Regional phospholipid analysis of porcine lens membranes by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The applicability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of most mammalian phospholipid (PL) classes was demonstrated in a crude extract of porcine lens membranes. When 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) was used as the matrix, positive-ion spectra allowed the accurate quantification of phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and sphingomyelins (SMs). Other PLs such as phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens (PEps), phosphatidylethanolamine ethers (PEes) and phosphatidylserines (PSs), could also be detected, but their lower ionization efficiency led to negative errors in their quantification. Despite this limitation, it was possible to determine relative changes among PLs extracted from cortical and nuclear regions. Negative-ion spectra were acquired with the use of p-nitroaniline (PNA) as the matrix. Because neither PCs nor SMs produce negative ions, other PL classes can be analyzed selectively. The absolute quantification of the various PL classes detectable in negative-ion spectra was also affected by differences in ionization efficiencies. However, the trends in compositional changes between cortical and nuclear-fiber PLs were in agreement with those obtained by (31)P NMR spectroscopy. MALDI-TOFMS also offers the possibility of studying variations in the acyl-chain distribution of the various species comprising each PL class. For porcine lenses, PCs, PEs and phosphatidylinositols (PIs) exhibited the greatest depletions in going from cortical to nuclear membranes. Among their individual species, those with two or more sites of unsaturation suffered the most significant reduction.     

Studies on extracting solutions of endohedral rare-earth metallofullerenes by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Thirteen extracting solutions of rare-earth metallofullerenes containing La,Ce,Pr,Nd Sm,Eu,Gd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er,Tm and Yb respectively have been investigated by means of matrix-assisted laser desorpuon/ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.The influences of the positive-ion/negative-ion mode,laser intensity,ma trix and mass discrimination to the analytical results are studied,based on which the optimal analytical conditions have been determined.The results show that the extracting solutions contain large quantities of rare-earth metallofullerenes besides empty fullerenes.On the basis of comparing their relative intensities,the different structure stabilities and solubilities of metallofullerenes with different rare-earth metals encapsulated into the fullerene cages,as well as some possible reasons to those differences,are discussed.     

Improved analysis of membrane protein by PVDF-aided, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Characterization of membrane proteins remains an analytical challenge because of difficulties associated with tedious isolation and purification. This study presents the utility of the polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane for direct sub-proteome profiling and membrane protein characterization by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The hydrophobic adsorption of protein, particularly membrane proteins, on the PVDF surface enables efficient on-PVDF washing to remove high concentrations of detergents and salts, such as up to 5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The enhanced spectrum quality for MALDI detection is particularly notable for high molecular weight proteins. By using on-PVDF washing prior to MALDI detection, we obtained protein profiles of the detergent-containing and detergent-insoluble membrane fractions from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath). Similar improvements of signal-to-noise ratios were shown on the MALDI spectra for proteins electroblotted from SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) onto the PVDF membrane. We have applied this strategy to obtain intact molecular weights of the particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) composed of three intrinsic membrane-bound proteins, PmoA, PmoB, and PmoC. Together with peptide sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry, post-translational modifications including N-terminal acetylation of PmoA and PmoC and alternative C-terminal truncation of PmoB were identified. The above results show that PVDF-aided MALDI-MS can be an effective approach for profiling and characterization of membrane proteins.     

Study of synthetic aliphatic copolyamides by time-of-flight matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Synthetic copolyamides based on aliphatic diamines (1,3-propanediamine and 1,4-butanediamine) and dichlorides of aliphatic carboxylic acids (adipic and sebacic acid dichlorides) were investigated using time-of-flight matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Their mass spectra showed peaks for cationized (Na⁺ and K⁺) and protonated (less intense peaks) oligomers with NH₂-NH₂, NH₂-COOH, or COOH-COOH end groups. No cyclic oligomers were detected in the samples. The compositions of oligomers were determined, and the relative reactivities of homologous comonomers in polycondensation were estimated. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1320–1324, July, 2007.     

Mesoporous tungsten titanate as matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of biomolecules

In this paper, mesoporous tungsten titanate (WTiO) with different nano-pore structures was utilized as matrix for the analysis of short peptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). Effect of characteristic features of mesoporous matrices on laser desorption/ionization process was investigated. Experiments showed that the ordered two-dimensional and three-dimensional mesoporous matrices were superior in performance to the non-ordered WTiO matrix. The dramatic enhancement of signal sensitivity by the ordered mesoporous matrices can be reasonably attributed to the ordered structure, which facilitated the understanding on structure-function relationship in mesoporous cavity for laser desorption process of adsorbed biomolecules. With the ordered mesoporous matrix, the short peptides are successfully detected. The presence of trace alkali metal salt effectively increased the analyte ion yields and the MALDI-TOFMS using the inorganic mesoporous matrices displayed a high salt tolerance. The developed technique also showed a satisfactory performance in peptide-mapping and amino-acid sequencing analysis.     

Determination of self-exchange rate of alkanethiolates in self-assembled monolayers on gold using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In this paper, we describe a new method for determining the exchange rates of alkanethiolates in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to analyze the compositions of the alkanethiolate in SAMs rapidly and directly. In particular, to investigate the self-exchange of alkanethiols, we prepared a deuterated alkanethiol that has the same molecular properties as the non-deuterated alkanethiol but a different molecular weight. SAMs consisting of deuterated alkanethiolates were immersed in a solution of the non-deuterated alkanethiol, and the influences of the immersion time, temperature, concentration, and solvent on the self-exchange rates were investigated. Furthermore, we assessed the exchange rates among alkanethiols with different carbon chain lengths and different size of ethylene glycol units. In addition, we performed molecular dynamics simulations using a model SAM system in order to understand the molecular mechanism of the exchange process.     

Quantitative analysis of 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors in DU145 cells using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

N-(Dicyclohexyl)acetylpiperidine-4-benzylidene-4-carboxylic acid (1) is an excellent in vitro inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase (5 alpha R). Compound 1 showed, however, much lower inhibition activity of 5 alpha R in vivo than in vitro, which might be caused by poor membrane permeability. The methyl ester of 1 (1a) was therefore tested as a model prodrug to see if it has better permeability properties than the corresponding acid 1. It was also monitored that this methyl ester was cleaved into the active compound 1 within the DU145 cells. Quantitative matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) methods were established with reliable linearity factors (0.996 for MALDI-TOFMS and 0.998 for HPLC/MS/MS) and reproducibility (relative standard deviation = 6.5% for MALDI-TOFMS and 2.8% for HPLC/MS/MS). The samples for MS analysis were effectively prepared from the cell homogenates using solid-phase extraction, with a high recovery of 90% on average. The intracellular amount of 1a (1.7 nmol) was much higher than that of 1 (0.032 nmol) in DU145 cells after 6 h of incubation. After incubation with the ester (1a), the cleaved acid (1) was detected within the cells. The concentration of acid 1 (0.045 nmol) in this experiment was higher than the acid content (0.032 nmol) after direct incubation with 1. Surprisingly, high amounts of the cleaved compound 1 were found outside the cells after 6 h of incubation with 1a.     

Phosphopeptide detection and sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

A prototype matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) tandem mass spectrometer was used to sequence a series of phosphotyrosine-, phosphothreonine- and phosphoserine-containing peptides. The high mass resolution and mass accuracy of the instrument allowed the localization of one, three or four phosphorylated amino acid residues in phosphopeptides up to 3.1 kDa. Tandem mass spectra of two different phosphotyrosine peptides permitted amino acid sequence determination and localization of one and three phosphorylation sites, respectively. The phosphotyrosine immonium ion at m/z 216.04 was observed in these MALDI low-energy CID tandem mass spectra. Elimination of phosphate groups was evident from the triphosphorylated peptide but not from the monophosphorylated species. The main fragmentation pathway for the synthetic phosphothreonine-containing peptide and for phosphoserine-containing peptides derived from beta-casein and ovalbumin was the beta-elimination of phosphoric acid with concomitant conversion of phosphoserine to dehydroalanine and phosphothreonine to 2-aminodehydrobutyric acid. Peptide fragment ions of the b- and y-type allowed, in all cases, the localization of phosphorylation sites. Ion signals corresponding to (b-17), (b-18) and (y-17) fragment ions were also observed. The abundant neutral loss of phosphoric acid (-98 Da) is useful for femtomole level detection of phosphoserine-peptides in crude peptide mixtures generated by gel in situ digestion of phosphoproteins.     

Analysis and classification of bacteria by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a chemometric approach

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a useful technique for the identification of bacteria on the basis of their characteristic protein mass spectrum fingerprint. Highly standardized instrumental analytical performance and bacterial culture conditions are required to achieve useful information. A chemometric approach based on multivariate analysis techniques was developed for the analysis of MALDI data of different bacteria to allow their identification from their fingerprint. Principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) were applied to the analysis of the MALDI MS mass spectra of two pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Yersinia enterocolitica, and the non-pathogenic E. coli MC1061. Spectra variability was assessed by growing bacteria in different media and analysing them at different culture growth times. After selection of the relevant variables, which allows the evaluation of an m/z value pattern with high discriminant power, the identification of bacteria by LDA and SIMCA was performed independently of the experimental conditions used. In order to better evaluate the analytical performance of the approach used, the ability to correctly classify different bacteria, six wild-type strains of E. coli O157:H7, was also studied and a combination of different chemometric techniques with a severe validation was developed. The analysis of spiked bovine meat samples and the agreement with an independent chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay demonstrated the applicability of the method developed for the detection of bacteria in real samples. The easy automation of the MALDI method and the ability of multivariate techniques to reduce interlaboratory variability associated with bacterial growth time and conditions suggest the usefulness of the proposed MALDI MS approach for rapid routine food safety checks. Figure Workflow of the developed MALDI-TOF MS and chemometric approach for the analysis and classification of bacteria Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Characterization of some synthetic Ru and Ir complexes by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) was applied to the analysis of Ru(OCOCF(3))(2)(CO)(PPh(3))(2), Ru(OCOC(3)F(7))(2)(CO)(PPh(3))(2), Ir(tBuppy)(3) and Ir(ppy)(2)(acac) complexes. A troublesome problem in the MALDI-TOFMS characterization of these metal complexes is the possible replacement of complex ligands by matrix. In this contribution, 10 matrices, ranging from acidic to basic, were investigated: alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA), 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), sinapinic acid (SA), dithranol, 2,4,6-trihydroxyactophenone (THAP), 6-azo-2-thiothymine (ATT), norharman, 2-[(2E)-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylprop-2-enylidene]malononitrile (DCTB), 4-nitroaniline (NA) and 2-amino-5-nitrophyridine (ANP). With most of the matrices, including the neutral and basic ones, matrix substitution of ligand could clearly be detected. Based on the experimental results, possible mechanisms of matrix substitution were discussed. It was demonstrated that the ligand exchange process might also occur through the gas-phase reactions initiated by laser shots. Among the matrices tested, DCTB was found to be the best one for the complexes that are prone to ligand exchange by matrix.     

Detection of water-soluble vitamins by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using porphyrin matrices

The detection of water-soluble vitamins B(1), B(2), B(6), B(12) and C by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) was attempted by studying 17 porphyrin matrices. Comparative studies of porphyrin matrices, useful mass spectral window, matrix/analyte molar ratio (M/A), ultraviolet-visible absorption characteristics and quantitative results were made. Most porphyrin matrices provide a useful mass spectral window in the low-mass range. The optimal M/A increases with increasing molecular mass of the vitamin. Vitamin B(12) possesses the highest molecular mass and requires a higher M/A. The presence of hydroxyl or carboxyl groups in the porphyrin is an indicator of a useful MALDI matrix. Vitamins B(2) and B(6) were readily ionized upon irradiation with a 337 nm laser without the use of any porphyrin matrix. Improved linearity and sensitivity of the calibration curves were obtained with samples prepared with a constant M/A. The limits of detection and quantitation are at the picomole level. The results indicate that MALDI-TOFMS with porphyrin matrices is a rapid and viable technique for the detection of low molecular mass water-soluble vitamins.     

Identification of proteins by combination of size-exclusion chromatography with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and comparison of some desalting procedures for both intact proteins and their tryptic digests

Separation of a protein mixture by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) was combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). Identification of proteins in the collected fractions was performed both as intact proteins by MALDI-TOFMS and using peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) after their digestion with trypsin. The presence of salts mostly disturbs the MALDI-TOFMS signal and, therefore, proper purification or desalting procedures must be employed. Four desalting procedures (desalting column packed with Sephadex G-100, on-target washing, centrifugal filter devices and ZipTip C(18)) for purification of fractions of proteins separated by SEC and their tryptic digests prior to determination of their exact molecular masses by MALDI-TOFMS were compared. In the case of intact proteins, the experiments showed that the best desalting procedures are the use of ZipTip C(18) pipette tips and Ultrafree CL centrifugal filter devices. The peptide digests can be purified by using ZipTip C(18) pipette tips or on-target washing when both of these procedures provide similar results. On-target washing can be used as a simple procedure to improve the mass spectra of salt-containing samples. Analyses of the droplets collected after the on-target washing show losses of sample and matrix caused by dissolution of these compounds during this procedure. Further, it was found that protein identification based on PMF is more sensitive than analyses of intact proteins and that multiple on-target washing is very advantageous for analyses of peptide mixtures with a high content of salts.     

Laser spray: electric field-assisted matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization

A new liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry interface, the laser spray, has been developed. Explosive vaporization and mist formation occur when an aqueous solution effusing out from the tip of the stainless-steel capillary is irradiated from the opposite side of the capillary by a 10.6 microm infrared laser. Weak ion signals could be detected when the plume was sampled through the ion sampling orifice. When a high voltage (3-4 kV) was applied to the stainless-steel capillary, strong ion signals appeared. The ion abundances were found to be orders of magnitude greater than those obtained by conventional electrospray ionization in the case of aqueous solutions. The present method is regarded as an electric-field assisted form of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization in which the liquid chromatographic solvent (water, etc.) acts as a liquid matrix. Laser spray ionization is expected to become a versatile method for biological mass spectrometry because this method is compatible with the natural solvent, water.     

Identification of formylglycine in sulfatases by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

C(alpha)-Formylglycine, the catalytic amino acid residue in the active site of sulfatases, is generated by post-translational modification of a cysteine or serine residue. We describe a highly sensitive procedure for the detection of C(alpha)-formylglycine-containing peptides in tryptic digests of sulfatase proteins. The protocol is based on the formation of hydrazone derivatives of C(alpha)-formylglycine-containing peptides when using dinitrophenylhydrazine as a matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). The hydrazone derivatives desorb and ionize with high efficiency and can be detected in the sub-femtomole range. The presence of C(alpha)-formylglycine is indicated by a mass increment of 180.13 u, corresponding to the hydrazone moiety, and also by a unique C-terminal fragment ion, characteristic of sulfatases, that becomes prominent in MALDI post-source decay mass spectra of the hydrazone derivatives.     

Off-line hyphenation of boronate affinity monolith-based extraction with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for efficient analysis of glycoproteins/glycopeptides

Boronate affinity materials have attracted increasing attentions as sample enrichment platforms for glycoproteomic analysis in recent years. However, most of the boronate affinity materials that have already employed for proteomic analysis are suffering from apparent disadvantages, such as alkaline pH for binding, weak affinity, and relatively poor selectivity. Benzoboroxoles are a unique class of boronic acids which have showed excellent binding properties for the recognition of cis-diol-containing compounds. Recently, a 3-carboxy-benzoboroxole-functionalized monolithic column had been reported and it had exhibited the best selectivity and affinity as well as the lowest binding pH among all reported boronate affinity monolithic columns. In this study, an off-line hyphenation of this boronate affinity monolithic column-based extraction with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was developed and the powerfulness of this hyphenated approach in the analysis of glycoproteins and glycopeptides in complex samples was investigated. The approach was first applied to the analysis of glycopeptides in the tryptic digest of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Totally 22 glycopeptides were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the best performance among all the boronic acid-functionalized materials. We further employed this approach to the analysis of intact proteins in human saliva. Totally 6 intact glycoproteins were successfully identified. As comparison, when the samples were analyzed without extraction, only a few glycopeptides were identified from the tryptic digest of HRP while no glycoproteins were found from the saliva samples.     

Application of a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer, MULTUM II, to organic compounds ionized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization

The circuit shape of the ion path, or the multi-turn, provides a solution for achieving unrestricted mass resolution from time-of-flight mass analyzers. The potential of a multi-turn type mass spectrometer, the MULTUM II, with a 1.308 m circuit controlled by four toroidal electric sector fields in biological applications was examined. With matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, the ion flight of 18 cycles gave a mass resolution of 10,000 for MH+ of protophorphyrin IX. This resolution was correlated with the flight length, and a resolution of 61,000 was achieved for MH+ of angiotensin I after 75 cycles or a 98.75 m total flight. The results demonstrate that the multi-turn mass spectrometer allows not only high resolution but also very high separation of the ions of molecular species from organic compounds.     

Aggregation-induced emission compounds as new assisted matrices for laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Here, N,N′-bis(4-hydroxylsalicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine (BSPD-OH), N,N′-bis(4-methoxylsalicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine (BSPD-OMe) and N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine (BSPD), which belong to the same category of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) compounds based on Schiff base reactions, were synthesized and applied as new matrices in the analysis of small molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). This type of AIE compounds can be good MALDI matrices. Conventional organic matrices often produce large amounts of matrix ions, hindering the analysis of low molecular weight (LMW) compounds. However, these AIE compounds generate few matrix ions and less background interference because their presence as aggregates decreases the generation of matrix interference. The sensitivity of the AIE matrix is high because the aggregates can improve the absorption of the applied laser emissions. We can regulate the ionization efficiency of the AIE matrix by changing its aggregation state. During this study, BSPD-OH exhibited better ionization efficiency than the other two AIE matrices because it has more phenolic hydroxyl groups. BSPD-OH was successfully applied to the analysis of various LMW compounds including amino acids, organic amine compounds, isoquinoline compounds and fluoroquinolones compounds. This material also can be employed during the qualitative and quantitative analysis of LMW metabolites in human urine without requiring complicated separation processes.     

Dehydrogenation of tertiary amines in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS) analysis of various compounds synthesized in our laboratory, strong [M - H]+ ion peaks were often observed for the molecules with tertiary amino groups. In this work, the MALDI TOF MS behavior of two groups of compounds that incorporate tertiary amino moieties was investigated. One group is bisurea dimethylanilines (BUDMAs) prepared for the study of molecular recognition in thermoplastic elastomers, and the other group is the poly(propylene imine) diaminobutane dendrimers. The results clearly demonstrate the appearance of the [M - H]+ ions. In order to understand the possible mechanisms for the generation of these ions, a series of model compounds, ranging from primary to tertiary amines, were investigated. Unlike the tertiary amines, no [M - H]+ ion peaks were recorded for the primary amines, and only barely detectable ones, if any, for some secondary amines. It appears that the tertiary amino groups play an important role in the formation of these ions. In addition to MALDI TOF MS analysis, these samples were also applied to electrospray ionization (ESI) MS where no [M - H]+ ions were observed. The results indicate that the generation of [M - H]+ ion is due to the unique MALDI conditions and is likely to be formed via dehydrogenation of a protonated tertiary amine resulting in an N=C double bond. The absence of [M - H]+ ion peaks for the primary and secondary amines is probably because upon their formation these ions could easily transfer one proton to the corresponding amines in the MALDI gas-phase plume, yielding neutral imines that cannot be detected by MS.     

Characterization of covalently inhibited extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole ion trap reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry: localization of the active site serine

A chemical modification approach combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry was used to identify the active site serine residue of an extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus R6-554W. The lipase, purified from a high-level overexpressing strain, was covalently modified by incubation with 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, a general mechanism-based serine protease inhibitor. MALDI time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry was used to probe the nature of the intact inhibitor-modified lipase and to clarify the mechanism of lipase inhibition by 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin. The stoichiometry of the inhibition reaction revealed that specifically one molecule of inhibitor was bound to the lipase. The MALDI matrix 2,6-dihydroxyacetophenone facilitated the formation of highly abundant [M + 2H](2+) ions with good resolution compared to other matrices in a linear TOF instrument. This allowed the detection of two different inhibitor-modified lipase species. Exact localization of the modified amino acid residue was accomplished by tryptic digestion followed by low-energy collision-induced dissociation peptide sequencing of the detected 2-(carboxychloromethyl)benzoylated peptide by means of a MALDI quadrupole ion trap reflectron TOF instrument. The high sequence coverage obtained by this approach allowed the confirmation of the site specificity of the inhibition reaction and the unambiguous identification of the serine at position 10 as the nucleophilic amino acid residue in the active site of the enzyme. This result is in agreement with the previously obtained data from multiple sequence alignment of S. rimosus lipase with different esterases, which indicated that this enzyme exhibits a characteristic Gly-Asp-Ser-(Leu) motif located close to the N-terminus and is harboring the catalytically active serine residue. Therefore, this study experimentally proves the classification of the S. rimosus lipase as GDS(L) lipolytic enzyme.     

3-氨基-9-乙基咔唑衍生化寡糖混合物的高效液相色谱分离及激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱分析

建立了以3-氨基-9-乙基咔唑(AEC)为衍生化试剂对寡糖的标记方法。寡糖的还原端与AEC的伯氨基反应生成烯胺,再被NaBH3CN还原为二级胺,使得寡糖被AEC标记。衍生物通过反相高效液相色谱分离纯化,采用的色谱柱为Waters Symmetry C18柱(3.9 mm×150 mm,5 μm),乙腈和乙酸铵水溶液(pH 4.5)为流动相,梯度洗脱,在254 nm波长处检测,并以基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱进行分析。在此衍生化条件和色谱条件下,葡寡糖衍生物分离良好,并且AEC衍生可显著提高葡寡糖的质谱检测灵敏度。该方法适用于寡糖的分离纯化和结构分析,并与生物质谱具有良好的兼容性,表明该方法在微量寡糖链分析方面有广阔的应用前景。