New reagents for enhanced liquid chromatographic separation and charging of intact protein ions for electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Anal Chem. 2010 Sep 1;82(17):7515-9. doi: 10.1021/ac1016858.

Abstract

Electrospray ionization produces multiply charged ions, thereby lowering the mass-to-charge ratio for peptides and small proteins to a range readily accessed by quadrupole ion trap, orbitrap, and ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) mass analyzers (m/z = 400-2000). For Fourier transform mass analyzers (orbitrap and ICR), higher charge also improves signal-to-noise ratio, mass resolution, and mass accuracy. Addition of m-nitrobenzyl alcohol (m-NBA) or sulfolane has previously been shown to increase the charge states of proteins. Moreover, polar aprotic dimethylformamide (DMF) improves chromatographic separation of proteolytic peptides for mass analysis of solution-phase protein hydrogen/deuterium exchange for improved (78-96%) sequence coverage. Here, we show that addition of each of the various modifiers (DMF, thiodiglycol, dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and N-methylpyrrolidone) can significantly increase the charge states of proteins up to 78 kDa. Moreover, incorporation of the same modifiers into reversed-phase liquid chromatography solvents improves sensitivity, charging, and chromatographic resolution for intact proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetamides / chemistry
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods*
  • Chromatography, Reverse-Phase
  • Dimethyl Sulfoxide / chemistry
  • Dimethylformamide / chemistry
  • Peptides / analysis
  • Peptides / isolation & purification
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Pyrrolidinones / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / chemistry
  • Thiophenes / chemistry

Substances

  • Acetamides
  • Peptides
  • Proteins
  • Pyrrolidinones
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • Thiophenes
  • Dimethylformamide
  • 2,2'-thiodiethanol
  • dimethylacetamide
  • N-methylpyrrolidone
  • sulfolane
  • Dimethyl Sulfoxide