The effects of heating rate and sample size on the direct exposure/chemical ionization mass spectra of some biological conjugates

Time-of-flights and traps: from the Histone Code to Mars

Two very different analytical instruments are featured in this perspective paper on mass spectrometer design and development. The first instrument, based upon the curved-field reflectron developed in the Johns Hopkins Middle Atlantic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, is a tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer whose performance and practicality are illustrated by applications to a series of research projects addressing the acetylation, deacetylation and ADP-ribosylation of histone proteins. The chemical derivatization of lysine-rich, hyperacetylated histones as their deuteroacetylated analogs enables one to obtain an accurate quantitative assessment of the extent of acetylation at each site. Chemical acetylation of histone mixtures is also used to determine the lysine targets of sirtuins, an important class of histone deacetylases (HDACs), by replacing the deacetylated residues with biotin. Histone deacetylation by sirtuins requires the co-factor NAD+, as does the attachment of ADP-ribose. The second instrument, a low voltage and low power ion trap mass spectrometer known as the Mars Organic Mass Analyzer (MOMA), is a prototype for an instrument expected to be launched in 2018. Like the tandem mass spectrometer, it is also expected to have applicability to environmental and biological analyses and, ultimately, to clinical care.

Identification of novel nucleotides found in the red seaweed Porphyra umbilicalis

Extracts of the red seaweed Porphyra umbilicalis are a valuable constituent of herbal medicines. The nucleotide complement of such an extract was purified and compounds identified by chromatographic behaviour, UV absorbance/pH profile, base-to-phosphate ratio, acid hydrolysis, and by fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry with mass-analysed ion kinetic energy spectrum scanning. In addition to eighteen common nucleotides, and two cyclic nucleotides, fifteen novel nucleotides were identified, comprising eight deoxynucleotides and two cyclic deoxynucleotides, ten aminoacylnucleotides and two nucleoside trisphosphates together with 2'-phosphoadenosine-3',5'-cyclic pyrophosphate, 5'-phosphoadenosine-2',3'-cyclic monophosphate and N6,N6-dimethyladenosine-5'-monophosphate. The possible origin and potential actions of these novel compounds are discussed.

Positive ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry of some small oligosaccharides

Positive ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry appears to be a very useful method for the determination of molecular weight and composition of underivatized di- and trisaccharides. Information on the identity of the monosaccharide units can be obtained from the metastable ion and collisional activation spectra of selected ions. The type of linkage between the monosaccharides is reflected in some spectral characteristics, but the differences are relatively small and do not always allow an unambiguous identification. The position of a fructose unit in a trisaccharide molecule is shown by the collisional activation spectra of the [M + H]+ ion, as an anhydrofructose molecule is easily eliminated from the ions in which fructose is in a terminal position.

Nucleophilic reactions between biological conjugates and tetraalkylammonium ion pair reagents during desorption chemical ionization

Tetraalkylammonium salts, commonly used as ion pair reagents in chromatography, were found to react with biological conjugates under desorption chemical ionization conditions in a mass spectrometer. The reactions occur for aromatic glucuronide and glucoside conjugates using solid samples loaded on the direct exposure probe. Evidence is presented that several mechanisms contribute to the degradative alkylation of benzo(a)pyrene glucuronide. This undesirable process can be prevented by using ammonium or trialkylammonium instead of tetraalkylammonium salts in the chromatographic separation. Nucleophilic attack on the tetraalkylammonium cations in the energized condensed phase was found to occur also for some simpler aromatic compounds.

A mass spectrometric approach to the identification of conjugated drug metabolites

For the identification of intact underivatized drug conjugates, the mass spectrometric technique of choice is fast atom bombardment (FAB); the combined use of both positive and negative ion FAB usually provides information on the molecular mass and nature of conjugates under study, while the number of exchangeable hydrogen atoms can be determined using trideuterated glycerol as the FAB-matrix. Electron impact and desorption chemical ionization spectra can be used to study the aglycone part of the conjugated metabolites. With this approach metabolites conjugated with glucuronic acid, sulphuric acid and amino acids have been identified. The identification was supported by analysis of reference compounds, prepared by chemical synthesis. The examples given are selected from current metabolism studies on drug candidates in development within Organon's research.

Positive and negative liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry of chloro- and nitrophenylglucuronides

Mass spectra of a series of chloro- and nitrophenylglucuronides by liquid secondary ion (LSI) mass spectrometry were obtained. In the positive ion mode class characteristic fragmentations and adduct ions are observed only in the presence of alkali salt additives. No additives were necessary in the negative ion mode to see abundant class characteristic [M-H]- and aglycone fragment ions. Cluster ion formation was found to be prominent but only in the negative ion mode.

Desorption ionization mass spectrometry of synthetic porphyrins

The desorption ionization mass spectra are reported for two classes of synthetic porphyrins--'tailed' derivatives of deuteroporphyrin IX and meso-substituted derivatized tetraphenylporphines. The mass spectra were obtained by three desorption ionization techniques--fast atom bombardment (FAB), desorption chemical ionization (DCI) and 'in-beam' or desorption electron ionization (DEI). The emphasis of this study is to determine the usefulness of the three desorption ionization methods for the molecular weight and side-chain structure determinations of synthetic porphyrins. The molecular parent ions and the major fragmentation pathways are discussed in detail. The DEI method yielded the fewest mass spectra showing molecular parent ions from the compounds studied, whereas FAB gave the most. The major fragmentation pathways were compound dependent and similar for all three ionization methods; generally, those cleavages alpha and beta to carbonyl groups predominated. The FAB spectra showed strong molecular adduct ions in several spectra that could be attributed to an in situ coordination of iron-containing porphyrins with the thio-containing liquid matrix molecules.

Characterization of oxygen-linked glucuronides by laser desorption mass spectrometry

A laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer is used for structural confirmation of several acyl- and ether-linked glucuronides. Abundant molecular ion species are produced, as well as fragmentation reflecting both the molecular structure and the stability of the conjugates. The major ions are produced by cationization, and detection limits are as low as 1.6 ng (5.0 pmol).

Laser desorption mass spectrometry of synthetic lipid A-like compounds

The applicability and the present limitations of the laser microprobe mass analyser LAMMA -500 as an instrument for the structural analysis of higher molecular weight, non-volatile, bio-organic compounds (less than or equal to 2000 u) were investigated. For this purpose mass spectra of various synthetic and natural compounds representing cell wall components of Gram-negative bacteria, e.g. phospholipids and lipid A-like molecules were studied. In several cases these spectra exhibited relatively simple and interpretable patterns with a prominent quasi-molecular ion originating from alkali attachment. For one group of the compounds studied--synthetic lipid A-like molecules containing a phosphate moiety--the spectra were rather complicated and lacked pronounced quasi-molecular peaks. Possible reasons for this observation are discussed.

Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry of dexamethasone and betamethasone

Chemical ionization mass spectra of dexamethasone and betamethasone have been obtained via liquid chromatography mass spectrometry using a moving belt interface. These results have confirmed a concentration-dependent competition between thermal degradation and vaporization. Caution should be exercised when dealing with molecules subject to thermal instability since sample introduction via the mechanical transport system does not guarantee evaporation without thermal decomposition.

Advances in methods and techniques for the identification of xenobiotic conjugates

This review discusses recent advances in methods and instrumentation that are potentially useful for the characterization of polar xenobiotic conjugates. Topics that are discussed include: fast atom bombardment, secondary ion, 252Cf-plasma desorption, field desorption and direct chemical ionization mass spectrometry and, proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry.

In-beam electron impact mass spectrometry of N-carbobenzoxy derivatives of oligopeptides composed of leucine and isoleucine

The characteristics of the in-beam electron impact mass spectra of 13 N-carbobenzoxyoligopeptides (up to pentapeptides) composed mainly of leucine and isoleucine, and their alkyl and N-hydroxysuccinimide esters are described. In the cases of di- and tripeptide derivatives, each in-beam electron impact spectrum exhibited an abundant [M + 1]+ peak as well as amino-acyl fragments. However, in the case of pentapeptides the in-beam spectra measured under the routine conditions corresponded to the conventional electron impact spectra of the cyclopeptide derivatives formed by thermal cyclization in the mass spectrometer and few [M + 1]+ ions of the original peptides were observed. From the studies on temperature spectral change of in-beam electron impact spectra it became clear that rapid heating of the sample over the temperature range 200-300 degrees C gave abundant [M + 1]+ ions as well as fragment ions originating from the thermally intact peptide as the major peaks in the spectrum.