Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of lipids: ionization and prompt fragmentation patterns

Ionization and prompt fragmentation patterns of triacylglycerols, phospholipids (PLs) and galactolipids were investigated using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Positive ions of non-nitrogen-containing lipids appeared only in the sodiated form, while nitrogen-containing lipids were detected as both sodiated and protonated adducts. Lipids containing acidic hydroxyls were detected as multiple sodium adducts or deprotonated ions in the positive and negative modes, respectively, with the exception of phosphatidylcholines. The positive MALDI spectra of triacylglycerols contained prompt fragments equivalent to the loss of RCOO(-) from the neutral molecules. Prompt fragment ions [PL-polar head](+) were observed in the positive MALDI spectra of all phospholipids except phosphatidylcholines. The phosphatidylcholines produced only a minor positive fragment corresponding to the head group itself (m/z 184). Galactolipids did not undergo prompt fragmentation. Post-source decay (PSD) was used to examine the source of prompt fragments. PSD fragment patterns indicated that the lipid prompt fragment ions did not originate from the observed molecular ions (sodiated or protonated), and suggested that the prompt fragmentation followed the formation of highly unstable, probably protonated, precursor ions. Pathways leading to the formation of prompt fragment ions are proposed.     

Substituent effects in the mass spectral fragmentation of aryl esters

The mass spectra of m- and p-substituted phenyl acetates, phenyl propionates, phenyl chloroacetates and phenyl fluoroacetates have been determined. The fragmentation of aryl esters is affected by acyl substituents as well as by aryl substituents. Esters having acyl groups of low ionization potential show greater changes in fragmentation because of aryl substituents than those having acyl groups of high ionization potential. Each series has a fairly definite crossover point where fragmentation changes from predominant rearrangement to predominant cleavage.     

Effect of mobile phase pH, aqueous-organic ratio, and buffer concentration on electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns: implications in liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric bioanalysis

Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) based on selected reaction monitoring (SRM) is the standard methodology in quantitative analysis of administered xenobiotics in biological samples. Utilizing two SRM channels during positive electrospray ionization (ESI) LC/MS/MS method development for a drug compound containing two basic functional groups, we found that the response ratio (SRM1/SRM2) obtained using an acidic mobile phase was dramatically different from that obtained using a basic mobile phase. This observation is different from the well-established phenomenon of mobile phase affecting the [M+H](+) response, which is directly related to the amount of the [M+H](+) ions produced during the ionization. Results from follow-up work reported herein revealed that the MS/MS fragmentation patterns of four drug or drug-like compounds are affected not only by the pH, but also by the aqueous-organic ratio of the mobile phase and the buffer concentration at a given apparent pH. The observed phenomenon can be explained by invoking that a mixture of [M+H](+) ions of the same m/z value for the analyte is produced that is composed of two or more species which differ only in the site of the proton attachment, which in turn affects their MS/MS fragmentation pattern. The ratio of the different protonated species changes depending on the pH, aqueous-organic ratio, or ionic strength of the mobile phase used. The awareness of the mobile phase dependency of the MS/MS fragmentation pattern of precursor ions of identical m/z value will influence LC/MS/MS-based bioanalytical method development strategies. Specifically, we are recommending that multiple SRM transitions be monitored during mobile phase screening, with the MS/MS parameters used for each SRM optimized for the composition of the mobile phase (pH, organic percentage, and ionic strength) in which the analyte elutes.     

Electrospray ionization/tandem quadrupole mass spectrometric studies on phosphatidylcholines: the fragmentation processes

We applied low-energy collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry to study the fragmentation pathways of the [M + H](+) and [M + Li](+) ions of phosphatidylcholine (PC), generated by electrospray ionization (ESI). It is revealed that the fragmentation pathways leading to loss of the polar head group and of the fatty acid substituents do not involve the hydrogens attached to the glycerol backbone as previously reported. The pathway for formation of the major ion of m/z 184 by loss of the polar head group from the [M + H](+) precursor of a diacyl PC involves the participation of the alpha-hydrogen of the fatty acyl substituents, whereas the H(+) participates in the loss of fatty acid moieties. The alpha-hydrogens of the fatty acid substituents also participate in the major fragmentation processes, including formation of [M + Li-R(x)CO(2)H](+) and [M + Li-59-R(x)CO(2)H](+) ions for the [M + Li](+) ions of diacyl PCs, when subjected to low-energy CAD. These fragmentation processes are deterred by substitution of the fatty acyl moieties with alkyl, alkenyl, or hydroxyl groups and consequentially, result in a distinct product-ion spectrum for various PC, including diacyl-, plasmanyl- plasmenyl-, and lyso-PC isomers. The alpha-hydrogens of the fatty acyl substituents at sn-2 are more labile than those at sn-1. This is reflected by the preferential loss of the R(1)CO(2)H over the R(2)CO(2)H observed for the [M + Li](+) ions of diacyl PCs. The spectrum features resulting from the preferential losses permit identification and assignment of the fatty acid moieties in the glycerol backbone. The new fragmentation pathways established by tandem and source CAD tandem mass spectra of various PC molecules, including deuterium-labeling analogs, were proposed. These pathways would clarify the mechanisms underlying the ion formations that lead to the structural characterization of PC molecules.     

Mass spectrometry in structural and stereochemical problems—CCXLIV : The influence of substituents and stereochemistry on the mass spectral fragmentation of progesterone

The complete high resolution mass spectra of progesterone (Δ⁴-pregnene-3,20-dione) and twenty-nine stereoisomers and alkyl substituted analogs have been analyzed with the aid of the recently developed computer program INTSUM. Progesterone analogs with “normal” configuration at the six chiral skeletal carbon atoms give rise to abundant ions corresponding to cleavage of the 1–2 and 3–4 bonds (ketene elimination), to cleavage of the 6–7 and 9–10 bonds (ring B cleavage), and to cleavage of the 13–17 and 15–16 bonds (partial ring D cleavage); these reactions are frequently followed by elimination of alkyl radicals. Alkyl groups at C-6 and C-10 exert a pronounced influence on the formation and fragmentation of the [M-ketene] ions. Reversal of configuration at C-10 increases the importance of ring B cleavage, whereas reversal at C-17 favors the partial cleavage of ring D. The fragmentation of 17-alkylprogesterones differs significantly from the general pattern, with acetyl loss (cleavage of the 17–20 bond) and partial ring D cleavage as the predominating reactions. Loss of ring D by cleavage of the 13–17 and 14–15 bonds is not an important reaction of progesterones. Direct interaction of the two ketonic functions was not observed.     

Software for the calculation of isotope patterns in tandem mass spectrometry

Software, available at no cost on the Internet, is described which uses polynomial expansion algorithms to calculate the isotope patterns for precursor ion, neutral loss, and MSn product ion tandem mass spectra. Such information is useful for determining product ion and neutral loss composition, identification of analytes in complex samples, deconvolution of overlapping spectra, and correction of peak heights or areas in quantitative analysis. The effect of less than unit mass resolution on the isotope patterns is described and experimental examples of the use of the software are presented.     

The fragmentation pathways of protonated Amiton in the gas phase: towards the structural characterisation of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents by electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

Amiton (O,O-diethyl-S-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl] phosphorothiolate), otherwise known as VG, is listed in schedule 2 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and has a structure closely related to VX (O-ethyl-S-(2-diisopropylamino)ethylmethylphosphonothiolate). Fragmentation of protonated VG in the gas phase was performed using electrospray ionisation ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-ITMS) and revealed several characteristic product ions. Quantum chemical calculations provide the most probable structures for these ions as well as the likely unimolecular mechanisms by which they are formed. The decomposition pathways predicted by computation are consistent with deuterium-labeling studies. The combination of experimental and theoretical data suggests that the fragmentation pathways of VG and analogous organophosphorus nerve agents, such as VX and Russian VX, are predictable and thus ESI tandem mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for the verification of unknown compounds listed in the CWC.     

Mass spectral fragmentation pathways in reduction metabolites of 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. A tandem mass spectrometric collision induced dissociation study

A collision induced dissociation study of a series of reduction metabolites of 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene was carried out using a tandem BB mass spectrometer. Fragmentation pathways of the metabolites were determined in the electron impact mode. It was found that the dominant fragmentation pathway is loss of OH^˙ due to an ortho effect. Other fragmentation routes include loss of NO₂˙ and loss of CH₂N˙.     

Letter: Electrospray ionization mass spectral characteristics and fragmentation mechanisms of triterpenoids in Fomes officinalis

The electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric characteristics and fragmentation mechanisms of 12 triterpenoid compounds from Fomes officinalis (F. officinalis) and their analogs were investigated. The compounds could be classified into three types depending on their chemical structures. All of the compounds gave [M-H](-) and [2M-H](-) ions by electrospray negative ionization mode. In addition, the members of three isomeric groups of the analogs with the same elemental composition can be distinguished by tandem mass spectra of protonated molecules and of significant fragmention. The above fragmentations were reported for the first time and were implemented for the analysis of triterpenoids in F. officinalis.     

High-throughput mass spectrometry: the mechanism of sudan azo dye fragmentation by ESI tandem mass spectrometry and extensive deuterium labeling experiments

The investigation of the gas-phase chemistry of azo compounds by mass spectrometry dates back to the introduction of this peculiar research field into the armory of physical organic chemistry tools. The mechanism of the fragmentation of the azo double bond from the protonated precursor is discussed with reference to the behavior of deuterium-labeled reference compounds. The investigated molecules belong to the sudan family and the results can be used for the detection of these potential carcinogenic compounds in different matrices by means of the isotope dilution method.     

The mass spectrometry of DT-and monosubstituted biphenyls: Dependence of fragmentation patterns on position of substitution

This paper describes the mass spectroscopy of a series of biphenyl derivatives substituted in the 2,2′, 4,4′ and 2 positions. The substitutent functional groups are carbomethoxy, carbothoxy, carboxylic acid and hydroxymethyl. In addition, some results are reported on the spectroscopy of the d₅-carboethoxy derivatives, the 2- and 2,2′-αd₂- hydroxymethyl derivatives and fluorene-4-methanol. The molecular ions of the 4,4′-disubstituted biphenyl derivatives are far more stable than those of the 2,2′ isomers. It is also observed that the fragmentation patterns of these two sets of isomers are sharply different. Paradoxically, the 2-substituted biphenyl derivatives give relatively stable molecular ions and their fragmentation patterns are frequently different from those of the corresponding 2,2′-disubstituted biphenyls. The bulk of the evidence presented in this paper suggests that the usual sort of ‘ortho effect’ is not a significant factor in the fragmentation mechanisms proposed for the 2,2′-disubstituted biphenyl derivatives.     

Reproducible product-ion tandem mass spectra on various liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry instruments for the development of spectral libraries

The results of the comparison of product-ion tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra recorded on three ion trap mass spectrometers, a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer are reported. The spectra were recorded in accordance with a simple experimental protocol, which involved the collision-induced dissociation (CID) attenuation of the abundance of the [M+H]+ ion to between 10 and 50% of its original abundance.The degree of similarity between the spectra from four of the mass spectrometers was calculated off-line by comparing the five most abundant ions from the spectrum on each instrument. A percentage fit value (20% for each ion that matches) was calculated by comparing each spectrum against the spectra recorded for the same compound on each instrument. The percentage of the inter-library pairwise comparisons (total = 434) that matched to > or = 60% ranged from 64-89%, depending on the instrument pair. A blind trial was also undertaken using five unknown compounds resulting in 1670 pairwise comparisons with the library entries. The blind trial produced no false positives and correct identifications in all cases. The results of the study have established the basis for the construction of a transferable product-ion MS/MS library.     

Rheological characteristics of nitrate glycerol ether cellulose gel based on phase separation in ternary system

By non-solvent-induced phase separation, nitrate glycerol ether cellulose (NGEC) gels were formed in ternary NGEC/acetone/ethanol system. The rheological behaviors of NGEC gels were investigated using dynamic rheological measurements. The final compositions and morphologies of NGEC gels were influenced by the initial solvent/non-solvent (acetone/ethanol) ratios and NGEC concentrations. In addition, the effect of initial acetone/ethanol ratios on the characteristics of NGEC gels is different from the effect of NGEC concentrations. The critical strain of NGEC gels decreased almost with increasing NGEC concentration of gels by increasing initial acetone ratio, but it increased with increasing NGEC concentration of gels by increasing NGEC concentration beyond a certain concentration in 2/3 (w/w) acetone/ethanol solution. For all gels, the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G′′) of NGEC gels rapidly increased with increasing NGEC concentration of gels. In addition, the curves for G′ and G′′ were temperature sensitive throughout the entire temperature sweep, which implied that the interactions between NGEC/solvent could be disrupted upon heating to higher temperatures.     

Degrees of freedom effect on fragmentation in tandem mass spectrometry of singly charged supramolecular aggregates of sodium sulfonates

The characteristic collision energy (CCE) to obtain 50% fragmentation of positively and negatively single charged noncovalent clusters has been measured. CCE was found to increase linearly with the degrees of freedom (DoF) of the precursor ion, analogously to that observed for synthetic polymers. This suggests that fragmentation behavior (e.g. energy randomization) in covalent molecules and clusters are similar. Analysis of the slope of CCE with molecular size (DoF) indicates that activation energy of fragmentation of these clusters (loss of a monomer unit) is similar to that of the lowest energy fragmentation of protonated leucine–enkephalin. Positively and negatively charged aggregates behave similarly, but the slope of the CCE versus DoF plot is steeper for positive ions, suggesting that these are more stable than their negative counterparts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of substituent groups at the 3‐position on the mass spectral fragmentation pathways of cephalosporins

The structural fragment ions of nine cephalosporins were studied by electrospray ionization quadrapole trap mass spectrometry (Q‐Trap MSⁿ) in positive mode. The influence of substituent groups in the 3‐position on fragmentation pathway B, an α‐cleavage between the C7? C8 single bond, coupled with a [2,4]‐trans‐Diels‐Alder cleavage simultaneously within the six‐membered heterocyclic ring, was also investigated. It was found that when the substituent groups were methyl, chloride, vinyl, or propenyl, fragmentations belonging to pathway B were detected; however, when the substituents were heteroatoms such as O, N, or S, pathway B fragmentation was not detected. This suggested that the [M–R₃]⁺ ion, which was produced by the bond cleavage within the substituent group at the 3‐position, had a key influence on fragmentation pathway B. This could be attributed to the strong electronegativity of the heteroatoms (O, N, S) that favors the production of the [M–R₃]⁺ ion. Moreover, having the positive charge of the [M–R₃]⁺ ion localized on the nitrogen atom in the 1‐position changed the electron density distribution of the heterocyclic structure, which prohibits a [2,4]‐reverse‐Diels‐Alder fragmentation and as a result fragmentation pathway B could not occur. The influence of the substituent group in the 3‐position was determined by the intensity ratio (e/d) of ions produced by fragmentation pathway A, a [2,2]‐trans‐Diels‐Alder cleavage within the quaternary lactam ring, including the breaking of the amide bond and the C6? C7 single bond (ion d), and fragmentation pathway B (ion e). The results indicate that the electronegativity of the substituent group was a key influencing factor of pathway B fragmentation intensity, because the intensity ratio (e/d) is higher for a chlorine atom, a vinyl, or a propenyl group than that of a methyl group. This study provided some theoretical basis for the identification of cephalosporin antibiotics and structural analysis of related substances in drugs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Natural isotopes as a tool in the elucidation of elemental composition and fragmentation pathways by tandem mass spectrometry

Comparison of daughter spectra obtained by tandem quadrupole mass Spectrometry from ions selected from an isotopic cluster of the same elemental composition can be efficiently used to find out the elemental composition of a fragment. This even applies with ions of high mass and with low abundance isotopes such as ¹⁸O. By this method, loss of CO and HCO˙ from the phenol molecular ion is confirmed and the absence of CO loss from the p-tert-butyl-pbenol molecular ion is made obvious. Limitations of the method are discussed in the case of a bicyclic imidazolidinone.     

Metal ion complexes in the structural analysis of phospholipids by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The effects of metal cationization on collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) of phospholipids were investigated by electrospray ionization with quadrupole ion trap tandem mass spectrometry. The metal ions include Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Sr(2+), Ba(2+), and the first transition series. CAD of the transition metal ion-bound lipid complexes gave significant yields of product ions that identify the positions of the two fatty acyl substituents on the glycerophospholipid backbone. The cobalt(II) ion, which has a single naturally occurring isotope, was expected to be a better cationization reagent as it produces simpler mass spectra than other transition metal ions. CAD of the cobalt(II) ion complexes of glycerophosphoethanolamines, glycerophosphoglycerols and glycerophosphoserines yielded product ions that revealed information regarding both the lipid classes and the regiospecific positions of the two fatty acyl substituents.     

Toward a suitable structural analysis of gene delivery carrier based on polycationic carbohydrates by electron transfer dissociation tandem mass spectrometry

Polycationic carbohydrates represent an attractive class of biomolecules for several applications and particularly as non viral gene delivery vectors. In this case, the establishment of structure-biological activity relationship requires sensitive and accurate characterization tools to both control and achieve fine structural deciphering. Electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) appears as a suitable approach to address these questions. In the study herein, we have investigated the usefulness of electron transfer dissociation (ETD) to get structural data about five polycationic carbohydrates demonstrated as promising gene delivery agents. A particular attention was paid to determine the influence of charge states as well as both fluoranthene reaction time and supplementary activation (SA) on production of charge reduced species, fragmentation yield, varying from 2 to 62%, as well as to obtain the most higher both diversity and intensity of fragments, according to charge states and targeted compounds. ETD fragmentation appeared to be mainly directed toward pending group rather than carbohydrate cyclic scaffold leading to a partial sequencing for building blocks when amino groups are close to carbohydrate core, but allowing to complete structural deciphering of some of them, such as those including dithioureidocysteaminyl group which was not possible with CID only. Such findings clearly highlight the potential to help the rational choice of the suitable analytical conditions, according to the nature of the gene delivery molecules exhibiting polycationic features. Moreover, our ETD-MS/MS approach open the way to a fine sequencing/identification of grafted groups carried on various sets of oligo-/polysaccharides in various fields such as glycobiology or nanomaterials, even with unknown or questionable extraction, synthesis or modification steps.