Folic acid (FA) plays a vital role in central metabolism, including the one carbon cycle, nucleotide, and amino acid biosynthesis. The development of sensitive, accurate analytical methods to measure FA intermediates in tissues is critical to understand their biological roles in diverse physiological and pathological contexts. Here, we developed a highly sensitive method for the simultaneous quantification of FA intermediates in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to dissect metabolic networks. The method was further validated by analyzing the worm folate pool upon RNAi knockdown of the dihydrofolate reductase gene dhfr‐1. Comparative mass spectrometry behavior of the FA analogs using two different ion sources, electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), revealed ESI‐MS/MS to be more sensitive, but APCI‐MS provided more detailed structure inferences, which can elucidate chemical investigation and synthesis of FA analogs. Finally, we report on the use of in vitro oxidation coupled with high‐resolution mass spectrometry as a tool to discover new endogenous FA derivatives in the nematode. 相似文献
In this article, an approach has been developed for the analysis of some small peptides with similar pI values by CE‐ESI‐MS based on the online concentration strategy of dynamic pH junction. The factors affected on the separation, detection and online enrichment, such as BGE, injection pressure, sheath flow liquid and separation voltage have been investigated in detail. Under the optimum conditions, i.e. using 0.5 mol/L formic acid (pH 2.15) as the BGE, preparing the sample in 50 mM ammonium acetate solution (pH 7.5), 50 mbar of injection pressure for 300 s, using 7.5 mM of acetic acid in methanol–water (80% v/v) solution as the sheath flow liquid and 20 kV as the separation voltage, four peptides with similar pI values, such as L ‐Ala‐L ‐Ala (pI=5.57), L ‐Leu‐D ‐Leu (pI=5.52), Gly‐D ‐Phe (pI=5.52) and Gly‐Gly‐L ‐Leu (pI=5.52) achieved baseline separation within 18.3 min with detection limits in the range of 0.2–2.0 nmol/L. RSDs of peak migration time and peak area were in the range of 1.45–3.57 and 4.93–6.32%, respectively. This method has been applied to the analysis of the four peptides in the spiked urine sample with satisfactory results. 相似文献
Various cathinone‐derived designer drugs (CATs) have recently appeared on the drug market. This study examined the mechanism for the generation of dehydrated ions for CATs during electrospray ionization collision‐induced dissociation (ESI‐CID). The generation mechanism of dehydrated ions is dependent on the amine classification in the cathinone skeleton, which is used in the identification of CATs. The two hydrogen atoms eliminated during the dehydration of cathinone (primary amine) and methcathinone (secondary amine) were determined, and the reaction mechanism was elucidated through the deuterium labeling experiments. The hydrogen atom bonded to the amine nitrogen was eliminated with the proton added during ESI, in both of the tested compounds. This provided evidence that CATs with tertiary amine structures (such as dimethylcathinone and α‐pyrrolidinophenones [α‐PPs]) do not undergo dehydration. However, it was shown that the two major tertiary amine metabolites (1‐OH and 2″‐oxo) of CATs generate dehydrated ions in ESI‐CID. The dehydration mechanisms of the metabolites of α‐pyrrolidinobutiophenone (α‐PBP) belongs to α‐PPs were also investigated. Stable‐isotope labeling showed the dehydration of the 1‐OH metabolite following a simple mechanism where the hydroxy group was eliminated together with the proton added during ESI. In contrast, the dehydration mechanism of the 2″‐oxo metabolite involved hydrogen atoms in three or more locations along with the carbonyl group oxygen, indicating that dehydration occurred via multiple mechanisms likely including the rearrangement reaction of hydrogen atoms. These findings presented herein indicate that the dehydrated ions in ESI‐CID can be used for the structural identification of CATs. 相似文献
The title achiral peptide N‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐α‐aminoisobutyryl‐α‐aminoisobutyryl‐α‐aminoisobutyrylglycine tert‐butyl ester or Z‐Aib‐Aib‐Aib‐Gly‐OtBu (Aib is α‐aminoisobutyric acid, Z is benzyloxycarbonyl, Gly is glycine and OtBu indicates the tert‐butyl ester), C26H40N4O7, is partly hydrated (0.075H2O) and has two different conformations which together constitute the asymmetric unit. Both molecules form incipient 310‐helices. They differ in the relative orientation of the N‐terminal protection group and at the C‐terminus. There are two 4→1 intramolecular hydrogen bonds. 相似文献
The (3R,5S,6E,8S,10R)‐11‐amino‐3,5,8,10‐tetramethylundec‐6‐enoic acid (ATUA; 1 ), which was designed as a βII′‐turn mimic according to the concepts of allylic strain and 2,4‐dimethylpentane units, was incorporated into a cyclic RGD peptide. The three‐dimensional structure of cyclo(‐RGD‐ATUA‐) (=cyclo(‐Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐ATUA‐)) 4 in H2O was determined by NMR techniques, distance geometry calculations and molecular‐dynamics simulations. The RGD sequence of 4 shows high conformational flexibility but some preference for an extended conformation. The structural features of the RGD sequence of 4 were compared with the RGD moiety of cyclo(‐RGDfV‐) (=cyclo(‐Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐D ‐Phe‐Val‐)). In contrast to cyclo(‐RGDfV‐), which is a highly active αvβ3 antagonist and selective against αIIbβ3, cyclo(‐RGD‐ATUA‐) shows a lower activity and selectivity. The structure of the ATUA residue in the cyclic peptide resembles a βII′‐turn‐like conformation. Its middle part, adjacent to the C?C bond, strongly prefers the designed and desired structure. 相似文献
Sorafenib is an orally active multikinase inhibitor for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. A series of sorafenib structural analogues were investigated in this work for their gas‐phase fragmentation behaviors using electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry in the positive mode. The possible fragmentation pathways were proposed based on ESI‐MS/MS data and theoretical calculation. Different from the typical α‐cleavage of amide, consecutive reactions that involved elimination of H2O and CH3NC were observed for 2‐pyridinecarboxamide derivatives, which were followed by the formation of a stabilized 7‐membered ring carbocation by loss of CO. Two possible protonation sites occurred at carbonyl oxygen atoms for aryl‐urea derivatives and the α‐cleavage of urea was the main fragmentation pathways, which was followed by the formation of stable benzo [d] oxazole ring characteristic to aryl‐urea derivatives. The relative abundance of characteristic fragment ions and the energy‐resolved breakdown curves were used to distinguish the 4 sets of positional isomers of sorafenib and analogues. The methodology and results of the present work would contribute to the chemical structure identification of other structural analogues and the potential impurities presented in active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug formulations. 相似文献
A highly sensitive and selective method using LC‐ESI‐MS/MS and tandem‐SPE was developed to detect trace amounts of avoparcin (AV) antibiotics in animal tissues and milk. Data acquisition using MS/MS was achieved by applying multiple reaction monitoring of the product ions of [M + 3H]3+ and the major product ions of AV‐α and ‐β at m/z 637 → 86/113/130 and m/z 649 → 86/113/130 in ESI(+) mode. The calculated instrumental LODs were 3 ng/mL. The sample preparation was described that the extraction using 5% TFA and the tandem‐SPE with an ion‐exchange (SAX) and InertSep C18‐A cartridge clean‐up enable us to determine AV in samples. Ion suppression was decreased by concentration rates of each sample solution. These SPE concentration levels could be used to detect quantities of 5 ppb (milk), 10 ppb (beef), and 25 ppb (chicken muscle and liver). The matrix matching calibration graphs obtained for both AV‐α (r >0.996) and ‐β (r >0.998) from animal tissues and milk were linear over the calibration ranges. AV recovery from samples was higher than 73.3% and the RSD was less than 12.0% (n = 5). 相似文献
Methylation is one of the important posttranslational modifications of biological systems. At the metabolite level, the methylation process is expected to convert bioactive compounds such as amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, sugars, and other organic acids into their methylated forms. A few of the methylated amino acids are identified and have been proved as potential biomarkers for several metabolic disorders by using mass spectrometry–based metabolomics workstation. As it is possible to encounter all the N‐methyl forms of the proteinogenic amino acids in plant/biological systems, it is essential to have analytical data of all N‐methyl amino acids for their detection and identification. In earlier studies, we have reported the ESI‐MS/MS data of all methylated proteinogenic amino acids, except that of mono‐N‐methyl amino acids. In this study, the N‐methyl amino acids of all the amino acids ( 1 ‐ 21 ; including one isomeric pair) were synthesized and characterized by ESI‐MS/MS, LC/MS/MS, and HRMS. These data could be useful for detection and identification of N‐methyl amino acids in biological systems for future metabolomics studies. The MS/MS spectra of [M + H]+ ions of most N‐methyl amino acids showed respective immonium ions by the loss of (H2O, CO). The other most common product ions detected were [MH‐(NH2CH3]+, [MH‐(RH)]+ (where R = side chain group) ions, and the selective structure indicative product ions due to side chain and N‐methyl group. The isomeric/isobaric N‐methyl amino acids could easily be differentiated by their distinct MS/MS spectra. Further, the MS/MS of immonium ions inferred side chain structure and methyl group on α‐nitrogen of the N‐methyl amino acids. 相似文献
The Amaryllidaceae are widely distributed medical plants. Lycorine, lycoramine, lycoremine, and lycobetaine are the major active alkaloids in Amaryllidaceae plants. A nonaqueous CE ESI‐IT‐MS method for separation, identification, and quantification of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids has been developed. The MS1–3 behavior has been studied and the fragmentation pathways of main fragment ions have been proposed. The effects of several factors such as composition and concentration of buffer, applied voltage, composition, and flow rate of the sheath liquid, nebulizing gas pressure, flow rate, and temperature of drying gas were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the linear concentration range of these compounds was wide with the correlation coefficient (R2) >0.99. RSDs of migration time and peak areas were <10%. The LODs were <240 ng/mL. The proposed method can be successfully applied to the determination of the related alkaloids in the Lycoris radiata roots. 相似文献
The analysis of volatiles from bacterial cultures revealed long‐chain aliphatic nitriles, a new class of natural products. Such nitriles are produced by both Gram‐positive Micromonospora echinospora and Gram‐negative Pseudomonas veronii bacteria, although the structures differ. A variable sequence of chain elongation and dehydration in the fatty acid biosynthesis leads to either unbranched saturated or unsaturated nitriles with an ω−7 double bond, such as (Z )‐11‐octadecenenitrile, or methyl‐branched unsaturated nitriles with the double bond located at C‐3, such as (Z )‐13‐methyltetradec‐3‐enenitrile. The nitrile biosynthesis starts from fatty acids, which are converted into their amides and finally dehydrated. The structures and biosyntheses of the 19 naturally occurring compounds were elucidated by mass spectrometry, synthesis, and feeding experiments with deuterium‐labeled precursors. Some of the nitriles showed antimicrobial activity, for example, against multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. 相似文献
The recently developed FAB/MSMS methodology (i.e.) ionization of an underivatized peptide by using fast-atom-bombardment (FAB) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS) is applied for the sequencing of the cyclotetrapeptide tentoxin ( 12 ). The scope and limitation of the strategy is discussed in detail. Possible resolutions to overcome problems related to (i) the resolution of isobaric fragment ions and (ii) the distinction of sequence vs. retro-sequence are investigated. The novel strategy is compared with conventional techniques. Significant improvement of the presently used FAB/MSMS methodology can be achieved by combining this approach with accurate mass measurements. 相似文献
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa ) is one of the most popular leafy vegetables in the world and constitutes a major dietary source of phenolic compounds with health‐promoting properties. In particular, the demand for green and red oak‐leaf lettuces has considerably increased in the last years but few data on their polyphenol composition are available. Moreover, the usage of analytical edge technology can provide new structural information and allow the identification of unknown polyphenols. In the present study, the phenolic profiles of green and red oak‐leaf lettuce cultivars were exhaustively characterized by ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled online to diode array detection (DAD), electrospray ionization (ESI), and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (QToF/MS), using the MSE instrument acquisition mode for recording simultaneously exact masses of precursor and fragment ions. One hundred fifteen phenolic compounds were identified in the acidified hydromethanolic extract of freeze‐dried lettuce leaves. Forty‐eight of these compounds were tentatively identified for the first time in lettuce, and only 20 of them have been previously reported in oak‐leaf lettuce cultivars in literature. Both oak‐leaf lettuce cultivars presented similar phenolic composition, except for apigenin‐glucuronide and dihydroxybenzoic acid, only detected in the green cultivar; and for luteolin‐hydroxymalonylhexoside, an apigenin conjugate with molecular formula C40H54O19 (monoisotopic MW = 838.3259 u ), cyanidin‐3‐O ‐glucoside, cyanidin‐3‐O ‐(3″‐O ‐malonyl)glucoside, cyanidin‐3‐O ‐(6″‐O ‐malonyl)glucoside, and cyanidin‐3‐O ‐(6″‐O ‐acetyl)glucoside, only found in the red cultivar. The UHPLC‐DAD‐ESI‐QToF/MSE approach demonstrated to be a useful tool for the characterization of phenolic compounds in complex plant matrices. 相似文献
The activities of a series of acyclic enediynes, 2‐(6‐substituted hex‐3‐ene‐1,5‐diynyl)benzonitriles ( 1 – 5 ) and their derivatives 7 – 23 were evaluated against several solid tumor cell lines and topoisomerase I. Compounds 1 – 5 show selective cytotoxicity with Hepa cells, and 2‐[6‐phenylhex‐3‐ene‐1,5‐diynyl]benzonitrile ( 5 ) reveals the most‐potent activity. Analogues 8 – 10 and 13 – 22 also have the same effect with DLD cells; 1‐[(Z)‐dec‐3‐ene‐1,5‐diynyl)‐4‐nitrobenzene 21 shows the highest activity among them. Moreover, 1‐[(Z)‐dec‐3‐ene‐1,5‐diynyl]‐2‐(trifluoromethyl)benzene ( 20 ) exhibits the strongest inhibitory activity with the Hela cell line. Derivatives 9, 10, 18 , and 23 display inhibitory activities with topoisomerase I at 87 μM . The cell‐cycle analysis of compound 5 , which induces a significant blockage in S phase, indicates that these novel enediynes probably undergo other biological pathways leading to the cytotoxicity, except the inhibitory activity toward topoisomerase I. 相似文献
The chemistry of phosphoserine [Ser(P)] containing peptides and polypeptides was extensively investigated to explore a new biomineralization material science. The selective cleavage of the O,O′‐diphenyl phospho‐protecting groups of Ser(PO3Ph2) was examined using hydrogenolysis catalysts. Among the catalysts examined, only PtO2 in 50% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)/AcOH successfully cleaved the protecting group of Ser(PO3Ph2) to give Ser(P). Based on these characteristic new findings, Ser(P)‐containing dipeptides such as Gly‐Ser(P), Ala‐Ser(P), Ser‐Ser(P), Asp‐Ser(P), Glu‐Ser(P), and Lys‐Ser(P), and tetrapeptide [Asp‐Ser(P)]2 were synthesized by a facile method. When we used the Ser(PO3Ph2) residues at the C terminals, the amino functional groups of amino acids and peptides can be coupled by the unsymmetric mixed anhydride using isobutyl chloroformate but cannot be by the symmetric anhydride method using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Neither unsymmetric mixed anhydride nor symmetric anhydride can be coupled with p‐nitrophenol at their C terminals. High‐molecular‐weight sequential polypeptides containing Ser(P) such as poly[Ser(P)‐Xaa] (Xaa: Gly, Ala, Ser, Lys, Asp, Glu) and poly[Gly‐Ser(P)‐Gly] were first synthesized by the polycondensation of the di‐ and tripeptide p‐nitrophenyl active esters, followed by the quantitative elimination of the diphenyl protecting groups by PtO2 in TFA/AcOH. The new strategy to synthesize Ser(P)‐containing peptides and model proteins may help the development of hybrid formulations of marine and biomimetic protein minerals.