Distinguishing Core and Antenna Fucosylated Glycopeptides Based on Low-Energy Tandem Mass Spectra

Anal Chem. 2018 Nov 6;90(21):12776-12782. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b03140. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

Abstract

A straightforward approach has been developed to distinguish core and antenna fucosylation in glycopeptides. The method does not require derivatization and can be easily adapted into a proteomics workflow. The key aspect is to use low collision energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) (on a quadrupole time-of-flight type instrument) when only single-step fragmentation processes occur. Low collision energy should show the precursor ion as the largest peak in the spectrum; the survival yield should be ideally over 50%, and this is obtained at a collision energy ca. 30% of that typically used for proteomics. In such a case, interfering processes like fucose migration or consecutive reactions are minimized. Core and antenna fucosylation can be discriminated using various ion abundance ratios. Low-energy CID spectra are very "clean" (no chemical noise), and the ions used for locating the fucose are among the major peaks, making the method well-suited for analytical work. Monitoring the change in the proportion of core and antenna fucosylation at the same glycosylation site is also feasible.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Fucose / analysis*
  • Fucose / chemistry
  • Glycopeptides / analysis*
  • Glycopeptides / chemistry
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Orosomucoid / analysis*
  • Orosomucoid / chemistry
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / analysis*
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / chemistry
  • Proteomics
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods

Substances

  • Glycopeptides
  • Orosomucoid
  • Fucose
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen