Microfluidic Superheating for Peptide Sequence Elucidation

Anal Chem. 2015 Jun 16;87(12):5997-6003. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b00189. Epub 2015 Jun 2.

Abstract

Herein, we introduce microfluidic superheating as a new method for peptide fragmentation prior to mass spectrometric analysis. The superheating conditions were found to be stable up to 240 °C for more than 30 min without elevated pressure or boiling of the aqueous sample. As proof of principle, we exposed the peptides ACTH1-10 and OVA257-264 to various superheating conditions, causing different degrees of decomposition. Optimized superheating conditions resulted in the entire peptide ladder sequence of the y-ions, allowing the amino acid sequence to be deduced from a single-stage mass spectrum. Thus, obtaining information in the same quality as from tandem mass spectrometry can be achieved by a single superheating step.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Hot Temperature*
  • Mass Spectrometry / instrumentation
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques*
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry*
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein / methods*

Substances

  • Peptide Fragments