Exploring infrared wavelength matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization of proteins with delayed-extraction time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A tutorial: Laserspray ionization and related laser-based ionization methods for use in mass spectrometry

This Tutorial is to provide a summary of parameters useful for successful outcomes of laserspray ionization (LSI) and related methods that employ a laser to ablate a matrix:analyte sample to produce highly charged ions. In these methods the purpose of the laser is to transfer matrix-analyte clusters into the gas phase. Ions are hypothesized to be produced by a thermal process where emitted matrix:analyte gas-phase particles/clusters are charged and loss of matrix from the charged particles leads to release of the analyte ions into the gas phase. The thermal energy responsible for the charge-separation process is relatively low and not necessarily supplied by the laser; a heated inlet tube linking atmospheric pressure with the first vacuum stage of a mass spectrometer is sufficient. The inlet becomes the "ion source", and inter alia, pressure, temperature, and the matrix, which can be a solid, liquid, or combinations, become critical parameters. Injecting matrix:analyte into a heated inlet tube using laser ablation, a shockwave, or simply tapping, all produce the similar mass spectra. Applications are provided that showcase new opportunities in the field of mass spectrometry.

Internal Energy Deposition in Infrared Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Electrospray Ionization With and Without the Use of Ice as a Matrix

The internal energy deposited into analytes during the ionization process largely influences the extent of fragmentation, thus the appearance of the resulting mass spectrum. The internal energy distributions of a series of para-substituted benzyl pyridinium cations in liquid and solid-state generated by infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) were measured using the survival yield method, of which results were subsequently compared with conventional electrospray ionization (ESI). The comparable mean internal energy values (e.g., 1.8-1.9 eV at a collision energy of 15 eV) and peak widths obtained with IR-MALDESI and ESI support that IR-MALDESI are essentially a soft ionization technique where analytes do not gain considerable internal energy during the laser-induced desorption process and/or lose energy during uptake into charged electrospray droplets. An unusual fragment ion, protonated pyridine, was only found for solid IR-MALDESI at relatively high collision energies, which is presumably resulted from direct ionization of the pre-charged analytes in form of salts. Analysis of tissue with an ice layer consistently yielded ion populations with higher internal energy than its counterpart without an ice layer, likely due to a substantially enhanced number of IR absorbers with ice. Further measurements with holo-myoglobin show that IR-MALDESI-MS retains the noncovalently bound heme-protein complexes under both native-like and denaturing conditions, while complete loss of the heme group occurred in denaturing ESI-MS, showing that the softness of IR-MALDESI is equivalent or superior to ESI for biomolecules.

Nanostructured TiO2 Materials for Analysis of Gout-Related Crystals Using Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (LDI-ToF) Mass Spectrometry

Crystals of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) are known to induce arthropathic diseases called gout and pseudogout, respectively. These crystals are deposited in various joints or tissues, causing severe pain. Correct identification of crystals is crucial for the appropriate treatment of gout and pseudogout, which exhibit very similar symptoms. Herein, a novel approach of laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (LDI-ToF) mass spectrometry (MS) was introduced to analyze MSU and CPPD crystals with three different types of nanostructured TiO₂ materials including TiO₂ nanoparticles (P25), TiO₂ nanowires synthesized from wet-corrosion method, and the mixture of P25 and TiO₂ nanowires (P25/TiO₂ nanowires) as inorganic solid matrices. Furthermore, the feasibility of LDI-ToF MS based on these TiO₂ nanostructures for the analysis of the two arthropathy-related crystals was tested using spiked samples in synovial fluid at known crystal concentrations. The mass analysis results of MSU and CPPD crystals demonstrated that (1) the electrostatic interaction between analytes and solid matrices was key for the analyte ionization and (2) LDI-ToF MS with nanostructured TiO₂ materials has the potential to be a practical approach for the diagnosis of gout and pseudogout.

Direct Biological Sample Analyses by Laserspray Ionization Miniature Mass Spectrometry

With improved performances, miniature mass spectrometers are becoming suitable for more practical applications. At the same time, the coupling of an approximate ionization source is essential in terms of minimizing sample preparation and broadening the range of samples that could be analyzed. In this study, an atmospheric pressure laserspray ionization (AP-LSI) source was coupled with our home developed miniature ion trap mass spectrometer. The whole system is compact in size, and biological samples could be directly analyzed with minimum sample preparation. Direct detections of peptides, proteins, drugs in whole blood, and urine could be achieved with high sensitivity. The analyses of tissue sections were demonstrated, and different regions in a tissue section could be differentiated based on their lipid profiles. Results suggest that the coupling of AP-LSI with miniature mass spectrometer is a powerful technique, which could potentially benefit target molecule analysis in biological and medical applications.

Wavelength Dependence On The Level Of Post-Source Metastable Ion Decay Observed In Infrared Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization

The levels of post-source metastable ion decay (PSD) observed in several peptides and proteins ionized by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF-MS) are measured utilizing both infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) desorption wavelengths. A gridless deceleration ion optic is employed to temporally separate stable analyte ions from analyte metastable neutral and ion fragments. Comparisons of the extent of PSD that is observed in UV-MALDI at 337 nm and IR-MALDI at multiple wavelengths between 2.8 and 3.0 mum are made using the same matrices and analytes. The amount of PSD observed using IR-MALDI was found to be highly dependent on the specific IR wavelength (2.8-3.0 mum) employed for desorption. IR wavelengths shorter than 2.86 mum tended to produce higher levels of PSD, while longer IR wavelengths typically produced significantly less PSD when using a number of common MALDI matrices. Relative PSD levels are quantified by determining the percentage of the neutral fragment signal intensity to the intensity of the stable singly protonated molecular species observed in decelerated MALDI spectra. These studies suggest that an analyte ion activation pathway leading to significant PSD in IR-MALDI may proceed by way of vibrational excitation of the analyte molecules during the desorption event.

Resolution of infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using glycerol; enhancement with a disperse laser beam

Some experimental factors affecting the resolution in glycerol infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (IR-MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry were investigated. Loading the sample inside a cavity covered with a grid was found to improve the resolving power as reported previously, although not to the extent attainable in UV-MALDI using the same instrument. The resolving power improved as the laser spot area at the sample position got larger, becoming almost comparable with that in UV-MALDI when the spot area was a little larger than the cavity size. Reduced concentration of the ablated materials in the acceleration region with the use of the grid and large irradiation area may be responsible for the enhanced resolution. In addition, the threshold laser fluences measured in this work were lower than those reported in the literature and tended to decrease more rapidly as the irradiation area increased than predicted previously. The implication of similar threshold fluences for matrix and analyte ions is discussed in relation to the analyte ion formation mechanism.

How to make big molecules fly out of liquid water: applications, features and physics of laser assisted liquid phase dispersion mass spectrometry

Applications, features, and mechanistic details of laser assisted liquid phase dispersion mass spectrometry are highlighted and discussed. It has been used in the past to directly isolate charged molecular aggregates from the liquid phase and to determine their molecular weight employing sensitive time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The liquid matrix in this MALDI (matrix assisted laser desorption and ionization) type approach consists of a 10 microm diameter free liquid filament in vacuum (or a free droplet) which is excited with a focused infrared laser pulse tuned to match the absorption frequency of the OH-stretch vibration of bulk water near 2.8 microm. Due to these features we will refer to the approach as free liquid matrix assisted laser dispersion of ions or ionic aggregates (IR-FL-MALDI), although also LILBID ("laser induced liquid beam (bead) desorption and ionization") has been proposed early as a descriptive acronym for the technique and may be used alternatively. Low-charge-state macromolecular adducts are isolated in the gas phase from solution via a yet poorly characterized mechanism which sensitively depends upon the laser intensity and wavelength, and after the gentle liquid-to-vacuum transfer the aggregates are analyzed via time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Possible mechanisms for the isolation and charging of biomolecules directly from liquid solution are discussed in the present contribution. Recent technical advances such as minimizing the sample consumption, strategies for high throughput mass spectrometry, and coupling of liquid beam MS with HPLC will be highlighted as well. An interesting feature of IR-FL-MALDI is what we call the linear response, i.e., a surprising linearity of the gas phase mass signal on the solution concentration over many orders of magnitude for a large number of biomolecular systems as well as ions. Due to these features the approach may be regarded as a true solution probing spectroscopy, which enables elegant biokinetic studies. Several experiments in which time resolved IR-FL-MALDI-MS has recently been employed successfully are given. A particular highlight is the possibility to quantitatively detect oxidation states in solution, which clearly distinguishes the present approach from other established MS source concepts. Due to the good matrix tolerance also proteins in complex mixtures can be monitored quantitatively.

Time-Resolved Micro Liquid Desorption Mass Spectrometry: Mechanism, Features, and Kinetic Applications

Liquid water beam desorption mass spectrometry is an intriguing technique to isolate charged molecular aggregates directly from the liquid phase and to analyze them employing sensitive mass spectrometry. The liquid phase in this approach consists of a 10 µm diameter free liquid filament in vacuum which is irradiated by a focussed infrared laser pulse resonant with the OH-stretch vibration of bulk water. Depending upon the laser wavelength, charged (e.g. protonated) macromolecules are isolated from solution through a still poorly characterized mechanism. After the gentle liquid-to-vacuum transfer the low-charge-state aggregates are analyzed using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A recent variant of the technique uses high performance liquid chromatography valves for local liquid injections of samples in the liquid carrier beam, which enables very low sample consumption and high speed sample analysis. In this review we summarize recent work to characterize the ‘desorption’ or ion isolation mechanism in this type of experiment. A decisive and interesting feature of micro liquid beam desorption mass spectrometry is that — under certain conditions — the gas-phase mass signal for a large number of small as well as supramolecular systems displays a surprisingly linear response on the solution concentration over many orders of magnitude, even for mixtures and complex body fluids. This feature and the all-liquid state nature of the technique makes this technique a solution-type spectroscopy that enables real kinetic studies involving (bio)polymers in solution without the need for internal standards. Two applications of the technique monitoring enzyme digestion of proteins and protein aggregation of an amyloid model system are highlighted, both displaying its potential for monitoring biokinetics in solution.

Identification of a novel BRMS1-homologue protein p40 as a component of the mSin3A/p33(ING1b)/HDAC1 deacetylase complex

Repression of gene transcription is mediated by histone deacetylases containing repressor-co-repressor complexes, which are recruited to promoters of target genes via interactions with sequence-specific transcription factors. The mammalian Sin3A co-repressor complex contains a core of at least seven proteins including the pRb-interacting protein RBP1 and a putative tumor suppressor p33(ING1b). By biochemical purification and mass spectrometry, we have identified a novel component p40 from this complex. p40 bears homology to both yeast Sds3, a component of yeast histone deacetylase complexes, and its mammalian homologue mSds3. The p40-associated complex purified from human cells shows a strong histone deacetylase activity. When tethered to a Gal-DNA binding domain, the Gal-p40 is able to significantly repress transcription of a Gal-luciferase promoter. Interestingly, database analysis reveals that p40 is also highly homologous to BRMS1, a breast carcinoma metastasis suppressor, and overexpression of p40 in human cells can significantly inhibit cell growth. Thus, our data indicate that p40 may be critically involved in transcription repression of cell growth-associated gene expression by recruiting the HDAC1 deacetylase complex.

Characterization of infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization samples by Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FT-IR ATR) spectroscopy was used to characterize thin films of succinic acid, a matrix compound commonly used with infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (IR-MALDI) mass spectrometry. IR spectra of succinic acid thin films deposited alone and in combination with the analyte biomolecules insulin and cytochrome c were obtained by FT-IR ATR spectroscopy. Spectra of analyte and matrix alone were similar to those obtained previously from KBr pellets, Nujol mull, or thin-film absorption, although the ATR spectra have significantly lower background interferences. Thin films deposited from mixtures of water and methanol have additional peaks compared to films deposited from a methanol solution. These additional peaks are attributed to carboxylate groups stabilized by residual water molecules. No evidence was found to suggest that residual water absorption contributes to absorption at wavelengths typically used for IR-MALDI. Absorption of energy by analyte vibrational modes with rapid energy transfer to the matrix is suggested as a contributor to desorption and ionization consistent with the FT-IR ATR results.

The role of the laser pulse duration in infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

The role of the laser pulse duration in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry with infrared lasers (IR-MALDI-MS) emitting in the 3 microm wavelength range has been evaluated. Mass spectrometric performance and characteristics of the IR-MALDI process were examined by comparing a wavelength-tuneable mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser of 6 ns pulse duration, tuned to wavelengths of 2.79 and 2.94 microm, with an Er:YAG laser (lambda = 2.94 microm) with two pulse durations of 100 and 185 ns, and an Er:YSGG laser (lambda = 2.79 microm) with a pulse duration of 75 ns. Threshold fluences for the desorption of cytochrome C ions were determined as a function of the laser pulse duration for various common IR-MALDI matrices. For the majority of these matrices a reduction in threshold fluence by a factor of 1.2-1.9 was found by going from the 75-100 ns long pulses of the Erbium lasers to the short 6 ns OPO pulse. Within the experimental accuracy threshold fluences were equal for the 100 and the 185 ns pulse duration of the Er:YAG laser. Some pronounced pulse duration effects related to the ion formation from a glycerol matrix were also observed. The effect of the laser pulse length on the duration of ion emission was furthermore investigated.

Infrared laser desorption and ionization of polypeptides from a polyacrylamide gel

We observed direct desorption and ionization of angiotensin II and bovine insulin from a frozen polyacrylamide gel without the addition of an exogenous matrix, using picosecond pulses from a tunable, mid-infrared free-electron laser tuned to strong absorption bands of the gel. At 5.7, 5.9, 6.1 and 6.3 microm we were able to desorb and ionize both analyte molecules, with the strongest analyte signal generated at 5.9 microm. However, no analyte signal was observed at 5.5 microm. Consistent with a previous report, we did not observe ions of either polypeptide at 2.9 microm, in spite of strong overall absorption. We discuss the implications of this wavelength-dependent ionization, including possible ablation mechanisms and energy partitioning between competing vibrational modes.

Mass spectrometry: a tool for the identification of proteins separated by gels

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become the technique of choice to identify proteins. This has been largely accomplished by the combination of high-resolution two-dimensional (2-D) gel separation with robotic sample preparation, automated MS measurement, data analysis, and database query. Developments during the last five years in MS associated with protein gel separation are reviewed.

Fingerprint patterns from laser-induced azido photochemistry of spin-labeled photoaffinity ATP analogs in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

The photochemical reaction of azide derivatives induced by ultraviolet (UV) laser in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI) is reported. A novel synthesized class of azide aromatic derivatives, spin-labeled photoaffinity non-nucleoside adenosine triphosphate (ATP) analogs which are useful probes in study of muscle contraction mechanism, is used in this investigation. In the negative ion MALDI spectra of these ATP analogs, "fingerprint" peaks corresponding to [M - 10 - 1]-, [M - 12 - 1]-, [M - 16 - 1]-, [M - 26 - 1]-, [M - 28 - 1]-, [M - 41 - 1]-, and [M - 42 - 1]- were observed with relative intensities depending on the MALDI matrix. Only the [M - 16 - 1]- is present in the similar mass spectra of the analog in which the azido group is replaced by a hydrogen. A model is suggested for the photochemical reactions of azide derivatives under UV laser irradiation. The photoreaction fingerprint information is diagnostically useful in characterization of azido compounds, especially for spin-labeled photoaffinity non-nucleoside ATP analogs.

Insight into absorption of radiation/energy transfer in infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization: the roles of matrices, water and metal substrates

Although the ionization/desorption mechanisms in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) remain poorly understood, there is a clear difference between the energy absorption processes in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) modes of operation. UV-MALDI demands an on-resonance electronic transition in the matrix compound, whereas results presented here support earlier work showing that a corresponding resonant vibrational transition is not a requirement for IR-MALDI. In fact, data from the present study suggest that significant absorption of radiant energy by a potential matrix impairs its performance, although this observation is at variance with some other reports. For example, sinapinic acid, with an IR absorption maximum close to the 2.94 micrometer wavelength of the Er-YAG laser, has been little used as an IR-MALDI matrix. By contrast, succinic acid, with much lower IR absorption and no history of use in UV-MALDI as it has no UV absorption at the wavelength of common UV lasers, has become widely recognized as a good general purpose matrix for IR-MALDI. Despite reports by others that glycerol is an effective matrix for IR-MALDI, we find that glycerol, which also absorbs strongly at 2.94 micrometer, is useful only if applied as a very thin film. Thus the cumulative evidence for the role of the matrix in IR-MALDI appears confusing and often contradictory. Water has been postulated to be a major contributor to the absorption of energy in IR-MALDI. Consistent with this, we find that samples dried from D(2)O, which does not absorb at 2.94 micrometer, give spectra of inferior quality compared with the same samples from H(2)O. Similarly, samples dried under vacuum, that probably contain less water than those dried in the open laboratory, give weaker and more erratic spectra. Another potential participant in energy absorption and energy transfer is the surface of the metal support, an alternative mechanism for IR-MALDI, for which some evidence is presented here.