An improved calibration method for the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resononance analysis of 15N-metabolically- labeled proteome digests using a mass difference approach

Eur J Mass Spectrom (Chichester). 2012;18(3):269-77. doi: 10.1255/ejms.1186.

Abstract

High mass measurement accuracy of peptides in enzymatic digests is critical for confident protein identification and characterization in proteomics research. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) can provide low or sub-ppm mass accuracy and ultrahigh resolving power. While for ESI-FT-ICR-MS, the mass accuracy is generally 1 ppm or better, with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-FT-ICR-MS, the mass errors can vary from sub-ppm with internal calibration to over 100 ppm with conventional external calibration. A novel calibration method for (15)N-metabolically labeled peptides from a batch digest of a proteome is described which corrects for space charge induced frequency shifts in FT-ICR spectra without using an internal calibrant. This strategy utilizes the information from the mass difference between the (14)N/(15)N peptide peak pairs to correct for space charge induced mass shifts after data collection. A procedure for performing the mass correction has been written into a computer program and has been successfully applied to high-performance liquid chromatography-MALDI-FT- ICR-MS measurement of (15)N-metabolic labeled proteomes. We have achieved an average measured mass error of 1.0 ppm and a standard deviation of 3.5 ppm for 900 peptides from 68 MALDI-FT-ICR mass spectra of the proteolytic digest of a proteome from Methanococcus maripaludis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Calibration / standards
  • Cyclotrons / standards
  • Fourier Analysis
  • Humans
  • Nitrogen Isotopes / chemistry
  • Proteome / chemistry*
  • Proteomics / methods*
  • Proteomics / standards*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / methods*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / standards*

Substances

  • Nitrogen Isotopes
  • Proteome