separation of model phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated peptides as well as proving the phosphopeptide enrichment of digested bovine α-casein. The work described here opens the possibility for a faster, more selective enrichment of phosphopeptides from biological samples that will enable future advances in studying protein phosphorylation.     

Facile synthesis of hydrophilic polyamidoxime polymers as a novel solid-phase extraction matrix for sequential characterization of glyco- and phosphoproteomes

Selective enrichment of glycopeptides or phosphopeptides with great biological significance is essential for high-throughput mass spectrometry analysis. However, most previously reported methods only focused on enriching either glycopeptides or phosphopeptides rather than enriching them both. In this work, for the first time, a facile route was developed for the synthesis of polyamidoxime polymers with intrinsic hydrophilic skeletons and attractive long chain structure. The polyamidoxime materials (co-PAN) were synthesized from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor and were successfully used for selective enrichment of glycopeptides. After that, co-PAN as a matrix functionalized with titanium ions (co-PAN@Ti⁴⁺) could efficiently enrich phosphopeptides. The performances of the polymers for sequential selective and effective enrichment of glycopeptides and phosphopeptides were evaluated with standard peptide mixtures and human serum. Moreover, the efficiency of enrichment of the material was still retained after being used repeatedly. These results demonstrated that the polymers showed great potential in the practical application of proteomics.     

pI-based phosphopeptide enrichment combined with nanoESI-MS

IEF is introduced as a new principle for enrichment and separation of phosphopeptides as obtained after digestion of phosphoproteins by trypsin. Tryptic peptides and phosphopeptides exhibit pI values, which overlap in the range of about 4-6. However, after methyl esterification of all carboxyl functions, the pI values of tryptic peptides and phosphopeptides regroup in discrete clusters. In addition, mono- and diphosphorylated peptides show different but very homogeneous pI values, with variations when internal Arg, Lys, or His residues are present. Experimentally, this new concept was applied for separation of model peptides on IPG strips pH 3-10 as used in the first dimension of 2-DE. After IEF of methyl-esterified peptides, the IPG strip was cut into pieces followed by peptide extraction, desalting and MS analysis by nanoESI-MS. Phosphopeptides were found to focus in good agreement with their calculated pI values. This analytical strategy showed a resolution of about 0.2 pI units, and thus turned out to be capable of detecting minor differences in pI values, such as those occurring between pSer, pThr and pTyr residues. Using IPG strips with a pI range of 3-10, methyl esterified nonphosphorylated tryptic peptides are concentrated in the basic part of the IPG strip or even leave the strip. Thus, efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides and their subfractionation according to pI is obtained in one step. Minor hydrolytic side reactions including deamidation of Asn and partial hydrolysis of methyl esters are observed. The results show that IEF opens attractive avenues for the further advancement of analytical phosphoproteomics.