A dual electrospray ionization source combined with hexapole accumulation to achieve high mass accuracy of biopolymers in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Electric Field-Modulated Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Quantity Calibration and Mass Tracking

Analyses conducted by electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) typically entail performing a number of preparatory steps, which include quantity calibration and mass calibration. Quantity calibration can be affected by signal noise, while mass calibration can be affected by instrumental drift if analyses are performed over an extended period of time. Here, we present two methods for achieving these calibrations using modulation of electrospray plume by alternating electric fields and demodulating the resulting MS ion currents. For this purpose, we use an ESI source fitted with three ring electrodes between the electrospray emitter and the mass spectrometer's inlet. One of these electrodes is supplied with a sine electric signal. Optionally, a nanoESI emitter is also placed between the ring electrodes and the mass spectrometer's orifice to supply calibrant ions. The ion currents, recorded with this setup, present wave-like features. In the first variant, using a triple quadrupole mass analyzer, the ion currents are subjected to data treatment by fast Fourier transform (FFT), and the resulting FFT magnitudes are correlated with analyte concentrations to produce a calibration plot. In the second variant, using a quadrupole time-of-flight mass analyzer, the mass spectra recorded at the analyte ion current maxima are mass-checked using the m/z value of the internal standard (injected via nanoESI emitter), which appears predominantly in the time intervals corresponding to the analyte ion current minima. The setup has been characterized using simulation software and optimized. Overall, the method enables the preparation of quantity calibration plots and monitoring (minor) m/z drifts during prolonged analyses.

Classification of the Biogenicity of Complex Organic Mixtures for the Detection of Extraterrestrial Life

Searching for life in the Universe depends on unambiguously distinguishing biological features from background signals, which could take the form of chemical, morphological, or spectral signatures. The discovery and direct measurement of organic compounds unambiguously indicative of extraterrestrial (ET) life is a major goal of Solar System exploration. Biology processes matter and energy differently from abiological systems, and materials produced by biological systems may become enriched in planetary environments where biology is operative. However, ET biology might be composed of different components than terrestrial life. As ET sample return is difficult, in situ methods for identifying biology will be useful. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a potentially versatile life detection technique, which will be used to analyze numerous Solar System environments in the near future. We show here that simple algorithmic analysis of MS data from abiotic synthesis (natural and synthetic), microbial cells, and thermally processed biological materials (lab-grown organisms and petroleum) easily identifies relational organic compound distributions that distinguish pristine and aged biological and abiological materials, which likely can be attributed to the types of compounds these processes produce, as well as how they are formed and decompose. To our knowledge this is the first comprehensive demonstration of the utility of this analytical technique for the detection of biology. This method is independent of the detection of particular masses or molecular species samples may contain. This suggests a general method to agnostically detect evidence of biology using MS given a sufficiently strong signal in which the majority of the material in a sample has either a biological or abiological origin. Such metrics are also likely to be useful for studies of possible emergent living phenomena, and paleobiological samples.

Food Phenotyping: Recording and Processing of Non-Targeted Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Data for Verifying Food Authenticity

Experiments based on metabolomics represent powerful approaches to the experimental verification of the integrity of food. In particular, high-resolution non-targeted analyses, which are carried out by means of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry systems (LC-MS), offer a variety of options. However, an enormous amount of data is recorded, which must be processed in a correspondingly complex manner. The evaluation of LC-MS based non-targeted data is not entirely trivial and a wide variety of strategies have been developed that can be used in this regard. In this paper, an overview of the mandatory steps regarding data acquisition is given first, followed by a presentation of the required preprocessing steps for data evaluation. Then some multivariate analysis methods are discussed, which have proven to be particularly suitable in this context in recent years. The publication closes with information on the identification of marker compounds.

Synthesis of carboxylated styrene polymer for internal calibration of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass-spectrometry of humic substances

We report synthesis and application of the novel carboxylated styrene for internal calibration of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass-spectra of humic substances. The calibrant was synthesized in five steps from acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) followed by spontaneous polymerization of vinyl salicylic acid. Aromatic nature of the prepared polymer enabled its simultaneous analysis in the presence of the Suwannee River fulvic acid without using dual-spray approach. The major advantage of the calibrant proposed in this study is a lack of suppression of humic substances signals and maintenance of peak intensity distribution. The appropriate calibration resulted in an increased number of unambiguous identification in Suwannee River fulvic acid. Thanks to the higher mass accuracy, it was also possible to refine attribution of the CHOS species to hydrolysable tannins as opposed to the erroneous previous assignment to the condensed tannins.

Re-configurable, multi-mode contained-electrospray ionization for protein folding and unfolding on the millisecond time scale

Contained-electrospray ionization enables online selection of protein charge states by a direct infusion of reactive vapors and liquids into charged micro-droplets.

Recent advances in microfluidics combined with mass spectrometry: technologies and applications

Instrument miniaturization is one of the critical issues to improve sensitivity, speed, throughput, and to reduce the cost of analysis. Microfluidics possesses the ability to handle small sample amounts, with minimal concerns related to sample loss and cross-contamination, problems typical for standard fluidic manipulations. Moreover, the native properties of microfluidics provide the potential for high-density, parallel sample processing, and high-throughput analysis. Recently, the coupling of microfluidic devices to mass spectrometry, especially electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), has attracted an increasing interest and produced tremendous achievements. The interfaces between microfluidics and mass spectrometry are one of the primary focused problems. In this review, we summarize the latest achievements since 2008 in the field of the technologies and applications in the combining of microfluidics with ESI-MS and MALDI-MS. The integration of several analytical functions on a microfluidic device such as sample pretreatment and separations before sample introduction into the mass spectrometer is also discussed.

Bipolar mass spectrometry of labile coordination complexes, redox active inorganic compounds, and proteins using a glass nebulizer for sonic-spray ionization

In this study, we report on the development of a novel nebulizer configuration for sonic-spray ionization (SSI) mass spectrometry (MS), more specifically for a version of SSI that is referred to as Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization (V-EASI) MS. The developed nebulizer configuration is based on a commercially available pneumatic glass nebulizer that has been used extensively for aerosol formation in atomic spectrometry. In the present study, the nebulizer was modified in order to achieve efficient V-EASI-MS operation. Upon evaluating this system, it has been demonstrated that V-EASI-MS offers some distinct advantages for the analysis of coordination compounds and redox active inorganic compounds over the predominantly used electrospray ionization (ESI) technique. Such advantages, for this type of compounds, are demonstrated here for the first time. More specifically, a series of labile heptanuclear heterometallic [Cu(II) 6Ln(III)] clusters held together with artificial amino acid ligands, in addition to easily oxidized inorganic oxyanions of selenium and arsenic, were analyzed. The observed advantages pertain to V-EASI appearing to be a "milder" ionization source than ESI, not requiring electrical potentials for gas phase ion formation, thus eliminating the possibility of unwanted redox transformations, allowing for the "simultaneous" detection of negative and positive ions (bipolar analysis) without the need to change source ionization conditions, and also not requiring the use of syringes and delivery pumps. Because of such features, especially because of the absence of ionization potentials, EASI can be operated with minimal requirements for source parameter optimization. We observed that source temperature and accelerating voltage do not seem to affect labile compounds to the extent they do in ESI-MS. In addition, bipolar analysis of proteins was demonstrated here by acquiring both positive and negative ion mass spectra from the same protein solutions, without the need to independently adjust solution and source conditions in each mode. Finally, the simple and efficient operation of a dual-nebulizer configuration was demonstrated for V-EASI-MS for the first time.

Mass recalibration of FT-ICR mass spectrometry imaging data using the average frequency shift of ambient ions

Achieving and maintaining high mass measurement accuracy (MMA) throughout a mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) experiment is vital to the identification of the observed ions. However, when using FTMS instruments, fluctuations in the total ion abundance at each pixel due to inherent biological variation in the tissue section can introduce space charge effects that systematically shift the observed mass. Herein we apply a recalibration based on the observed cyclotron frequency shift of ions found in the ambient laboratory environment, polydimethylcyclosiloxanes (PDMS). This calibration method is capable of achieving part per billion (ppb) mass accuracy with relatively high precision for an infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) MSI dataset. Comparisons with previously published mass calibration approaches are also presented.

Absorption-mode Fourier transform mass spectrometry: the effects of apodization and phasing on modified protein spectra

The method of phasing broadband Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) spectra allows plotting the spectra in the absorption-mode; this new approach significantly improves the quality of the data at no extra cost. Herein, an internal calibration method for calculating the phase function has been developed and successfully applied to the top-down spectra of modified proteins, where the peak intensities vary by 100×. The result shows that the use of absorption-mode spectra allows more peaks to be discerned within the recorded data, and this can reveal much greater information about the protein and modifications under investigation. In addition, noise and harmonic peaks can be assigned immediately in the absorption-mode.

De novo correction of mass measurement error in low resolution tandem MS spectra for shotgun proteomics

We report an algorithm designed for the calibration of low resolution peptide mass spectra. Our algorithm is implemented in a program called FineTune, which corrects systematic mass measurement error in 1 min, with no input required besides the mass spectra themselves. The mass measurement accuracy for a set of spectra collected on an LTQ-Velos improved 20-fold from -0.1776 ± 0.0010 m/z to 0.0078 ± 0.0006 m/z after calibration (avg ± 95 % confidence interval). The precision in mass measurement was improved due to the correction of non-linear variation in mass measurement accuracy across the m/z range.

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

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.

Software lock mass by two-dimensional minimization of peptide mass errors

Mass accuracy is a key parameter in proteomic experiments, improving specificity, and success rates of peptide identification. Advances in instrumentation now make it possible to routinely obtain high resolution data in proteomic experiments. To compensate for drifts in instrument calibration, a compound of known mass is often employed. This 'lock mass' provides an internal mass standard in every spectrum. Here we take advantage of the complexity of typical peptide mixtures in proteomics to eliminate the requirement for a physical lock mass. We find that mass scale drift is primarily a function of the m/z and the elution time dimensions. Using a subset of high confidence peptide identifications from a first pass database search, which effectively substitute for the lock mass, we set up a global mathematical minimization problem. We perform a simultaneous fit in two dimensions using a function whose parameterization is automatically adjusted to the complexity of the analyzed peptide mixture. Mass deviation of the high confidence peptides from their calculated values is then minimized globally as a function of both m/z value and elution time. The resulting recalibration function performs equal or better than adding a lock mass from laboratory air to LTQ-Orbitrap spectra. This 'software lock mass' drastically improves mass accuracy compared with mass measurement without lock mass (up to 10-fold), with none of the experimental cost of a physical lock mass, and it integrated into the freely available MaxQuant analysis pipeline ( www.maxquant.org ).

Advances in structure elucidation of small molecules using mass spectrometry

The structural elucidation of small molecules using mass spectrometry plays an important role in modern life sciences and bioanalytical approaches. This review covers different soft and hard ionization techniques and figures of merit for modern mass spectrometers, such as mass resolving power, mass accuracy, isotopic abundance accuracy, accurate mass multiple-stage MS(n) capability, as well as hybrid mass spectrometric and orthogonal chromatographic approaches. The latter part discusses mass spectral data handling strategies, which includes background and noise subtraction, adduct formation and detection, charge state determination, accurate mass measurements, elemental composition determinations, and complex data-dependent setups with ion maps and ion trees. The importance of mass spectral library search algorithms for tandem mass spectra and multiple-stage MS(n) mass spectra as well as mass spectral tree libraries that combine multiple-stage mass spectra are outlined. The successive chapter discusses mass spectral fragmentation pathways, biotransformation reactions and drug metabolism studies, the mass spectral simulation and generation of in silico mass spectra, expert systems for mass spectral interpretation, and the use of computational chemistry to explain gas-phase phenomena. A single chapter discusses data handling for hyphenated approaches including mass spectral deconvolution for clean mass spectra, cheminformatics approaches and structure retention relationships, and retention index predictions for gas and liquid chromatography. The last section reviews the current state of electronic data sharing of mass spectra and discusses the importance of software development for the advancement of structure elucidation of small molecules. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12566-010-0015-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Note: A simple dual polarity dual nanoelectrospray ionization source for ion/ion reactions

A continuously operated dual polarity dual nanoelectrospray ionization source has been constructed and tested. A commercial quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer was modified to accumulate and trap ions of opposite charge. All changes to the commercial three-dimensional quadrupole ion trap have been made external to the instrument outside of the vacuum system. Few hardware modifications were required because the two emitters send ion beams through the same transmission guides. Computer controlled source voltage polarities are switched quickly and efficiently to transmit one of two continuously generated ion beams. With customized software, this design has proved simple to implement and to operate.

The ion funnel: theory, implementations, and applications

The electrodynamic ion funnel has enabled the manipulation and focusing of ions in a pressure regime (0.1-30 Torr) that has challenged traditional approaches, and provided the basis for much greater mass spectrometer ion transmission efficiencies. The initial ion funnel implementations aimed to efficiently capture ions in the expanding gas jet of an electrospray ionization interface and radially focus them for efficient transfer through a conductance limiting orifice. We review the improvements in fundamental understanding of ion motion in ion funnels, the evolution in its implementations that have brought the ion funnel to its current state of refinement, as well as applications of the ion funnel for purposes such as ion trapping, ion cooling, low pressure electrospray, and ion mobility spectrometry.

Sub-part-per-million precursor and product mass accuracy for high-throughput proteomics on an electron transfer dissociation-enabled orbitrap mass spectrometer

We demonstrate a new approach for internal mass calibration on an electron transfer dissociation-enabled linear ion trap-orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer. Fluoranthene cations, a byproduct of the reaction used for generation of electron transfer dissociation reagent anions, are co-injected with the analyte cations in all orbitrap mass analysis events. The fluoranthene cations serve as a robust internal calibrant with minimal impact on scan time (<20 ms) or spectral quality. Following external mass calibration, 60 replicate LC-MS/MS runs of a complex peptide mixture were collected over the course of approximately 136 h (almost 6 days). Using only standard external mass calibration, the mass accuracy for a typical analysis was -3.31 +/- 0.93 ppm (sigma) for precursors and -2.32 +/- 0.89 ppm for products. After application of internal recalibration, mass accuracy improved to +0.77 +/- 0.71 ppm for precursors and +0.17 +/- 0.67 ppm for products. When all 60 replicate runs were analyzed together without internal mass recalibration, the mass accuracy was -1.23 +/- 1.54 ppm for precursors and -0.18 +/- 1.42 ppm for products, nearly a 2-fold drop in precision relative to an individual run. After internal mass recalibration, this improved to +0.80 +/- 0.70 ppm for precursors and +0.16 +/- 0.67 ppm for products, roughly equivalent to that obtained in a single run, demonstrating a near complete elimination of mass calibration drift.

Utilizing artificial neural networks in MATLAB to achieve parts-per-billion mass measurement accuracy with a fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has the ability to realize exceptional mass measurement accuracy (MMA); MMA is one of the most significant attributes of mass spectrometric measurements as it affords extraordinary molecular specificity. However, due to space-charge effects, the achievable MMA significantly depends on the total number of ions trapped in the ICR cell for a particular measurement, as well as relative ion abundance of a given species. Artificial neural network calibration in conjunction with automatic gain control (AGC) is utilized in these experiments to formally account for the differences in total ion population in the ICR cell between the external calibration spectra and experimental spectra. In addition, artificial neural network calibration is used to account for both differences in total ion population in the ICR cell as well as relative ion abundance of a given species, which also affords mean MMA values at the parts-per-billion level.

The spontaneous loss of coherence catastrophe in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The spontaneous loss of coherence catastrophe (SLCC) is a frequently observed, yet poorly studied, space-charge related effect in Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). This manuscript presents an application of the filter diagonalization method (FDM) in the analysis of this phenomenon. The temporal frequency behavior reproduced by frequency shift analysis using the FDM shows the complex nature of the SLCC, which can be explained by a combination of factors occurring concurrently, governed by electrostatics and ion packet trajectories inside the ICR cell.

Pulsed Nano-Electrospray Ionization: Characterization of Temporal Response and Implementation with a Flared Inlet Capillary

The temporal response of pulsed nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nano-ESI-MS) was studied and its influence on ion formation and detection was characterized. Rise and decay times for the mass resolved ion current were determined to be 20 ± 3 msec and 61 ± 5 msec, respectively, which led to a maximum pulse rate of 12 Hz. Pulsed nano-ESI operation was demonstrated from a multi-sprayer source controlled by a high voltage pulsing circuit constructed in-house. The desired source mode of operation (e.g. pulsing or continuous) can be realized solely by controlling the voltage applied to each sprayer.

Data Self-Recalibration and Mixture Mass Fingerprint Searching (DASER-MMF) to enhance protein identification within complex mixtures

A novel algorithm based on Data Self-Recalibration and a subsequent Mixture Mass Fingerprint search (DASER-MMF) has been developed to improve the performance of protein identification from online 1D and 2D-LC-MS/MS experiments conducted on high-resolution mass spectrometers. Recalibration of 40% to 75% of the MS spectra in a human serum dataset is demonstrated with average errors of 0.3 +/- 0.3 ppm, regardless of the original calibration quality. With simple protein mixtures, the MMF search identifies new proteins not found in the MS/MS based search and increases the sequence coverage for identified proteins by six times. The high mass accuracy allows proteins to be identified with as little as three peptide mass hits. When applied to very complex samples, the MMF search shows less dramatic performance improvements. However, refinements such as additional discriminating factors utilized within the search space provide significant gains in protein identification ability and indicate that further enhancements are possible in this realm.

Orbitrap mass spectrometry: instrumentation, ion motion and applications

Since its introduction, the orbitrap has proven to be a robust mass analyzer that can routinely deliver high resolving power and mass accuracy. Unlike conventional ion traps such as the Paul and Penning traps, the orbitrap uses only electrostatic fields to confine and to analyze injected ion populations. In addition, its relatively low cost, simple design and high space-charge capacity make it suitable for tackling complex scientific problems in which high performance is required. This review begins with a brief account of the set of inventions that led to the orbitrap, followed by a qualitative description of ion capture, ion motion in the trap and modes of detection. Various orbitrap instruments, including the commercially available linear ion trap-orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometers, are also discussed with emphasis on the different methods used to inject ions into the trap. Figures of merit such as resolving power, mass accuracy, dynamic range and sensitivity of each type of instrument are compared. In addition, experimental techniques that allow mass-selective manipulation of the motion of confined ions and their potential application in tandem mass spectrometry in the orbitrap are described. Finally, some specific applications are reviewed to illustrate the performance and versatility of the orbitrap mass spectrometers.

A novel workflow control system for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry allows for unique on-the-fly data-dependent decisions

In this paper a novel workflow-based data acquisition and control system for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) is presented that facilitates a fast on-the-fly decision-making process for a wide variety of data-dependent experiments. Several new workflow implementations demonstrate the flexibility and benefit of this approach for rapid dynamic experimental design on a chromatographic timescale. The different sequence, evaluation, decision and monitoring modules are described using a selected set of examples. During a tandem liquid chromatography (LC)/FTICR-MS experiment the system is used to dynamically switch between various dissociation techniques such as electron capture dissociation (ECD) and sustained off-resonance irradiation (SORI) depending on the charge state of a tryptic peptide peak. The use of this workflow-based system for imaging FTICR-MS using a desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) source demonstrates the possibility of external control of the workflow by feedback from an imaging sample stage.

Improved mass accuracy for higher mass peptides by using SWIFT excitation for MALDI-FTICR mass spectrometry

Stepwise-external calibration has previously been shown to produce sub part-per-million (ppm) mass accuracy for the MALDI-FTICR/MS analyses of peptides up to m/z 2500. The present work extends these results to ions up to m/z 4000. Mass measurement errors for ions of higher mass-to-charge are larger than for ions below m/z 2500 when using conventional chirp excitation to detect ions. Mass accuracy obtained by using stored waveform inverse Fourier transform (SWIFT) excitation was evaluated and compared with chirp excitation. Analysis of measurement errors reveals that SWIFT excitation provides smaller deviations from the calibration equation and better mass accuracy than chirp excitation for a wide mass range and for widely varying ion populations.

Dual electrospray ion source for electron-transfer dissociation on a hybrid linear ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometer

A dual electrospray ionization source (ESI) has been modified to simultaneously produce cations and anions, one from each emitter, for performing rapid electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) ion/ion reactions on a hybrid linear ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometer. Unlike the pulsed dual ESI sources that were used to generate ETD reagent ions, this source separates the emitters in space, rather than time, by physically switching which one is in front of the atmospheric inlet. The new arrangement allows for substantially enhanced spray stability and decreased switching times (<or=30 ms), allowing for more tandem-MS spectra per unit time. Herein, we demonstrate the stability of the ETD anion population and the ability to identify several c- and z-type product ions from multiply protonated peptide cations.

Steady-state asymmetric nanospray dual ion source for accurate mass determination within a chromatographic separation

Here we report the design, implementation, and initial use of an asymmetric steady-state continuous dual-nanospray ion source. This new source design consists of two independently controlled and continuously operating nanospray interfaces with funnel shaped counter electrodes. A steady-state ion mixing region combines the ions from the two sources into a single ion beam in the intermediate region after ion extraction from the nanospray sources but before the bulk of the pressure gradient of the vacuum interface. With this design we have achieved robust mixing of ions with no loss of duty cycle and remarkable ionization characteristics that appear entirely noncompetitive and potentially beneficial. This allows continuous introduction of internal mass calibration ions during a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis. This in turn allows for recalibration of individual spectra yielding sub part per million mass accuracy throughout the run. The steady-state approach presented here has several advantages over previous approaches. Since neither the voltage nor positions of the sprayers are changed, the nanospray has greater spray stability. The ions produced by the analyte sprayer are continuously sampled, as opposed to time-sharing which necessitates that the analyte ion stream be interrupted for some part of the duty cycle. There are no moving parts, no rapid changes to high voltages requiring additional control electronics, and no need for completely separate vacuum interfaces and the associated complexity. The sprayers are independently controlled and do not exhibit competition or mutual ionization suppression. This novel source has been implemented with a Bruker Apex II 9.4 T FTICR with a modified Apollo electrospray ion source as part of a nanoflow liquid chromatography-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry analysis platform. Because of the low cost of implementation, the new source could potentially be applied to other forms of mass spectrometry, such as electrospray ionization-time-of-flight (ESI-TOF), which can benefit from internal mass calibration.

Parts-per-billion mass measurement accuracy achieved through the combination of multiple linear regression and automatic gain control in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has the ability to achieve unprecedented mass measurement accuracy (MMA); MMA is one of the most significant attributes of mass spectrometric measurements as it affords extraordinary molecular specificity. However, due to space-charge effects, the achievable MMA significantly depends on the total number of ions trapped in the ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) cell for a particular measurement. Even through the use of automatic gain control (AGC), the total ion population is not constant between spectra. Multiple linear regression calibration in conjunction with AGC is utilized in these experiments to formally account for the differences in total ion population in the ICR cell between the external calibration spectra and experimental spectra. This ability allows for the extension of dynamic range of the instrument and for the mean MMA values to remain less than 1 part-per-million (ppm). In addition, multiple linear regression calibration is used to account for both differences in total ion population in the ICR cell as well as relative ion abundance of a given species, which also affords mean MMA values at the parts-per-billion (ppb) level.

The application of electrospray ionization coupled to ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry for the molecular characterization of natural organic matter

Mass spectrometry has recently played a key role in the understanding of natural organic matter (NOM) by providing molecular-level details about its composition. NOM, a complex assemblage of organic molecules present in natural waters and soils/sediments, has the ability to bind and transport anthropogenic materials. An improved understanding of its composition is crucial in order to understand how pollutants interact with NOM and how NOM cycles through global carbon cycles. In the past, low-resolution (>3000) mass analyzers have offered some insights into the structure of NOM, but emerging ultrahigh resolution (>200,000) techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) have significantly advanced our knowledge of NOM chemistry. Here, a review of the recent literature on the advancements of NOM characterization and the applications of mass spectrometry to this central task is presented. Various methods for the analysis and display of the extremely complex mass spectra, such as the van Krevelen diagram and Kendrick mass defect analysis, are discussed. We also review tandem mass spectrometry techniques employed to gain structural information about NOM components. Finally, we show how ESI-FT-ICR-MS has been applied to examine specific issues that are important to the NOM scientific community, such as NOM reactivity, transport and fate, degradation, and existence of components, which are indicators of NOM origin. In general, ultrahigh resolution provided by FT-ICR-MS is essential for the complete separation of the thousands of peaks present in the complex NOM mixture and will clearly lead to additional future advancements in the areas of aquatic, soil, and analytical chemistry.

Method for internal standard introduction for quantitative analysis using on-line solid-phase extraction LC-MS/MS

A novel approach for on-line introduction of internal standard (IS) for quantitative analysis using LC-MS/MS has been developed. In this approach, analyte and IS are introduced into the sample injection loop in different steps. Analyte is introduced into the injection loop using a conventional autosampler (injector) needle pickup from a sample vial. IS is introduced into the sample injection loop on-line from a microreservoir containing the IS solution using the autosampler. As a result, both analyte and IS are contained in the sample loop prior to the injection into the column. Methodology allowed to reliably introduce IS and demonstrated injection accuracy and precision comparable to those obtained using off-line IS introduction (i.e., IS and analyte are premixed before injection) while maintaining chromatographic parameters (i.e., analyte and IS elution time and peak width). This new technique was applied for direct analysis of model compounds in rat plasma using on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) LC-MS/MS quantification. In combination with on-line SPE, IS serves as a surrogate IS and compensates for signal variations attributed to sample preparation and instrumentation factors including signal suppression. The assays yielded accuracy (85-119%), precision (2-16%), and analyte recovery comparable to those obtained using off-line IS introduction. Furthermore, on-line IS introduction allows for nonvolumetric sample (plasma) collection and direct analysis without the need of measuring and aliquoting a fixed sample volume prior to the on-line SPE LC-MS/MS analysis. Therefore, this methodology enables direct sample (plasma) analysis without any sample manipulation and preparation.

Statistical evaluation of internal and external mass calibration laws utilized in fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The statistical evaluation of two common and three new calibration laws utilized in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry are presented. Electrospray ionization was used to prepare a series of mass spectra of ammonium-adducted polypropylene glycol (PPG) with an average molecular weight of 1000 Da. The singly charged PPG-1000 oligomers allowed for the description of a broad range of m/z and abundance values within each mass spectrum. The hexapole accumulation time was varied to afford a range of total ion abundance values of about an order of magnitude. To examine each of the calibration laws, we utilized cross-validation both "within-spectrum" and "between-spectra" for internally and externally calibrated data, respectively. In addition, we used t-statistics to ensure that each calibration coefficient was statistically significant and necessary to accurately describe the variation in the data. In comparison to commonly used calibration laws for internal calibration, our new calibration law based on multiple linear regression offered a 2-fold improvement in mass measurement accuracy (MMA). In comparison to external calibration laws without automatic gain control, our new calibration law using multiple regression improved the MMA by >10-fold; this improvement would increase further as the dynamic range of the measurement increases (e.g., a biological system). For both our internal and external calibration laws, the median MMA was less than 1 part-per-million. Furthermore, we investigate the number of calibrant ions as well as their required m/z range in order to successfully achieve high MMA.

Direct characterization of intact polypeptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization quadrupole Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

We report the characterization of a recently introduced hybrid ionization source, matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (MALDESI), coupled to a quadrupole Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (QFT-ICR-MS) system. We first demonstrate the ability of MALDESI-QFT-ICR MS to directly analyze and provide high mass measurement accuracy (approximately 1 part-per-million) of a polypeptide using internal calibration. Second, we show the potential of MALDESI-QFT-ICR MS for the top-down characterization of multiply charged polypeptide cations. Finally, we demonstrate sub-femtomole detection limits in MALDESI-QFT-ICR MS using a combination of naturally occurring peptides and their respective stable isotope labeled forms. The results presented herein demonstrate the feasibility of several potential applications for MALDESI-QFT-ICR MS for the direct analysis of intact biological molecules.

Sub parts-per-million mass measurement accuracy of intact proteins and product ions achieved using a dual electrospray ionization quadrupole fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

High mass measurement accuracy (MMA) is demonstrated for intact proteins and subsequent collision-induced dissociation product ions using internal calibration. Internal calibration was accomplished using a dual electrospray ionization source coupled with a hybrid quadrupole Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (Q-FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. Initially, analyte ions generated via the first electrospray (ESI) emitter are isolated and dissociated in the external quadrupole. This event is followed by a simultaneous switch to the calibrant ion ESI emitter and a disablement of the isolation and activation of the external quadrupole such that a broad m/z range of calibrant ions are accumulated before injecting the analyte/calibrant ion mixture into the ICR cell. Two different internal calibrant solutions were utilized in these studies to evaluate this approach for the top-down characterization of melittin and ubiquitin. While external calibration of protein fragments resulted in absolute MMA greater than 16 ppm, internal standardization significantly improved upon the MMA of both the intact proteins and their products ions which ranged from -2.0 ppm to 1.1 ppm, with an average of -0.9 ppm. This method requires limited modification to ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometers and is applicable for both positive and negative ionization modes.

Sub part-per-million mass accuracy by using stepwise-external calibration in fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

A new external calibration procedure for FT-ICR mass spectrometry is presented, stepwise-external calibration. This method is demonstrated for MALDI analysis of peptide mixtures, but is applicable to any ionization method. For this procedure, the masses of analyte peaks are first accurately measured at a low trapping potential (0.63 V) using external calibration. These accurately determined (< 1 ppm accuracy) analyte peaks are used as internal calibrant points for a second mass spectrum that is acquired for the same sample at a higher trapping potential (1.0 V). The second mass spectrum has a approximately 10-fold improvement in detection dynamic range compared with the first spectrum acquired at a low trapping potential. A calibration equation that accounts for local and global space charge is shown to provide mass accuracy with external calibration that is nearly identical to that of internal calibration, without the drawbacks of experimental complexity or reduction of abundance dynamic range. For the 609 mass peaks measured using stepwise-external calibration method, the root-mean-square error is 0.9 ppm. The errors appear to have a Gaussian distribution; 99.3% of the mass errors are shown to lie within three times the sample standard deviation (2.6 ppm) of their true value.

Mass Measurement Accuracy in Analyses of Highly Complex Mixtures Based Upon Multidimensional Recalibration

Mass spectrometry combined with a range of on-line separation techniques has become a powerful tool for characterization of complex mixtures, including protein digests in proteomics studies. Accurate mass measurements can be compromised due to variations that occur in the course of an on-line separation, e.g., due to excessive space charge in an ion trap, temperature changes, or other sources of instrument "drift". We have developed a multidimensional recalibration approach that utilizes existing information on the likely mixture composition, taking into account variable conditions of mass measurements, and that corrects the mass calibration for sets of individual peaks binned by, for example, the total ion count for the mass spectrum, the individual peak abundance, m/z value, and liquid chromatography separation time. The multidimensional recalibration approach uses a statistical matching of measured masses in such measurements, often exceeding 105, to a significant number of putative known species likely to be present in the mixture (i.e., having known accurate masses), to identify a subset of the detected species that serve as effective calibrants. The recalibration procedure involves optimization of the mass accuracy distribution (histogram), to provide a more confident distinction between true and false identifications. We report the mass accuracy improvement obtained for data acquired using a TOF and several FTICR mass spectrometers. We show that the multidimensional recalibration better compensates for systematic mass measurement errors and also significantly reduces the mass error spread: i.e., both the accuracy and precision of mass measurements are improved. The mass measurement improvement is found to be virtually independent of the initial instrument calibration, allowing, for example, less frequent calibration. We show that this recalibration can provide sub-ppm mass measurement accuracy for measurements of a complex fungal proteome tryptic digest and provide improved confidence or numbers of peptide identifications.

Gaining knowledge from previously unexplained spectra-application of the PTM-Explorer software to detect PTM in HUPO BPP MS/MS data

A novel software tool named PTM-Explorer has been applied to LC-MS/MS datasets acquired within the Human Proteome Organisation (HUPO) Brain Proteome Project (BPP). PTM-Explorer enables automatic identification of peptide MS/MS spectra that were not explained in typical sequence database searches. The main focus was detection of PTMs, but PTM-Explorer detects also unspecific peptide cleavage, mass measurement errors, experimental modifications, amino acid substitutions, transpeptidation products and unknown mass shifts. To avoid a combinatorial problem the search is restricted to a set of selected protein sequences, which stem from previous protein identifications using a common sequence database search. Prior to application to the HUPO BPP data, PTM-Explorer was evaluated on excellently manually characterized and evaluated LC-MS/MS data sets from Alpha-A-Crystallin gel spots obtained from mouse eye lens. Besides various PTMs including phosphorylation, a wealth of experimental modifications and unspecific cleavage products were successfully detected, completing the primary structure information of the measured proteins. Our results indicate that a large amount of MS/MS spectra that currently remain unidentified in standard database searches contain valuable information that can only be elucidated using suitable software tools.

Use of the filter diagonalization method in the study of space charge related frequency modulation in fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The filter diagonalization method (FDM) is a recently developed computational technique capable of extracting resonance frequencies and amplitudes from very short transient signals. Although it requires stable resonance frequencies and is slower than the fast Fourier transform (FFT), FDM has a resolution and accuracy that is unmatched by the FFT or any other comparable techniques. This unique feature of FDM makes it an ideal tool for tracing space charge induced frequency modulations in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) cells, which are shown to reach +/-400 ppm even for such simple spectra as Substance P.

Accurate mass measurement for the determination of elemental formula--a tutorial

The application of accurate mass measurement for the determination of elemental formula has its origin in the 1950s and for many years was only carried out using magnetic sector mass spectrometers. The availability of such measurements was limited due to the cost and complexity of the instrumentation and the need for considerable expertise to acquire and interpret the spectra. In recent years the incredible pace of instrumental development has changed this, particularly with the renaissance of time of flight mass spectrometry. This has resulted in instrumentation capable of making accurate mass measurements in a robust fashion becoming available to most practitioners of (mass spectrometry) MS, without some of the earlier technical challenges and at lower cost. In this review the variety of accurate mass measurement instrumentation and techniques and their relative capabilities are discussed, along with a range of applications requiring the determination of elemental formula.

Pulsed dual electrospray ionization for ion/ion reactions

A pulsed dual electrospray ionization source has been developed to generate positive and negative ions for subsequent ion/ion reaction experiments. The two sprayers, typically a nano-electrospray emitter for analytes and an electrospray emitter for reagents, are positioned in a parallel fashion close to the sampling orifice of a triple quadrupole/linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometer (Sciex Q TRAP). The potentials applied to each sprayer are alternately pulsed so that ions of opposite polarity are generated separately in time. Ion/ion reactions take place after ions of each polarity are sequentially injected into a high-pressure linear ion trap, where axial trapping is effected by applying an auxiliary radio frequency voltage to the end lenses. The pulsed dual electrospray source allows optimization of each sprayer and can be readily coupled to any spray interface with no need for instrument modifications, provided the potentials required to transmit the ion polarity of interest can be alternated in synchrony with the emitter potentials. Ion/ion reaction examples such as charge reduction of multiply charged protein ions, charge inversion of peptides ions, and protein-protein complex formation are given to illustrate capabilities of the pulsed dual electrospray source in the study of gas-phase ion/ion chemistry.

Improved mass accuracy for tandem mass spectrometry

With the emergence of top-down proteomics, the ability to achieve high mass measurement accuracy on tandem MS/MS data will be beneficial for protein identification and characterization. (FT-ICR) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometers are the ideal instruments to perform these experiments with their ability to provide high resolution and mass accuracy. A major limitation to mass measurement accuracy in FT-ICR instruments arises from the occurrence of space charge effects. These space charge effects shift the cyclotron frequency of the ions, which compromises the mass measurement accuracy. While several methods have been developed that correct these space charge effects, they have limitations when applied to MS/MS experiments. It has already been shown that additional information inherent in electrospray spectra can be used for improved mass measurement accuracy with the use of a computer algorithm called DeCAL (deconvolution of Coulombic affected linearity). This paper highlights a new application of the strategy for improved mass accuracy in tandem mass analysis. The results show a significant improvement in mass measurement accuracy on complex electron capture dissociation spectra of proteins. We also demonstrate how the improvement in mass accuracy can increase the confidence in protein identification from the fragment masses of proteins acquired in MS/MS experiments.

Rapid characterization of oligonucleotides by capillary liquid chromatography-nano electrospray quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A fast quality control method is developed allowing the desalting and characterization of oligonucleotides by capillary liquid chromatography and on-line nano-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry using column switching. The influence of addition of ammonium acetate, trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, formic acid or acetic acid to the sample, addition of ammonium acetate to the trapping solvent and variation of the trapping time on the further reduction of cation adduction was studied. Final conditions were the addition of 0.1 M ammonium acetate to the sample, the use of a trapping solvent consisting of 0.4 M aqueous 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFLP) adjusted to pH 7.0 with triethylamine plus 10 mM ammonium acetate during 8 min and the elution of the oligonucleotides with 0.4 M HFIP in 50% methanol. The potential of the optimized procedure is demonstrated for different synthetic oligonucleotides.

Proteomics by FTICR mass spectrometry: top down and bottom up

This review provides a broad overview of recent Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) applications and technological developments relevant to the field of proteomics. Both the "bottom up" (peptide level) and "top down" (intact protein level) approaches are discussed and illustrated with examples. "Bottom up" topics include peptide fragmentation, the accurate mass and time (AMT) tag approach and dynamic range extension technology, aspects of quantitative proteomics measurements, post-translational modifications, and developments in FTICR operation software focused on peptide and protein identification. Topics related to the "top down" approach include various aspects of high mass measurements, protein tandem mass spectrometry, methods for the study of protein conformations, and protein complexes as well as advanced technologies that may become of practical utility in the coming years. Finally, early examples of the integration of both FTICR approaches to biomedical proteomics applications are presented, along with an outlook for future directions.

Detection and localization of protein modifications by high resolution tandem mass spectrometry

For interrogation of peptides with diverse modifications, no other instrument is as versatile as the Fourier-transform mass spectrometer (FTMS). Particularly using electrospray ionization (ESI), many intact proteins and their proteolytic products harboring post-translational and chemical modifications (PTMs) have been studied by high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The widely touted analytical figures of merit for FTMS in fact have translated into clarity when analyzing PTMs from phosphorylations to disulfides, oxidations, methylations, acetylations, and even exotic PTMs found in the biosynthesis of antibiotics and other natural products. A top down approach to PTM detection and localization is proving extensible to an increasing variety of PTMs, some of which are stable to MS/MS at the protein level but unstable to amide bond cleavage by threshold dissociations at the level of small peptides <3 kDa. In contrast, MS/MS using electron capture dissociation (ECD) allows precise localization of even labile PTMs given enough sample and abundant molecular ions. Finally, this brief synopsis of recent literature highlights specific PTMs that perturb the protein backbone therefore altering MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Thus, FTMS will continue its expansion into more laboratories in part because of its ability to detect and deconvolute the regulatory mechanisms of biology written in the language of PTMs.

Analysis of nucleic acids by FTICR MS

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry represents a unique platform with which to study nucleic acids and non-covalent complexes containing nucleic acids moieties. In particular, systems in which very high mass measurement accuracy is required, very complex mixtures are to be analyzed, or very limited amounts of sample are available may be uniquely suited to interrogation by FTICR mass spectrometry. Although the FTICR platform is now broadly deployed as an integral component of many high-end proteomics-based research efforts, momentum is still building for the application of the platform towards nucleic acid-based analyses. In this work, we review fundamental aspects of nucleic acid analysis by FTICR, focusing primarily on the analysis of DNA oligonucleotides but also describing applications related to the characterization of RNA constructs. The goal of this review article is to give the reader a sense of the breadth and scope of the status quo of FTICR analysis of nucleic acids and to summarize a few recently published reports in which researchers have exploited the performance attributes of FTICR to characterize nucleic acids in support of basic and applied research disciplines including genotyping, drug discovery, and forensic analyses.

Effect of post-excitation radius on ion abundance, mass measurement accuracy, and isotopic distributions in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

We report an evaluation of a modern Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) instrument to determine the general trend of post-excitation radius on total ion abundance, mass measurement accuracy, and isotopic distributions for internally calibrated mass spectra. The optimum post-excitation radius was determined using total ion abundance, mass measurement accuracy (MMA), and isotope ratios. However, despite the utility of internal calibration for achieving ultimate MMA, the internal calibrant ions were insufficient for compensating for sub-optimum ICR cell conditions. The findings presented herein underscore the importance of determining the optimal post-excitation radius in FT-ICR-MS to achieve high ion abundance (low limits of detection), high MMA, and valid isotopic distributions.

Analysis of the Low Molecular Weight Fraction of Serum by LC-Dual ESI-FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry: Precision of Retention Time, Mass, and Ion Abundance

This study quantifies the experimental uncertainty for LC retention time, mass measurement precision, and ion abundance obtained from replicate nLC-dual ESI-FT-ICR analyses of the low molecular weight fraction of serum. We used ultrafiltration to enrich the < 10-kDa fraction of components from the high-abundance proteins in a pooled serum sample derived from ovarian cancer patients. The THRASH algorithm for isotope cluster detection was applied to five replicate nLC-dual ESI-FT-ICR chromatograms. A simple two-level grouping algorithm was applied to the more than 7000 isotope clusters found in each replicate and identified 497 molecular species that appeared in at least four of the replicates. In addition, a representative set of 231 isotope clusters, corresponding to 188 unique molecular species, were manually interpreted to verify the automated algorithm and to set its tolerances. For nLC retention time reproducibility, 95% of the 497 species had a 95% confidence interval of the mean of +/- 0.9 min or less without the use of chromatographic alignment procedures. Furthermore, 95% of the 497 species had a mass measurement precision of < or = 3.2 and < or = 6.3 ppm for internally and externally calibrated spectra, respectively. Moreover, 95% of replicate ion abundance measurements, covering an ion abundance range of approximately 3 orders of magnitude, had a coefficient of variation of less than 62% without using any normalization functions. The variability of ion abundance was independent of LC retention time, mass, and ion abundance quartile. These measures of analytical reproducibility establish a statistical rationale for differentiating healthy and disease patient populations for the elucidation of biomarkers in the low molecular fraction of serum.