Fragmentation behavior of glycated peptides derived from D-glucose, D-fructose and D-ribose in tandem mass spectrometry

Nonenzymatic glycosylation (or glycation) is a common nonenzymatic side-chain specific sequence-independent posttranslational modification formed by the reaction of reducing carbohydrates with free amino groups. Thus, proteins can react with aldoses or ketoses to yield Amadori or Heynes compounds, respectively. Here, the fragmentation behavior of D-glucose and D-ribose-derived Amadori peptides as well as D-fructose-derived Heynes peptides were studied by collision-induced fragmentation (CID) after electrospray (ESI) or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS). All three sugar moieties displayed characteristic fragmentation patterns accompanying the parent and the fragment ions, which could be explained by consecutive losses of water and formaldehyde. Glucose-derived Amadori parent and fragment ions displayed losses of 18, 36, 54, 72, and 84 u at a characteristic intensity distribution compared with losses of 18, 36, 54, 72, 84, and 96 u for D-fructose-derived ions and losses of 18, 36, and 54 u for ribose-derived ions. Furthermore, each sugar moiety produced indicative lysine-derived immonium ions that were successfully used in a precursor ion scan analysis to identify Amadori peptides in a tryptic digest of bovine serum albumin (BSA) glycated with D-glucose. BSA was modified on lysine residues at positions 36, 160, 235, 256, 401, and 548.     

Revisiting Amadori and Heyns synthesis: Critical percentage of acyclic form play the trick in addition to catalyst

Amadori and Heyns reaction are landmark reactions of carbohydrate chemistry. Synthesis of simple Amadori and Heyns compounds are complicated by various factors and require tedious column chromatographic or ion chromatographic separations. Herein, we report an improved catalytic method based on classical synthetic method of Amadori and Heyns compounds in light of new understanding of a factor governing the reaction. By utilizing the improved catalytic method, we have accomplished several Amadori compounds of d-tagatose and also numerous other Amadori and Heyns compounds.     

Detection of Amadori compounds by capillary electrophoresis coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

Capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS) is reported for the first time as an alternative and powerful analytical method for the characterization and monitoring of N-substituted 1-amino-1-deoxyketoses (Amadori compounds). It allows rapid separation and identification of Amadori compounds, while benefiting from the well-known advantages of MS, such as specificity and sensitivity. Amadori compounds of several amino acids, such as glycine, valine, isoleucine, methionine, proline, and phenylalanine, as well as a cysteine-derived compound, were separated and/or discriminated using CE-MS/MS under standard conditions. The technique may also be useful to study the stability and degradation kinetics of other labile charged Maillard intermediates that play an important role in food and medical science.     

Determination of important flavour precursor compounds (Amadori compounds) in cigarettes by LC-MS/MS

A simple and rapid determination of two Amadori compounds in cigarettes, 1-deoxy-1-L-proline-D-fructose (Fru-Pro) and 1-deoxy-1-L-alanine-D-fructose (Fru-Ala), which are the important intermediates in Maillard reaction, was achieved by HPLC-MS/MS. Eighty-eight commercial brand cigarettes of 5 different styles were employed to investigate their diversities on Fru-Pro and Fru-Ala. The contents of Fru-Pro and Fru-Ala in all cigarette samples correlate with each other. Comparison of the contents of two compounds reveals a substantial difference for different cigarettes: the contents of the two Amadori compounds in Chinese flue-cured cigarettes are remarkably higher than in British flue-cured, American, Japanese and Chinese blend cigarettes. This might be beneficial for using these two compounds as characteristic markers to identify the flavor-specific Chinese flue-cured cigarettes.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of complexes between peptide‐derived Amadori products and borate ions

Hexose‐modified peptides, products of the enzymatic hydrolysis of glycated proteins, could be used as markers of diabetes mellitus, the aging process and other diseases. The main difficulty in this approach is the detection of glycated peptides in the complex mixtures of compounds. In this study we investigated the formation of borate complexes of the peptide‐derived Amadori products by high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) experiments. It was found that the formation of a complex with the borate ion stabilizes the sugar moiety, resulting in the simplification of the fragmentation patterns of peptide‐derived Amadori products. The level of dehydration, as well as the elimination of formaldehyde from the precursor ions of borate complexes, was lower as compared to the free peptide. On the other hand the intensity of the b‐ and y‐type ions for borate complexes is significantly higher in comparison to the free peptide‐derived Amadori product. Moreover, the elimination of a whole hexose moiety was not detected in the examined peptides. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous quantification of ten Amadori compounds in tobacco using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Amadori compounds are aroma precursors formed in the initial phase of the Maillard reaction. Based on their similar structures, simultaneous quantification of more than six Amadori compounds in tobacco has not been reported yet. In this study, a simple and rapid method was developed to simultaneously quantify ten Amadori compounds including the isomers of Fructose‐isoleucine and Fructose‐leucine in tobacco. The separation was performed on an Atlantis T₃ column (2.1 × 250 mm, 5 μm) by gradient elution using acetonitrile and water as the mobile phases. The quantification method was systematically evaluated and proven to be sensitive and accurate. The linearity was good, with correlation coefficients of 0.9977–0.9999. The limits of detection and quantitation were 1.354–2.532 and 4.516–8.444 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries were 84.0–119.6%, and the relative standard deviations were 1.33–5.40%. The method was used to analyze the changes in the amounts of ten Amadori compounds in tobacco before and after tobacco primary processing. The analysis shows that the Maillard reaction occurs during the short processing period.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定烟草中5种Amadori化合物

建立了高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱（HPLC-QqQ MS）联用定量分析烟草中5种Amadori前香物质的方法。样品经含5%（v/v）甲醇的水提取后,采用Waters XBridge^TM Amide色谱柱（250 mm×4.6 mm,3.5 μm）、以甲醇-水为流动相进行分离,采用多反应监测（MRM）模式测定烟草样品中5种Amadori化合物的含量。结果表明,5种Amadori化合物的峰面积与质量浓度的线性关系良好,相关系数r为0.9895~0.9989;定量限（S/N=10）在10.18~44.58 μg/L,检出限（S/N=3）在3.51~14.86 μg/L;平均加标回收率为92.6%~123.6%,相对标准偏差（RSD）小于9.4%。本方法操作简便、灵敏度高、分析速度快,可以用于烟叶及卷烟中5种主要Amadori类物质的含量测定。     

H,C, Pt NMR study on platinum(II) interaction with sulphur containing Amadori compounds

The NMR study on the interaction of Pt(II) with Amadori compounds is performed. The Amadori compounds are derived from the reaction of β-d-glucose with l-cystine leading to N,N′-di-(1-deoxy-β-fructos-1-yl)-l-cystine [FruCyscys], and with l-methionine leading to N-(1-deoxy-β-fructos-1-yl)-l-methionine [FruMet].     

The early glycation products of the Maillard reaction: mass spectrometric characterization of novel imidazolidinones derived from an opioid pentapeptide and glucose

Glucose-substituted imidazolidinones related to the endogenous opioid peptide leucine-enkephalin have been investigated using fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry (FAB-MS/MS) and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). In addition to Amadori compounds, the studied imidazolidinones represent a novel type of the early glycation products formed in the Maillard reaction. To obtain insight into the fragmentation behavior of these carbohydrate-peptide adducts, we also studied synthetic precursors of the glucose-substituted imidazolidinones as well as the corresponding isopropylidene derivatives. The collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of [M + H](+) ions of all these imidazolidinones have been compared. Detailed analysis showed that fragmentation of each compound generates two ions at m/z 566 and m/z 598 which are characteristic and undoubtedly confirm the imidazolidinone-type structure. These two significant ions were identified as the M + 10 and M + 42 modifications of the N-terminus of the parent opioid pentapeptide effected by the carbohydrate moiety. Furthermore, the ion at m/z 178 is identified as the M + 42 modification of the immonium ion of the N-terminal amino acid (tyrosine) also effected by the carbohydrate moiety. They can be used as diagnostic ions for imidazolidinone-type compounds in studying the Maillard reaction. Thus, we have demonstrated the utility of FAB-MS/MS and ESI-MS/MS in the structural determination and identification of such novel peptide-carbohydrate adducts, useful in understanding the details of the mechanism of non-enzymatic glycation in vivo.     

A mechanistic study on the fragmentation of peptide‐derived Amadori products

Gas phase fragmentation of peptide‐derived Amadori products was investigated using synthetic compounds regioselectively deuterated as well as labeled with ¹⁸O at aminofructose moiety. The eliminated molecule CH₂O contains exclusively protons attached to carbon C6 of the aminofructose moiety. The hydrogen atoms connected with the carbon C1 of the aminofructose moiety are partially eliminated as a component of water molecules during the dehydration process and partially dislocated within the fragmented peptide molecule. The labeled oxygen atom attached to the carbon C2 is eliminated in 100% along with the first loss of water. The MS³ experiments revealed that the product ion formed by triple dehydration of the Amadori product does not eliminate the formaldehyde molecule. On the basis of these observations we proposed a hypothetical mechanism of Amadori products' fragmentation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glycation sites of human plasma proteins are affected to different extents by hyperglycemic conditions in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Glucose can modify proteins in human blood, forming early glycation products (e.g., Amadori compounds), which can slowly degrade to advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). AGEs contribute significantly to complications of diabetes mellitus and, thus, represent markers of advanced disease stages. They are, however, currently unsuitable for early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. Here, we report sensitive strategies to identify and relatively quantify protein glycation sites in human plasma samples obtained from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and age-matched nondiabetic individuals using a bottom-up approach. Specifically, Amadori peptides were enriched from tryptic digests by boronic acid affinity chromatography, separated by reversed-phase chromatography, and analyzed on-line by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Among the 52 Amadori peptides studied here were 20 peptides resembling 19 glycation sites in six human proteins detected at statistically significantly higher levels in T2DM than in the normoglycemic controls. Four positions appeared to be unique for T2DM within the detection limit. All 19 glycation sites represent promising new biomarker candidates for early diagnosis of T2DM and adequate therapeutic control, as they may indicate early metabolic changes preceding T2DM. Graphical Abstract

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Facile synthesis of pseudo-C-glycosyl p-amino-dl-phenylalanine building blocks via Amadori rearrangement

We studied the synthesis of pseudo-C-glycosyl amino acid via an Amadori rearrangement in aqueous solution using unprotected d-lactose and a tyrosine analogue: the p-amino-dl-phenylalanine. Two steps were necessary. In the first step, the N-glycosylation of d-lactose was carried out in aqueous conditions. The synthesized N-glycosylamine was stabilized in a second step by the formation of Amadori compound, the N-[β-d-galactosyl-1-4-(1-deoxyfructos-1-yl)]-p-amino-dl-phenylalanine. Products were purified and characterized by mass spectrometry and by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The influence of the temperature, the pH, the nature of acid and the concentration of the acid on the synthesis yield was examined in order to determine the optimum conditions of Amadori rearrangement. In the best conditions, 35% of p-amino-dl-phenylalanine was converted into N-[β-d-galactosyl-1-4-(1-deoxyfructos-1-yl)]-p-amino-dl-phenylalanine. For the N-glycosylation, a specific base catalysis took place in the media whereas a general acid catalysis was observed for the Amadori rearrangement using weak acids and with a temperature close to 75 °C. The Amadori compound from glucose [N-(1-deoxyfructopyranos-1-yl)-p-amino-dl-phenylalanine] was also synthesized and characterized by mass spectrometry and by ¹H and ¹³C NMR.     

Tracing glycoprotein structures: electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric analysis of sugar-peptide adducts

Owing to the diversity of carbohydrate structures and their significance for the function of many biopolymers, structural analysis of various carbohydrate-related compounds is of great importance. Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was used to establish the fragmentation behaviour of a range of sugar-peptide adducts as model compounds of widespread glycoprotein structures. The compounds used in this study were chosen to provide correlation of distinct fragment ions with specific structural differences, namely position and type of carbohydrate-peptide bond and structure of the sugar moiety. All compounds show N- and C-terminal sequence ions along with losses of up to three water molecules. Fructose-related Amadori compounds exhibit M + 78 modified N-terminal peptide fragment ions. Fragmentation of glucose-peptide esters is characterized by the sugar ring fragmentation. Additionally, under the ESI-MS conditions applied, the esters studied undergo intramolecular reaction giving cyclic sugar-peptide structures that can be traced by the presence of N-terminal peptide M + 42 adducts. Detailed analysis of cyclic fructose-related compound comprising structural features of both studied groups revealed a rich fragmentation pattern derived from amino acid residues and water molecules losses from [M - 2H(2)O + H](+) ion. Also, some interesting differences were found with respect to the nature of carbohydrate moieties.     

Computational studies on glyceraldehyde and glycine Maillard reaction—I

Mechanisms for the initial stage of glyceraldehyde and glycine Maillard reaction under different pH conditions have been proposed, following usually the Hodge-scheme. Computations have been performed on the mechanisms at the standard state to test the possibility of the formation of different compounds, through evaluating the changes in Gibb's free energy during the reaction. Electronic energy changes during the reaction have also been evaluated. Glyceraldehyde+deprotonated glycine reaction has been found to be the most favorable for the formation of the Amadori rearrangement products in both gaseous and aqueous states. Due to the possibility of the production of both enol and keto forms of the Amadori rearrangement product, the rate of browning in glyceraldehyde+deprotonated glycine reaction is assumed to be faster than the others. Glyceraldehyde+unionized glycine reaction has been found to be more plausible for the formation of the keto form of the Amadori rearrangement products, particularly, in the gaseous phase. Glyceraldehyde+protonated glycine and glyceraldehyde+glycine zwitterion reactions are not favorable for the formation of the Amadori rearrangement products. Formation of hydroxyacetaldehyde from glyceralaldehyde, as one of the possible C2-fragmentation product, has been found to be favorable in the aqueous state.     

High- and low-spin Fe(III) complexes of various AGE inhibitors

Density functional theory calculations [CPCM/UM06/6-31+G(d,p)] were used to elucidate the structures and relative stability of Fe(III) complexes with various ligands that inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) or iron overloaded disease (viz. aminoguanidine, pyridoxamine, LR-74, Amadori compounds, and ascorbic acid). EDTA was used as the free energy reference ligand. The distorted neutral octahedral complex containing one iron atom and three molecules of pyridoxamine [Fe(PM)(3)] was found to be the most stable. The stability of the complexes decreases in the following chelate sequence: pyridoxamine, Amadori complex, aminoguanidine, LR inhibitor, and ascorbic acid.     

Application of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the characterization of galactosylated and tagatosylated β-lactoglobulin peptides derived from in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

This article describes a comprehensive characterization of bovine β-lactoglobulin peptides glycated with an aldohexose (galactose) or a ketohexose (tagatose), derived from in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, by liquid chromatography coupled to positive electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometry. In addition to the dissociation pathway previously described for aldohexoses-derived Amadori compounds, i.e. formation of the pyrylium ([M+H]⁺-54) and furylium ions ([M+H]⁺-84) via the oxonium ion ([M+H]⁺-18), another and more direct fragmentation route involving the formation of the imminium ion ([M+H]⁺-150) is also reported following extensive glycation rates of β-lactoglobulin with both carbohydrates. These results indicated that the analysis of digested proteins by LC-ESI-MS² on a three-dimensional ion trap monitoring neutral losses is an efficient and direct method to identify peptides glycated not only through the Amadori rearrangement but also via the Heyns rearrangement. Nevertheless, as the predominating MS² fragmentation pattern of the glycated peptides is derived from the sugar moiety, the sequence-informative b- and y-ions resulting from peptide backbone cleavage were undetected. To overcome this drawback, and taking advantage of multi-stage fragmentation capabilities of ion traps, the indicative Amadori and Heyns-derived imminium ions were successfully used in MS³ analyses to identify the peptide backbone, as well as the specific glycation site. In addition, further MS⁴ analyses were needed to carry out the characterization of doubly glycated peptides.     

Acrylamide formation in food: a mechanistic perspective

Earliest reports on the origin of acrylamide in food have confirmed asparagine as the main amino acid responsible for its formation. Available evidence suggests that sugars and other carbonyl compounds play a specific role in the decarboxylation process of asparagine, a necessary step in the generation of acrylamide. It has been proposed that Schiff base intermediate formed between asparagine and the sugar provides a low energy alternative to the decarboxylation from the intact Amadori product through generation and decomposition of oxazolidin-5-one intermediate, leading to the formation of a relatively stable azomethine ylide. Literature data indicate the propensity of such protonated ylides to undergo irreversible 1,2-prototropic shift and produce, in this case, decarboxylated Schiff bases which can easily rearrange into corresponding Amadori products. Decarboxylated Amadori products can either undergo the well known beta-elimination process initiated by the sugar moiety to produce 3-aminopropanamide and 1-deoxyglucosone or undergo 1,2-elimination initiated by the amino acid moiety to directly generate acrylamide. On the other hand, the Schiff intermediate can either hydrolyze and release 3-aminopropanamide or similarly undergo amino acid initiated 1,2-elimination to directly form acrylamide. Other thermolytic pathways to acrylamide--considered marginal at this stage--via the Strecker aldehyde, acrolein, and acrylic acid, are also addressed. Despite significant progress in the understanding of the mechanistic aspects of acrylamide formation, concrete evidence for the role of the different proposed intermediates in foods is still lacking.     

Separation of amino acids, peptides and corresponding Amadori compounds on a silica column at elevated temperature

Maillard reaction of glucose with amino acids and peptides has become a very important experimental model in the food flavor and pharmaceutical industries for better understanding the mechanism of food flavor generation and drug stability. Because of the amino acid and sugar functional groups present in their structures, most of the reaction components formed during the initial stages of Maillard reaction as well as the substrates are relatively polar. These compounds are poorly retained on a conventional reversed phase column. While polar stationary phases like HILIC column do provide better retention for these polar components, method selectivity could still be a challenge due to the structural similarity between these analytes. In this report, parameters such as pH, mobile phase composition and temperature were investigated using different brands of bare silica columns in order to separate glycine (G), diglycine (DG), triglycine (TG), and the corresponding Amadori compounds of glucose-glycine (GG), glucose-diglycine (GDG) and glucose-triglycine (GTG). An excellent separation for glycine, glycine peptides and their Amadori compounds was obtained on a bare silica column at an elevated temperature.     

Selective Detection of Carbohydrates and Their Peptide Conjugates by ESI-MS Using Synthetic Quaternary Ammonium Salt Derivatives of Phenylboronic Acids

We present new tags based on the derivatives of phenylboronic acid and apply them for the selective detection of sugars and peptide-sugar conjugates in mass spectrometry. We investigated the binding of phenylboronic acid and its quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) derivatives to carbohydrates and peptide-derived Amadori products by HR-MS and MS/MS experiments. The formation of complexes between sugar or sugar-peptide conjugates and synthetic tags was confirmed on the basis of the unique isotopic distribution resulting from the presence of boron atom. Moreover, incorporation of a quaternary ammonium salt dramatically improved the efficiency of ionization in mass spectrometry. It was found that the formation of a complex with phenylboronic acid stabilizes the sugar moiety in glycated peptides, resulting in simplification of the fragmentation pattern of peptide-derived Amadori products. The obtained results suggest that derivatization of phenylboronic acid as QAS is a promising method for sensitive ESI-MS detection of carbohydrates and their conjugates formed by non-enzymatic glycation or glycosylation.

Flophemesyl derivatives of alcohols,phenols, amines and carboxylic acids: Derivatives for mass spectrometric ion monitoring and structure determination

The flophemesyl (or pentafluorophenyldimethylsilyl) derivatives of representative alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids and amines show rather simple spectra with a few abundant ions at high mass, characteristic of the parent compound and a few ions at low mass characteristic of the flophemesyl group. These derivatives are useful in the structure determination of simple compounds, and for the determination by single or multiple ion monitoring of known compounds at low levels.