Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of highly reactive glycosyl halides

Highly reactive glycosyl chlorides and bromides have been analysed by a routine mass spectrometric method using electrospray ionization and lithium salt adduct-forming agents in anhydrous acetonitrile solution, providing salient lithiated molecular ions [M+Li]?, [2M+Li]? etc. The role of other adduct-forming salts has also been evaluated. The lithium salt method is useful for accurate mass determination of these highly sensitive compounds.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of self-assembled 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxylic acid

Self-assembly of 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxylic acid in solution was detected by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The ESI mass spectra showed the acid was self-assembled as a cyclic tetramer in methanol and acetonitrile, and the tetramer was found to complex more strongly with the sodium ion than with any other alkali metal ion. The result was supported by semiempirical molecular orbital calculations, which indicate that the tetramer possesses a cyclic structure like a pseudo-crown ether, and its internal diameter is consistent with the diameter of a sodium ion.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of nucleic acids using high-throughput on-line desalting

A rapid on-line desalting method utilizing ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-RP-HPLC) was employed in tandem with negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for the routine analysis of nucleic acids. Desalting was performed on a short 10 x 2.1 mm guard column packed with 3.5 microm C(18) sorbent. The HPLC system was connected in-line to an orthogonal ESI-TOF mass spectrometer via a six-port, two-position switching valve, allowing desalting followed by mass analysis of nucleic acids. Duty cycle times for the method were as low as 1.5 min per sample. This allowed for the analysis of approximately 950 samples per 24-h time period, which is suitable for medium- to high-throughput applications. Average mass accuracy was determined to be 80 ppm for oligonucleotides up to 110 mer in length with external calibration. The method was utilized for synthetic oligonucleotide quality control and analysis of DNA genotyping fragments.     

Electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometric behavior of eight anabolic steroid glucuronides

Mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric behavior of eight anabolic steroid glucuronides were examined using electrospray (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in negative and positive ion mode. The objective was to elucidate the most suitable ionization method to produce intense structure specific product ions and to examine the possibilities of distinguishing between isomeric steroid glucuronides. The analytes were glucuronide conjugates of testosterone (TG), epitestosterone (ETG), nandrolone (NG), androsterone (AG), 5alpha-estran-3alpha-ol-17-one (5alpha-NG), 5beta-estran-3alpha-ol-17-one (5beta-NG), 17alpha-methyl-5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (5alpha-MTG), and 17alpha-methyl-5beta-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (5beta-MTG), the last four being new compounds synthesized with enzyme-assisted method in our laboratory. High proton affinity of the 4-ene-3-one system in the steroid structure favored the formation of protonated molecule [M + H]+ in positive ion mode mass spectrometry (MS), whereas the steroid glucuronides with lower proton affinities were detected mainly as ammonium adducts [M + NH4]+. The only ion produced in negative ion mode mass spectrometry was a very intense and stable deprotonated molecule [M - H]- . Positive ion ESI and APCI MS/MS spectra showed abundant and structure specific product ions [M + H - Glu]+, [M + H - Glu - H2O]+, and [M + H - Glu - 2H2O]+ of protonated molecules and corresponding ions of the ammonium adduct ions. The ratio of the relative abundances of these ions and the stability of the precursor ion provided distinction of 5alpha-NG and 5beta-NG isomers and TG and ETG isomers. Corresponding diagnostic ions were only minor peaks in negative ion MS/MS spectra. It was shown that positive ion ESI MS/MS is the most promising method for further development of LC-MS methods for anabolic steroid glucuronides.     

Electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometric analysis of hexamethylenediamine-modified maltodextrin and dextran

A combined methodology for obtaining at the preparative scale and characterization by nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI) quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem MS (MS/MS) of linear polysaccharides modified at the reducing end is presented. Two polydisperse maltodextrins (1000 and 3000 Da) and a high molecular weight polydisperse dextran (6000 Da) were coupled with hexamethylenediamine (HMD). The coupling products were analyzed by nanoESI-QTOF-MS in the positive ion mode and MS/MS using collision-induced dissociation (CID) at low energies. In the HMD-M1000 mixture, the polysaccharide chains containing from 2 to 8 Glc residues were detected, while in HMD-M3000 we identified a complete series of chains containing from 8 to 21 Glc moieties. The employed ESI conditions enhanced the detection of chains with up to 46 Glc residues in the HMD-D6000 sample. By optimized MS/MS, HMD-modified polysaccharides of 3, 4, 5, 12 and 46 degrees of polymerization yielded product ion spectra exhibiting the whole set of Y- and B-fragment ions. The MS structural data were obtained within a few minutes of signal acquisition, with a sample consumption situating the analysis sensitivity in the picomolar range.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric study of 1,3,4-oxadiazole–copper complexes

The complexes of 2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-oxadiazoles, namely 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (1), 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (2) and 2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (3), with copper cation were studied by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The ability of the compounds studied to form complexes with copper (under the ESI conditions) can be ordered as 2 > 1 > 3. The compounds studied tend to form both 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 chelate complexes with both copper(II) and copper(I). The complexes with copper(I) are formed in the ESI process. The influence of solvent polarity, solution flow-rate, counter ions (Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, CH₃COO⁻, SO₄²⁻, acetylacetonates) on the type of the ions observed was studied. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometric analysis of meso-tetrakis(Heptafluoropropyl)porphyrin

The results of an electrospray ionization (ESI(+) and ESI(-)) collision-induced fragmentation investigation of meso-tetrakis(heptafluoropropyl)porphyrin (T(F)HP) are reported. The fragmentation patterns of T(F)HP show, in both ionization modes, the formation of fragments with direct covalent meso-alkyl-to-beta-linkages on elimination of HF. In addition, in the ESI(+) mode, the losses of perfluoroalkyl radicals are observed. A detailed analysis of the fragmentation patterns allows conclusions to be drawn on the identification of the fragment species. Comparable cyclized products were previously produced using radical-initiated solution-phase syntheses. The results presented will help to analyze meso-perfluoroalkyl-derivatized porphyrinic macrocycles that are becoming increasingly popular.     

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometric analysis of intact bikunin glycosaminoglycan from normal human plasma

A mixture of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains from a plasma proteoglycan bikunin was fractionated using native, continuous-elution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the resulting fractions were analyzed by electrospray ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry (ESI FTMS). Molecular mass analysis of the intact GAG afforded information about the length and composition of GAG chains in the mixture. Ambiguity in the interpretation of the intact GAG mass spectra was eliminated by conducting an additional experiment in which the GAG chains of known molecular mass were treated with a GAG-degrading enzyme, chondroitinase ABC, and the digestion products were analyzed by ESI FTMS. The plasma bikunin GAG chains consisted predominantly of odd number of saccharides, although few chains consisting of even number of saccharides were also detected. Majority of the analyzed chains were tetrasulfated or pentasulfated and comprised by 29 to 41 monosaccharides.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of noncovalent complexes between DNA and polyamides containing N-methylpyrrole and N-methylimidazole

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was utilized to investigate the noncovalent complexes between novel polyamides and DNA containing the TCCT sequence. We analyzed the noncovalent binding of the polyamides with the DNA and assessed their relative affinities and stoichiometry. The results confirm that hairpin polyamides have higher binding affinities than three-ring polyamides. The hairpin polyamide (PyPyPyPygammaPyImImPybetaDp) has the highest affinity, and the beta-linked polyamide (PyPyPybetaImImImbetaDp) shows a dominant 1:2 binding stoichiometry. Two groups of competition experiments were undertaken to compare the binding affinities of the duplex DNA with different polyamides directly. The affinity scale thus obtained for the group-1 polyamides is PyPyPyPygammaPyImImPybetaDp > PyPyPybetaImImImbetaDp approximately PyPyPygammaImImImbetaDp > PyPyPybetaDp > PyImImbetaDp approximately ImImPybetaDp, and the order for the group-2 polyamides is PyPyPygammaImImImbetaDp > PyPyPygammaImImImbetaOEt > PyPyPygammaImImImbetaCOOH.     

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometric analysis of metal-ion selected dynamic protein libraries

The application of electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry to the investigation of the relative stabilities (and thus packing efficiencies) of Fe-bound trihelix peptide bundles is demonstrated. Small dynamic protein libraries are created by metal-ion assisted assembly of peptide subunits. Control of the trimeric aggregation state is coupled to stability selection by exploiting the coordination requirements of Fe(2+) in the presence of bidentate 2,2'-bipyridyl ligands covalently appended to the peptide monomers. At limiting metal-ion concentration, the most thermodynamically stable, optimally packed peptide trimers dominate the mass spectrum. The identities of optimally stable candidate trimers observed in the ESI FT-ICR mass spectra are confirmed by resynthesis of exchange-inert analogues and measurement of their folding free energies. The peptide composition of the trimers may be determined by infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) MS(3) experiments. Additional sequence information for the peptide subunits is obtained from electron capture dissociation (ECD) of peptides and metal-bound trimers. The experiments also suggest the presence of secondary structure in the gas phase, possibly due to partial retention of the solution-phase coiled coil structure.     

Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric study of the aconitines in the roots of aconite

Fragmentation pathways of aconitine-type alkaloids were investigated by electrospray ionization/ion trap multistage tandem mass spectrometry. Low-energy collision-induced dissociation of protonated aconitines follows a dominant first step, the elimination of the C(8)-substituent as acetic acid or fatty acid in MS(2) spectra. Successive losses of 1-4 CH(3)OH molecules, 1-3 H(2)O, CO, benzoic acid, and CH(3) or C(2)H(5) (N-substituents) are all fragmentation pathways observed in MS(3) and MS(4) spectra. By applying knowledge of these fragmentation pathways to the aconitines in the ethanolic extract of aconite roots, all the known aconitines were detected and also 23 unknown aconitine-type alkaloids, in which the lipo-alkaloids containing residues of 15C, 17C and 19C saturated or unsaturated fatty acids were characterized. These odd-carbon-number fatty acid substituents have not been reported previously.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection of low polar compounds by adding NaAuCl4

Liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI/MS) has been widely used for various analyses. However, it is difficult to use LC/ESI/MS for the analysis of low polar compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It is well known that AuCl₄^? ion decomposes to AuCl₃ by heating, and AuCl₃ is a strong π‐electrophilic Lewis acid. Low polar compounds (pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, perylene, benzo[ghi]perylene, dibenzothiophene and p‐dimethoxybenzene) were detected by ESI/MS in the positive ion mode by adding NaAuCl₄. The low polar compound interacts with AuCl₃ formed at the ESI interface, and undergoes electron transfer to AuCl₃. The radical cation of the low polar compound was then detected by MS. In addition, the LC/ESI/MS determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by the post‐column addition of NaAuCl₄ was studied. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Mass Spectrometry Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Negative- and positive-ion chemical ionization mass spectra of aromatic amines: Surface-assisted reactions involving oxygen

The O₂–N₂ and O₂–Ar negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectra of aromatic amines show a series of unusual ions dominated by an addition appearing at [M + 14]^?˙. Other ions are observed at [M – 12]^?˙, [M + 5]^?˙, [M + 12]^?˙, [M + 28]^?˙ and [M + 30]^?˙. Ion formation was studied using a quadrupole instrument equipped with a conventional chemical ionization source and a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. These studies, which included the examination of ion chromatograms, measurement of positive-ion chemical ionization mass spectra, variation of ion source temperature and pressure and experiments with ¹⁸O₂, indicate that the [M + 14]^?˙ ion is formed by the electron-capture ionization of analytes altered by surfaceassisted reactions involving oxygen. This conversion is also observed under low-pressure conditions following source pretreatment with O₂. Experiments with [¹⁵N]aniline, [2,3,4,5,6-²H₅] aniline and [¹³C₆]aniline show that the [M + 14]^?˙ ion corresponds to [M + O ? 2H]^?˙, resulting from conversion of the amino group to a nitroso group. Additional ions in the spectra of aromatic amines also result from surface-assisted oxidation reactions, including oxidation of the amino group to a nitro group, oxidation and cleavage of the aromatic ring and, at higher analyte concentrations, intermolecular oxidation reactions.     

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.     

Optimized stationary phases for the high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of basic pharmaceuticals

Stationary phases were investigated for HPLC coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for the analysis of basic drugs. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and beta-blockers were used as model solutes. The functional groups, pentafluorophenyl (PFP), OH, CN or CH3 were attached to the silica via a propyl chain. The effects of these stationary phases as well as C8 and C18 phases on retention and peak shape of the basic drugs were studied. The CN and PFP phases adequately retained (tR of 2 to 6 min) the basic drugs when the mobile phase was composed of 90% acetonitrile, whereas with the C4, C8 and C18 phases, less than 40% acetonitrile had to be used to provide adequate retention of the basic drugs. Because acetonitrile provides better desolvation in ESI than an aqueous solvent, it produces an increased MS signal. As an example of the HPLC-ESI-MS analysis of the beta-blocker, pindolol, on a CN phase, the use of 90% acetonitrile in the mobile phase increased the ESI-MS signal by 790% when compared to a C18 phase which could use only 5% acetonitrile in the mobile phase for retention of the solute. In addition, the CN and PFP phases provided better peak shape than the OH phase and the hydrophobic phases (C4, C8 and C18) and ion-pairing or ion-suppressing agents were not required. The retention behavior of the TCAs and beta-blockers on each of the phases is described.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in enzymology: uncovering the mechanisms of two-substrate reactions

The purpose of this review is to draw attention to the use of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for monitoring the course of enzyme-substrate interactions, in the particular case of complex systems in which two substrates participate. The determination and characterization of intra-molecular reactions, especially those that occur in the enzyme active site, is not a trivial task in chemical kinetics, typically requiring long measurement times and relatively expensive techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray crystallography or electron microscopy (EM). However, nowadays almost all laboratories are equipped with or else have access to the ESI-MS technique. The aim of this review is to focus on the possibilities of employing even quite simple MS equipment to tackle different applications in studies of complex enzymatic systems.     

Induction based fluidics (IBF) for droplet‐based mass spectrometric analysis of oligonucleotides

Here, we report the utility of induction‐based fluidics (IBF) for the introduction of oligonucleotides to a mass spectrometer via charged droplets. The device produces nanoliter‐sized droplets, which are field transported with minimal concerns related to source plugging or sampling loss. The IBF source enabled detection of oligonucleotides at the nanomolar concentration level. Importantly, analysis of individual droplets revealed that oligonucleotide mixtures could be detected with ion abundance ratios that closely match the initial concentration ratios within the sample. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.