Analysis of peptides and protein digests by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry using neutral pH elution conditions

In this study, the advantages of carrying out the analysis of peptides and tryptic digests of proteins under gradient elution conditions at pH 6.5 by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and in-line electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) are documented. For these RP separations, a double endcapped, bidentate anchored n-octadecyl wide pore silica adsorbent was employed in a capillary column format. Compared to the corresponding analysis of the same peptides and protein tryptic digests using low pH elution conditions for their RP-HPLC separation, this alternative approach provides improved selectivity and more efficient separation of these analytes, thus allowing a more sensitive identification of proteins at different abundance levels, i.e. more tryptic peptides from the same protein could be confidently identified, enabling higher sequence coverage of the protein to be obtained. This approach was further evaluated with very complex tryptic digests derived from a human plasma protein sample using an online two-dimensional (2D) strong cation-exchange (SCX)-RP-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS system. Again, at pH 6.5, with mobile phases of different compositions, improved chromatographic selectivities were obtained, concomitant with more sensitive on-line electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-MS/MS) analysis. As a consequence, more plasma proteins could be confidently identified, highlighting the potential of these RP-HPLC methods with elution at pH 6.5 to extend further the scope of proteomic investigations.     

高效液相色谱-电喷雾质谱联用分析PPMP衍生化的壳寡糖

以1-(4-异丙基)苯基-3-甲基-5-吡唑啉酮(PPMP)为衍生化试剂在氨水介质中对壳寡糖链进行衍生化,衍生化产物用RP-HPLC分离和ESI-MS分析。结果表明在确定的衍生化条件下,PPMP和壳寡糖的衍生化产物主要为单分子衍生物,此单分子PPMP衍生物在ESI-MS的正负离子模式下均有较好的响应,并且在RP-HPLC柱上能够实现很好的分离。据此建立了PPMP柱前衍生HPLC/ESI-MS在线联用检测壳寡糖混合物组成的方法。该法可作为壳寡糖样品在质量控制、构效关系研究等方面的方法参考。     

Determination of Abnormal Hemoglobins by the Combined use of Reversed-Phase high Performance Liquid Chromatography and Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Separation by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) of peptide mixtures obtained from tryptic digestion of abnormal human hemoglobins and subsequent analysis by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) of selected peptides allow unambiguous, rapid identification of the hemoglobin variants. By this method two varied hemoglobins, Hb D Punjab and Hb J Sardegna, have been determined. The methodology described, which is simple and reliable, could be used for the detection and structural identification of known and unknown Hb variants, without amino acid (a.a.) or sequence analysis.     

Enhanced mass detection of oligonucleotides using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry

A new method providing enhanced sensitivity for the analysis of oligonucleotides using an on-line coupled system of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has been developed. The presented method allows the use of the standard gradient elution of 0.1 M triethylammonium acetate (TEAA) buffer (adjusted to pH 7.0 with acetic acid) and acetonitrile that is typically used for the separation of oligonucleotides in RP-HPLC. An added feature of this method is the ability to combine and mix additional 0.1 M imidazole in acetonitrile after the separation column for improved ESI-MS performance. This is similar to the post-column reaction method in liquid chromatography (LC) and the liquid sheath flow method in LC/ESI-MS, both of which offer the advantage of not compromising the chromatographic separation conditions. The application of this new method is demonstrated to afford improved sensitivity for the analysis of oligonucleotides (20-50 mer) via on-line coupled HPLC/ESI-MS analysis and purification systems.     

Electrospray mass spectrometry in the clinical diagnosis of variant hemoglobins

A combination of mass spectrometric (MS) techniques [electrospray MS, liquid secondary ion MS (LSIMS) and MS-MS] has been used for variant hemoglobin (Hb) detection and characterization. Electrospray MS allowed analysis of mixtures of intact globins giving simultaneously the molecular weights (accuracy 1-2 Da) and information about relative amounts of globins present. Currently, 14 Da is the minimum molecular weight difference required experimentally to accurately measure different species present in a mixture of 15-16 kDa proteins. Thus 80 and 79% of the known variants of alpha and beta chains, respectively, can be detected in mixtures with their normal counterparts, including Hb S (molecular weight difference = 30 Da). Abnormal hemoglobins detected were fractionated by C4 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the separated globin chains (or the mixture of whole precipitated globin) were digested by trypsin. The tryptic peptides were separated by C18 reversed-phase HPLC and analyzed by LSIMS to narrow down the mutation site to a single peptide. The mass measured in LSIMS frequently corresponded to a unique structure, thus giving the unequivocal identification of the mutation and its site. Where there was ambiguity, tandem MS on a Kratos Concept four-sector instrument was used for sequencing the abnormal peptide. The practical use of the methodologies presented is illustrated through analysis and identification of Hb G-San Jose, Hb Stanleyville II, Hb S and Hb Willamette.     

Peptide mapping with mobile phases of intermediate pH value using capillary reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

This investigation describes the separation of tryptic peptides by capillary reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with eluents in the intermediate pH range, followed by in-line electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) analysis. For these purposes, gradient elution procedures with an aqueous eluent containing 20 mM ammonium formate, and an increasing content of acetonitrile or methanol, were employed. Compared to the analysis of the same tryptic peptides under low-pH conditions with an ion-pairing reagent, the increase in the pH with the 20 mM ammonium formate mobile phase led to significant changes in both peptide retention to the reversed-phase column and the collision-induced dissociation at the MS/MS stage as a consequence of the changes in the physico-chemical properties of these peptides, such as their overall charge, polarity and relative hydrophobicity. Thus, improved selectivity for the peptide separation and favourable tandem mass spectrometry analysis could be obtained with eluents in this intermediate pH range. The number of tryptic peptides identified by the new approach for the proteins investigated were significantly higher than that obtained by the conventional low-pH methods. Moreover, analysis of protein digests at very low concentrations was also performed under both acidic and intermediate pH conditions and similar improvements in selectivity and MS/MS detection limits were observed, i.e. identification of more distinct peptides and higher sequence coverage of the protein was obtained when eluents of intermediate pH were employed. This study therefore highlights the potential of conducting peptide mapping in the intermediate pH range to achieve more reliable and sensitive protein identifications with capillary RP-HPLC–ESI-MS/MS.     

Detection and sequence determination of a new variant beta-lactoglobulin II from donkey

The sequence determination of a new variant of beta-LG II, detected as a minor component by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC/ESI-MS) analysis of the whey fraction from a milk sample taken from an individual donkey belonging to the 'Ragusana' species of eastern Sicily, is reported. Direct RP-HPLC/ESI-MS analysis of the whey fraction from this milk sample allowed the identification of a new variant of beta-LG II, based on the determination of the M(r) of the intact protein. The new protein, with an experimentally determined M(r) of 18311 Da, was detected as a minor component in the whey fraction investigated. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF)MS and RP-HPLC/ESI-MS/MS analyses of the tryptic digest of the new protein demonstrate that it presents two amino acid substitutions with respect to the sequence of beta-LG II A, namely a substitution Pro-->Cys at position 110, and a substitution Asp-->Gly at position 162. The disulfide bonds between the four cysteines, not directly determined in donkey's and horse's beta-LG II, were shown to occur between Cys(106)-Cys(120) and Cys(66)-Cys(161), as in other mammalian beta-LGs. The new beta-LG II variant from donkey was named D.     

L-羟脯氨酸寡肽混合物的高效液相色谱分离与质谱分析

研究了三氯氧磷辅助下L-羟脯氨酸的成肽反应,建立了采用反相高效液相色谱-质谱/质谱联用技术分离鉴定羟脯氨酸寡肽混合物的方法,优化了L-羟脯氨酸寡肽混合物的色谱分离条件。实验以YWG C8柱(10 μm,250 mm×10 mm)为分离柱,以乙腈-0.06%三氟乙酸水溶液(体积比为2∶98)为流动相进行等度洗脱,在正离子模式下对洗脱物进行了电喷雾电离串联质谱鉴定。结果显示,分离出的各组分分别为L-羟脯氨酸二肽、L-羟脯氨酸环二肽和L-羟脯氨酸三肽。     

Mapping the phosphorylation sites of proteins using on-line immobilized metal affinity chromatography/capillary electrophoresis/electrospray ionization multiple stage tandem mass spectrometry

On-line immobilized metal affinity chromatography/capillary electrophoresis/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (IMAC/CE/ESI-MS) offers selective preconcentration of phosphorylated peptides with identification of the phosphorylated amino acid(s). The preconcentration provides low concentration limits of detection and capillary electrophoresis separates the peptides. Recently, we reported a fast, simple, and sensitive on-line IMAC/CE/ESI-MS/MS method for the determination of phosphopeptides at low-pmole levels. That work is expanded here by use of multiple stage tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n), n = 2,3) to isolate and fragment target ions to provide more reliable assignments of phosphorylated residues. The application of IMAC/CE/ESI-MS(n) is demonstrated by the analysis of tryptic digests of alpha- and beta-casein and in-gel tryptic digests of beta-casein.     

Adducts of N-terminal valines in hemoglobin with isoprene diepoxide, a metabolite of isoprene

Isoprene (2-methylbuta-1,3-diene) is a multi-site carcinogen in rodents. To evaluate the role of the diepoxide metabolite (1,2:3,4-diepoxy-2-methylbutane) in carcinogenesis, measurements of in vivo doses of the diepoxide are needed. The in vivo dose may be inferred from levels of reaction products with hemoglobin (Hb adducts). This report presents in vitro studies of the adduct formation by the diepoxide of isoprene with valinamide and oligopeptides as model compounds of N-terminal valines in hemoglobin (Hb). In the reaction with valinamide it was shown that isoprene diepoxide forms as the main product a ring-closed adduct, which is a pyrrolidine derivative [N,N-(2,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-butadiyl)valinamide, MPyr-Val]. The analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) (EI and PICI) after acetylation. The ring-closed adduct was also identified by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS) as the main product in the reaction between isoprene diepoxide and standard hepta- or (2H8)octapeptides, corresponding to the N-terminal peptides of the alpha-chains in mouse and rat Hb. These peptides, alkylated with isoprene diepoxide, to be used as internal standards and calibration standards for quantification of MPyr-adduct levels in vitro and in vivo, were analyzed with respect to the degree of MPyr-alkylation by two independent methods, amino acid analysis and HPLC-UV; similar results were obtained using these methods. A method for measurement of Hb adducts as modified peptides, used earlier to measure a similar adduct to N-terminal valines in Hb from the diepoxide of 1,3-butadiene, has in the present work been tested for application to isoprene diepoxide. The method is based on tryptic degradation of globin and LC/ESI-MS analysis of N-terminal Pyr-heptapeptides of the Hb alpha-chain enriched by HPLC. MPyr-adduct levels in isoprene diepoxide alkylated hemolysate from mouse erythrocytes incubated with different concentrations of isoprene diepoxide (2 and 10 mM) for 1 h were quantified. The adduct level was about 50 nmol/g alpha-chain Hb per mM x h. From the adduct levels the rate constant of isoprene diepoxide for reaction with N-terminal valine was calculated to be about 1.6 times faster than for diepoxybutane.     

An electrospray ionization mass spectrometric study of the subunit structure of the giant hemoglobin from the leech <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nephelopsis oscura</Emphasis>

The subunit structure of the giant, extracellular hexagonal bilayer (HBL) hemoglobin (Hb) from the leech Nephelopsis oscura was investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) employing a maximum entropy deconvolution of its complex, multiply charged ESI spectra. The denatured unreduced Hb consisted of three monomer globin chains (M), a1 = 16535 Da, a2 = 17171 Da and a3 = 17315 Da, five nonglobin linker chains, L1 = 24512 Da, L2 = 24586 Da, L3 = 24979 Da, L4 = 25006 Da, and L5 = 25566 Da and two subunits of 32950 Da and 33125 Da. ESI-MS of the denatured, reduced Hb showed that the latter were disulfide-bonded heterodimers (D) of globin chains b1 = 16322 Da and b2 = 16499 Da with chain c = 16632 Da. Time-of-flight ESI-MS of the Hb at pH 3.8, 4.5, 5.0, 5.8 and 7.0 revealed a distribution of charge states from 32(+) to 37(+) with masses decreasing from 211 to 208.5 kDa with increase in cone voltage from 60 to 160 V, indicating the presence of a subassembly comprising 12 globin chains. The subunit composition 6M + 3D + 12h, where M = 16993 Da and D = 33004 Da are the weighted masses and h = 616.5 Da, provides a calculated mass, 208.37 kDa that is closest to 208.5 kDa. Our experimental findings are consistent with the bracelet model of HBL Hbs, verified by the recent low-resolution crystal structure of Lumbricus Hb, wherein an HBL arrangement of 12 globin dodecamer subassemblies is tethered to a central complex of 36 linker chains for a total mass of 208.37 x 12 + 24.94 x 36 = 3398 kDa.     

Characterization of protein iv-glycosylation by reversed-phase microbore liquid chromatography / electrospray mass spectrometry,complementary mobile phases,and sequential exoglycosidase digestion

A strategy for the identification of the site occupancy and glycoform heterogeneity, including sialylation occurring at specific sites of N-linked giycoproteins is presented using the asparagine-linked glycosylation on bovine fetuin for illustration. This is achieved by microbore high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass analysis (LC/ESIMS) of the tryptic glycopeptide mixtures with an acetonitrile-based mobile phase followed by sequential steps of residue (and linkage) specific glycoform degradation and LC/ESIMS analysis at each stage. In addition, chromatographic separation of the site-specific glycoforms of tryptic glycopeptides is accomplished by the use of an alternative, mass spectrometrically compatible mobile phase-water/ethanol/propanol/formic acid. By employing this nontraditional mobile phase for characterizing the complete tryptic digest, and using highly specific exoglycosidases in combination with LC/ESIMS analysis, a previously uncharacterized carbohydrate (a disialo biantennary complex oligosaccharide) was identified as a novel structure at Asn⁸¹ of bovine fetuin. (J Am Sot Mass Spectrom 1994, 5, 350-358)     

Characterization of the elusive disulfide bridge forming human Hb variant: Hb Ta-Li β83 (EF7)Gly → Cys by electrospray mass spectrometry

An electrospray mass spectrometric approach to the identification of a human hemoglobin (Hb) variant involving a Cys residue incorporation is presented. In Hb Ta-Li (beta83Gly --> Cys), Cys83 forms inter-molecular disulfide bridges. Routine analysis of the denatured Hb showed the presence of a minor beta chain variant whose mass apparently was 1 Da less than the expected mass difference of 46 Da for a Gly --> Cys substitution. Reduction of the globin chains with dithiothreitol gave an intense monomer with the expected mass difference for the Gly --> Cys substitution. After reprocessing the original raw data from the denatured Hb and taking into account the possibility of dimer formation, a component was revealed whose mass was consistent with a disulfide linked dimer of Ta-Li beta globins. The mutation was localized to peptide betaT10 by analysis of a tryptic digest. Tandem mass spectrometry and DNA sequencing confirmed the Gly --> Cys substitution occurred at residue 83 of the beta chain. Problems encountered in identifying the components in mixtures of monomers and dimers are discussed.     

Folding and assembly of hemoglobin monitored by electrospray mass spectrometry using an on-line dialysis system

The native structure of hemoglobin (Hb) comprises two alpha- and two beta-subunits, each of which carries a heme group. There appear to be no previous studies that report the in vitro folding and assembly of Hb from highly unfolded alpha- and beta-globin in a "one-pot" reaction. One difficulty that has to be overcome for studies of this kind is the tendency of Hb to aggregate during refolding. This work demonstrates that denaturation of Hb in 40% acetonitrile at pH 10.0 is reversible. A dialysis-mediated solvent change to a purely aqueous environment of pH 8.0 results in Hb refolding without any apparent aggregation. Fluorescence, Soret absorption, circular dichroism, and ESI mass spectra of the protein recorded before unfolding and after refolding are almost identical. By employing an externally pressurized dialysis cell that is coupled on-line to an ESI mass spectrometer, changes in heme binding behavior, protein conformation, and quaternary structure can be monitored as a function of time. The process occurs in a stepwise sequential manner, leading from monomeric alpha- and beta-globin to heterodimeric species, which then assemble into tetramers. Overall, this mechanism is consistent with previous studies employing the mixing of folded alpha- and beta-globin. However, some unexpected features are observed, e.g., a heme-deficient beta-globin dimer that represents an off-pathway intermediate. Monomeric beta-globin is capable of binding heme before forming a complex with an alpha-subunit. This observation suggests that holo-alpha-apo-beta globin does not represent an obligatory intermediate during Hb assembly, as had been proposed previously. The on-line dialysis/ESI-MS approach developed for this work represents a widely applicable tool for studying the folding and self-assembly of noncovalent biological complexes.     

Detection of the embryonic zeta chain in blood from newborn babies by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using the large-pore Vydac C4 column has been used to detect and quantitate the embryonic zeta chain in blood samples of normal babies and of newborns with varying degrees of alpha chain deficiencies. The zeta chain eluted at the end of the chromatogram at about 130 min using a modified and extended gradient. Its identity was confirmed by structural analysis of zeta chain isolated from a blood sample of a fetus without active alpha globin genes, i.e. with hydrops fetalis (--/--). The quantity of zeta in normal babies is less than 0.7% [% of (alpha + zeta)] and is dependent upon the maturity of the baby as it was only present in babies with low levels of beta chain or hemoglobin (Hb) A. The presence of a zeta globin gene deletion [A. E. Felice et al., Hum. Genet., 73 (1986) 221; and P. Winichagoon et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 10 (1982) 5853] did not affect the level of zeta in the newborn. All babies with an alpha-thalassemia-2 heterozygosity, i.e. with three active alpha globin genes or -alpha/alpha alpha, had zeta in a range of 0.1-0.9%; again the level showed a negative correlation with that of the beta chain. Newborns with an alpha-thalassemia-2 homozygosity or -alpha/-alpha had a varying level of zeta of 0.3-2.3%, which did not correlate with the level of beta, suggesting that zeta chain production persists after birth in this condition. Macrochromatographic analyses in combination with RP-HPLC indicated that the zeta chain is present as zeta 2 gamma 2 or Hb Portland-I, as expected.     

Alkaline liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization skimmer collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry for phosphopeptide screening.

A rapid on-line method for the identification of phosphorylated peptides in enzymatic protein digests by specific marker ion signals is described. In our study we investigated the use of alkaline conditions together with a previously described method for selective and sensitive detection of phosphopeptide ions combining high-performance capillary liquid chromatography (LC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Phosphorylation-specific marker ions (m/z 79, PO(3)(-), and m/z 97, H(2)PO(4)(-)) were generated by skimmer collision-induced dissociation (sCID) in the negative-ion mode. The method was evaluated and validated for mono-phosphorylated synthetic peptides using different alkaline pH values and CID offsets. Alkaline conditions (pH 10.5) enhance the generation of phosphopeptide-specific fragment ions from serine- and tyrosine-phosphorylated peptides, and enable the use of m/z 79 (PO(3)(-)) and m/z 97 (H(2)PO(4)(-)) as phosphorylation-specific marker traces. Note that HPLC separation in trifluoroacetic acid containing solvents impairs the use of m/z 97 (C(2)F(3)O(-) fragment ion at m/z 97) as a phosphorylation-specific marker. The optimized method was applied for the detection of phosphorylated peptides in a tryptic beta-casein digest. The expected mono- and tetra-phosphorylated peptides were detected and rapidly identified by (mu)LC/ESI-sCID-MS and (mu)LC/ESI-MS analysis.     

用N,N-二甲基六烷基溴化铵涂层的毛细管对重组促红细胞生长素及其酶解产物进行毛细管电泳和毛细管电泳-电喷雾质谱分析

采用毛细管电泳技术研究了重组促红细胞生长素(rhEPO)的分离问题。用N,N-二甲基六烷基溴化铵（6,6-ionene）涂层的毛细管测定了rhEPO中唾液酸的微多相性,同时采用毛细管电泳-质谱(CE-MS)联用技术在22 min内鉴定了rhEPO 20段胰酶消化肽中的11段。该方法简单快捷,重现性好,可用于蛋白质一级结构的测定。     

Analysis of hemoglobin and globin chain variants by a commonly used capillary isoelectric focusing method

To analyze both hemoglobin (Hb) and globin chain variants, we modified a commonly used method, capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF), with detection at 280 nm. The samples were hemolysates prepared from red blood cells, and globin chains obtained from the hemolysates by treatment with cold acidified acetone. When the migration time for the internal reference, carbonic anhydrase I (isoelectric point, pI 6.60), was taken as 1.0, the migration ratio for Hb A0 in normal human blood was 0.877 +/- 0.004 (mean +/- SD, n = 9), and those of the alpha- and beta-globin chains were 0.673 +/- 0.004 and 0.847 +/- 0.005 (mean +/- SD, n = 4), respectively. The ratio of peak heights between the beta- and alpha-globin chains (beta/alpha) in the normal Hbs obtained from four subjects was almost constant at 2.5 +/- 0.1 (mean +/- SD). This ratio indicates which of the globin chains includes a mutation (if one exists). When an Hb variant, Hb Hoshida (in which Gln is substituted for Glu at residue 43 in the beta-globin chain), was analyzed by this method, two main peaks were observed (migration ratios 0.836 and 0.877, corresponding to an abnormal and the normal Hb, respectively). An additional peak with an abnormal migration ratio of 0.788 was also detected in the globin chain profiles. The ratio of peak heights between normal beta- and alpha-globin chains was 1.57, indicating that a mutation exists in the beta-globin chain. We thus established a convenient system using CIEF that provides a rapid and reproducible method for the random analysis of both Hb and globin chain variants.     

Qualitative and quantitative determination of ten major saponins in Platycodi Radix by high performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection and mass spectrometry

Saponins in Platycodi Radix (platycosides) exhibit potent biological activities in mammalian systems, including several beneficial effects such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-obesity activities. In this study, we developed a new HPLC separation coupled with evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) for the simultaneous quantitative determination of ten major saponins in Platycodi Radix. Simultaneous separation of these saponins was achieved on a C18 analytical column. The mobile phase consisted of a gradient of aqueous acetonitrile. The method was validated for linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection and quantification. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with on-line mass spectrometry (LC-ESI MS/MS) were applied to identify platycosides in the purified fractions and in the crude extract. Under ESI-MS/MS conditions, the fragmentation patterns of [M-H]- ions exclusively show signals corresponding to cleavage of the glycosidic bonds, thus allowing a rapid identification of saponins in the crude extract of Platycodi Radix. The validated HPLC method provides a new basis of overall assessment on quality of Platycodi Radix, and ESI-MS/MS and LC-ESI MS/MS approaches offers analytical tools for a rapid screening of platycosides in the crude extract.     

Determination of pharmaceuticals in aqueous samples using positive and negative voltage switching microbore liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Analytical methods were developed for atorvastatin, novobiocin and roxithromycin using microbore liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (microbore LC/ESI-MS/MS) in positive and negative voltage switching mode. Atorvastatin and roxithromycin require the positive-ion mode, whereas the negative-ion mode is required for the determination of novobiocin. Using the positive and negative voltage switching function, the three analytes were determined with one injection, and the time required was half that required using separately run positive- and negative-ion modes, without any reduction in sensitivity. A microbore LC column (100 x 1.0 mm i.d.) was chosen for chromatographic separation with mobile phase solvents acetonitrile and 10 mM aqueous ammonium acetate. The flow-rate was 0.1 ml min(-1) and the injection volume was 1 micro l. The analytes were quantified in the multiple reaction monitoring mode with external standards. By switching the positive and negative voltage, the three analytes were determined with a 4 min chromatographic run and with instrumental detection limits of 1-3 pg. This analytical method, using a microbore LC column combined with solid-phase extraction, was applied successfully to the determination of trace levels of the above pharmaceuticals in aqueous samples. Atorvastatin was detected in a sewage treatment plant final effluent.