Thermal dissociation of protein-oligosaccharide complexes in the gas phase: mapping the intrinsic intermolecular interactions

Mass spectrometry-based shotgun glycomics for discovery of natural ligands of glycan-binding proteins

The non-covalent associations of complex carbohydrates (glycans) with glycan-binding proteins mediate many important physiological and pathophysiological processes. Identifying these interactions is essential to understanding their diverse biological functions and enables the development of new disease treatments and diagnostics. Knowledge of the repertoire of glycans recognized by most glycan-binding proteins and their affinities is incomplete. Mass spectrometry-based screening of natural glycan libraries has emerged as a promising approach to defining the glycan interactome of glycan-binding proteins. Here, we review recent advances in mass spectrometry-based natural library screening that have led to the discovery of glycan ligands of endogenous and exogenous proteins and illuminated their binding specificities.

Protein-Small Molecule Interactions in Native Mass Spectrometry

Small molecule drug discovery has been propelled by the continual development of novel scientific methodologies to occasion therapeutic advances. Although established biophysical methods can be used to obtain information regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying drug action, these approaches are often inefficient, low throughput, and ineffective in the analysis of heterogeneous systems including dynamic oligomeric assemblies and proteins that have undergone extensive post-translational modification. Native mass spectrometry can be used to probe protein-small molecule interactions with unprecedented speed and sensitivity, providing unique insights into polydisperse biomolecular systems that are commonly encountered during the drug discovery process. In this review, we describe potential and proven applications of native MS in the study of interactions between small, drug-like molecules and proteins, including large multiprotein complexes and membrane proteins. Approaches to quantify the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of ligand binding are discussed, alongside a summary of gas-phase ion activation techniques that have been used to interrogate the structure of protein-small molecule complexes. We additionally highlight some of the key areas in modern drug design for which native mass spectrometry has elicited significant advances. Future developments and applications of native mass spectrometry in drug discovery workflows are identified, including potential pathways toward studying protein-small molecule interactions on a whole-proteome scale.

Subunit pI Can Influence Protein Complex Dissociation Characteristics

Mass spectrometry is frequently used to determine protein complex topology. By combining in-solution and gas-phase dissociation measurements, information can be indirectly inferred about the original composition of the protein complex. Although the mechanisms behind gas-phase complex dissociation are becoming more established, protein complex dissociation is not always predictable. Here, we looked into the effect of the protein subunits pI on complex dissociation. We chose two structurally similar, hexameric protein complexes that consist of a ring of alternating alpha and beta subunits. For one complex, allophycocyanin, the alpha and beta subunits are structurally similar, almost identical in mass, but have distinct pIs. In contrast, the other complex, phycoerythrin, is structural similar to allophycocyanin, yet the subunits have identical pIs. As predicted based on the structural arrangement, dissociation of phycoerythrin resulted in the observation of both the alpha and beta monomeric subunits in the mass spectrometer. However, for allophycocyanin, the results differed dramatically, with only the alpha monomeric subunit being detected upon gas-phase dissociation. Together, the results highlighted the importance of considering the isoelectric points of individual subunits within a protein complex when using tandem mass spectrometry data to elucidate protein complex topology.

Kinetics of the reaction of CO3˙−(H2O)n, n = 0, 1, 2, with nitric acid, a key reaction in tropospheric negative ion chemistry

One water molecule accelerates the reaction of CO₃˙⁻ with HNO₃, while two water molecules quench the reactivity.

Sizing Up Protein-Ligand Complexes: The Rise of Structural Mass Spectrometry Approaches in the Pharmaceutical Sciences

Capturing the dynamic interplay between proteins and their myriad interaction partners is critically important for advancing our understanding of almost every biochemical process and human disease. The importance of this general area has spawned many measurement methods capable of assaying such protein complexes, and the mass spectrometry-based structural biology methods described in this review form an important part of that analytical arsenal. Here, we survey the basic principles of such measurements, cover recent applications of the technology that have focused on protein-small-molecule complexes, and discuss the bright future awaiting this group of technologies.

Preliminary mass spectrometry characterization studies of galectin-3 samples, prior to carbohydrate-binding studies using Affinity mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Investigation of non-covalent complexes of proteins using Affinity Mass Spectrometry (AMS) represents a major challenge in modern biomedical research. However, many experimental obstacles can make AMS data analysis complex. Additionally, sample purity and size of the protein may still pose significant challenges.

METHODS

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) was used for initial mapping of protein samples. nanoESI (electrospray ionization) quadrupole-time-of-flight (QTOF) MS was used for mapping of protein samples under native conditions and subsequent AMS studies. The human galectin-3 protein sample was expressed in E. coli.

RESULTS

Full length galectin-3 was difficult to work with, due to several truncated forms observed after the purification procedures. On the other hand, galectin-3C produced excellent quality nanoESI-MS spectra. A covalent adduct of lactose was found to be located on residue Lys 176. Functional AMS control studies indicated that galectin-3 interactions with oligosaccharides may be dependent on its charge.

CONCLUSIONS

Mass spectrometry represents a valuable tool that can be efficiently used for structural characterization of protein samples prior to functional analyses. By means of accurate mass measurements, many protein truncations can be identified based on mass alone. Analysis of covalent adducts is more challenging. Finally, for AMS studies, careful use of controls may reveal charge-dependence of protein-oligosaccharide interactions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influence of Sulfolane on ESI-MS Measurements of Protein-Ligand Affinities

The results of an investigation into the influence of sulfolane, a commonly used supercharging agent, on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) measurements of protein-ligand affinities are described. Binding measurements carried out on four protein-carbohydrate complexes, lysozyme with β-D-GlcNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcNAc-(1→4)-D-GlcNAc, a single chain variable fragment and α-D-Gal-(1→2)-[α-D-Abe-(1→3)]-α-D-Man-OCH3, cholera toxin B subunit homopentamer with β-D-Gal-(1→3)-β-D-GalNAc-(1→4)[α-D-Neu5Ac-(2→3)]-β-D-Gal-(1→4)-β-D-Glc, and a fragment of galectin 3 and α-L-Fuc-(1→2)-β-D-Gal-(1→3)-β-D-GlcNAc-(1→3)-β-D-Gal-(1→4)-β-D-Glc, revealed that sulfolane generally reduces the apparent (as measured by ESI-MS) protein-ligand affinities. To establish the origin of this effect, a detailed study was undertaken using the lysozyme-tetrasaccharide interaction as a model system. Measurements carried out using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), circular dichroism, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies reveal that sulfolane reduces the binding affinity in solution but does not cause any significant change in the higher order structure of lysozyme or to the intermolecular interactions. These observations confirm that changes to the structure of lysozyme in bulk solution are not responsible for the supercharging effect induced by sulfolane. Moreover, the agreement between the ESI-MS and ITC-derived affinities indicates that there is no dissociation of the complex during ESI or in the gas phase (i.e., in-source dissociation). This finding suggests that supercharging of lysozyme by sulfolane is not related to protein unfolding during the ESI process. Binding measurements performed using liquid sample desorption ESI-MS revealed that protein supercharging with sulfolane can be achieved without a reduction in affinity.

Analytical approaches for size and mass analysis of large protein assemblies

Analysis of the size and mass of nanoparticles, whether they are natural biomacromolecular or synthetic supramolecular assemblies, is an important step in the characterization of such molecular species. In recent years, electrospray ionization (ESI) has emerged as a technology through which particles with masses up to 100 MDa can be ionized and transferred into the gas phase, preparing them for accurate mass analysis. Here we review currently used methodologies, with a clear focus on native mass spectrometry (MS). Additional complementary methodologies are also covered, including ion-mobility analysis, nanomechanical mass sensors, and charge-detection MS. The literature discussed clearly demonstrates the great potential of ESI-based methodologies for the size and mass analysis of nanoparticles, including very large naturally occurring protein assemblies. The analytical approaches discussed are powerful tools in not only structural biology, but also nanotechnology.

Dissociation of multisubunit protein-ligand complexes in the gas phase. Evidence for ligand migration

The results of collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments performed on gaseous protonated and deprotonated ions of complexes of cholera toxin B subunit homopentamer (CTB5) with the pentasaccharide (β-D-Galp-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)[α-D-Neu5Ac-(2→3)]-β-D-Galp-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp (GM1)) and corresponding glycosphingolipid (β-D-Galp-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)[α-D-Neu5Ac-(2→3)]-β-D-Galp-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-Cer (GM1-Cer)) ligands, and the homotetramer streptavidin (S4) with biotin (B) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(biotinyl) (Btl), are reported. The protonated (CTB5 + 5GM1)(n+) ions dissociated predominantly by the loss of a single subunit, with the concomitant migration of ligand to another subunit. The simultaneous loss of ligand and subunit was observed as a minor pathway. In contrast, the deprotonated (CTB5 + 5GM1)(n-) ions dissociated preferentially by the loss of deprotonated ligand; the loss of ligand-bound and ligand-free subunit were minor pathways. The presence of ceramide (Cer) promoted ligand migration and the loss of subunit. The main dissociation pathway for the protonated and deprotonated (S4 + 4B)(n+/-) ions, as well as for deprotonated (S4 + 4Btl)(n-) ions, was loss of the ligand. However, subunit loss from the (S4 + 4B)(n+) ions was observed as a minor pathway. The (S4 + 4Btl)(n+) ions dissociated predominantly by the loss of free and ligand-bound subunit. The charge state of the complex and the collision energy were found to have little effect on the relative contribution of the different dissociation channels. Thermally-driven ligand migration between subunits was captured in the results of molecular dynamics simulations performed on protonated (CTB5 + 5GM1)(15+) ions (with a range of charge configurations) at 800 K. Notably, the migration pathway was found to be highly dependent on the charge configuration of the ion. The main conclusion of this study is that the dissociation pathways of multisubunit protein-ligand complexes in the gas phase depend, not only on the native topology of the complex, but also on structural changes that occur upon collisional activation.

Mapping protein-ligand interactions in the gas phase using a functional group replacement strategy. Comparison of CID and BIRD activation methods

Intermolecular interactions in the gaseous ions of two protein-ligand complexes, a single chain antibody (scFv) and its trisaccharide ligand (α-D-Galp-(1→2)-[α-D-Abep-(1→3)]-α-Manp-OCH3, L1) and streptavidin homotetramer (S4) and biotin (B), were investigated using a collision-induced dissociation (CID)-functional group replacement (FGR) strategy. CID was performed on protonated ions of a series of structurally related complexes based on the (scFv + L1) and (S4 + 4B) complexes, at the +10 and +13 charge states, respectively. Intermolecular interactions were identified from decreases in the collision energy required to dissociate 50% of the reactant ion (Ec50) upon modification of protein residues or ligand functional groups. For the (scFv + L1)(10+) ion, it was found that deoxygenation of L1 (at Gal C3 and C6 and Man C4 and C6) or mutation of His101 (to Ala) resulted in a decrease in Ec50 values. These results suggest that the four hydroxyl groups and His101 participate in intermolecular H-bonds. These findings agree with those obtained using the blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD)-FGR method. However, the CID-FGR method failed to reveal the relative strengths of the intermolecular interactions or establish Man C4 OH and His101 as an H-bond donor/acceptor pair. The CID-FGR method correctly identified Tyr43, but not Ser27, Trp79, and Trp120, as a stabilizing contact in the (S4 + 4B)(13+) ion. In fact, mutation of Trp79 and Trp120 led to an increase in the Ec50 value. Taken together, these results suggest that the CID-FGR method, as implemented here, does not represent a reliable approach for identifying interactions in the gaseous protein-ligand complexes.

The effect of a covalent and a noncovalent small-molecule inhibitor on the structure of Abg β-glucosidase in the gas-phase

The effects of binding two small-molecule inhibitors to Agrobacterium sp. strain ATCC 21400 (Abg) β-glucosidase on the conformations and stability of gas-phase ions of Abg have been investigated. Biotin-iminosugar conjugate (BIC) binds noncovalently to Abg while 2,4-dinitro-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-β-D-glucopyranoside (2FG-DNP) binds covalently with loss of DNP. In solution, Abg is a dimer. Mass spectra show predominantly dimer ions, provided care is taken to avoid dissociation of dimers in solution and dimer ions in the ion sampling interface. When excess inhibitor, either covalent or noncovalent, is added to solutions of Abg, mass spectra show peaks almost entirely from 2:2 inhibitor-enzyme dimer complexes. Tandem mass spectrometry experiments show similar dissociation channels for the apo-enzyme and 2FG-enzyme dimers. The +21 dimer produces +10 and +11 monomers. The internal energy required to dissociate the +21 2FG-enzyme to its monomers (767 ± 30 eV) is about 36 eV higher than that for the apo-enzyme dimer (731 ± 6 eV), reflecting the stabilization of the free enzyme dimer by the 2FG inhibitor. The primary dissociation channels for the noncovalent BIC-enzyme dimer are loss of neutral and charged BIC. The internal energy required to induce loss of BIC is 482 ± 8 eV, considerably less than that required to dissociate the dimers. For a given charge state, ions of the covalent and noncovalent complexes have about 15 % and 25 % lower cross sections, respectively, compared with the apo-enzyme. Thus, binding the inhibitors causes the gas-phase protein to adopt more compact conformations. Noncovalent binding surprisingly produces the greatest change in protein ion conformation, despite the weaker inhibitor binding. ᅟ

Reactions of CH3SH and CH3SSCH3 with gas-phase hydrated radical anions (H2O)n(•-), CO2(•-)(H2O)n, and O2(•-)(H2O)n

The chemistry of (H(2)O)(n)(•-), CO(2)(•-)(H(2)O)(n), and O(2)(•-)(H(2)O)(n) with small sulfur-containing molecules was studied in the gas phase by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. With hydrated electrons and hydrated carbon dioxide radical anions, two reactions with relevance for biological radiation damage were observed, cleavage of the disulfide bond of CH(3)SSCH(3) and activation of the thiol group of CH(3)SH. No reactions were observed with CH(3)SCH(3). The hydrated superoxide radical anion, usually viewed as major source of oxidative stress, did not react with any of the compounds. Nanocalorimetry and quantum chemical calculations give a consistent picture of the reaction mechanism. The results indicate that the conversion of e(-) and CO(2)(•-) to O(2)(•-) deactivates highly reactive species and may actually reduce oxidative stress. For reactions of (H(2)O)(n)(•-) with CH(3)SH as well as CO(2)(•-)(H(2)O)(n) with CH(3)SSCH(3), the reaction products in the gas phase are different from those reported in the literature from pulse radiolysis studies. This observation is rationalized with the reduced cage effect in reactions of gas-phase clusters.

The applicability of the kinetic method for measuring relative affinities of macromolecules for polyatomic substrates

This paper is a review of the kinetic method for the determination of thermochemical values for gas-phase molecules. In addition, we have explored the utility of the kinetic method to obtain meaningful relative binding energies of macromolecules for polyatomic substrates using a system comprising poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) oligomers and doubly protonated diaminoalkanes. The major factors which determined the suitability of the kinetic method for this system were identified as (i) the structural arrangement of the parent ion complex, (ii) possible reverse activation barriers, and (iii) the evaluations of Δ(ΔS‡). Molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics (MM/MD) simulations, together with ion mobility spectrometry, suggests the parent ion complexes represent a relatively equal sharing of the substrate between two the PMMA oligomers within the complex and that the two PMMA oligomers interact almost exclusively with the substrate, and not with each other. MS/MS of the trimeric parent complexes resulted in one PMMA unit leaving as a neutral which suggests very limited coulombic repulsion (that would contribute to a reverse activation barrier). The drift times of PMMA-diaminoalkane complexes that were generated directly by ESI-MS or by dissociation of a trimeric PMMA-diaminoalkane-PMMA complex were found to be identical, and when combined with MM/MD simulations suggested that the product PMMA-diaminoalkane dication has the same conformation as it does when part of a trimeric complex. This is evidence for Δ(ΔS‡) ≃ Δ(ΔS) and using a statistical mechanics approach, Δ(ΔS) ≃ 0. The effective temperature variable in the kinetic method expression was found to decrease as a function of the size of the trimeric complex, suggesting that the population distribution of the dissociating ensemble of complexes narrows as size increases.

Hydrated magnesium cations Mg+(H2O)n, n ≈ 20-60, exhibit chemistry of the hydrated electron in reactions with O2 and CO2

Ion-molecule reactions of Mg(+)(H(2)O)(n), n ≈ 20-60, with O(2) and CO(2) are studied by Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. O(2) and CO(2) are taken up by the clusters. Both reactions correspond to the chemistry of hydrated electrons (H(2)O)(n)(-). Density functional theory calculations predicted that the solvation structures of Mg(+)(H(2)O)(16) contain a hydrated electron that is solvated remotely from a hexa-coordinated Mg(2+). Ion-molecule reactions between Mg(+)(H(2)O)(16) and O(2) or CO(2) are calculated to be highly exothermic. Initially, a solvent-separated ion pair is formed, with the hexa-coordinated Mg(2+) ionic core being well separated from the O(2)(•-) or CO(2)(•-). Rearrangements of the solvation structure are possible and produce a contact-ion pair in which one water molecule in the first solvation shell of Mg(2+) is replaced by O(2)(•-) or CO(2)(•-).

Analysis of noncovalent chitinase-chito-oligosaccharide complexes by infrared-matrix assisted laser desorption ionization and nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Transferring noncovalently bound complexes from the condensed phase into the gas phase represents a challenging task due to weak intermolecular bonds that have to be maintained during the phase transition. Currently, electrospray ionization (ESI) is the standard mass spectrometric (MS) technique to analyze noncovalent complexes. Although infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (IR-MALDI)-MS also provides particular soft desorption/ionization conditions, this method has so far hardly been applied for the analysis of noncovalent complexes. In this study, we employed IR-MALDI orthogonal time-of-flight (o-TOF)-MS in combination with the liquid matrix glycerol to characterize the specific complex formation of chito-oligosaccharide (CHOS) ligands with two variants of Chitinase A (ChiA) from Serratia marcescens, the inactive E315Q mutant and the active W167A mutant, respectively. The IR-MALDI-o-TOF-MS results were compared to those obtained using nano-ESI-quadrupole (q)-TOF-MS and ultraviolet (UV)-MALDI-o-TOF-MS. Using IR-MALDI-o-TOF-MS, specific noncovalent complexes between ChiA and CHOS were detected with distributions between enzymes with bound oligosaccharides vs free enzymes that were essentially identical to those obtained by nano-ESI-q-TOF-MS. Chitinase-CHOS complexes were not detected when UV-MALDI was employed for desorption/ionization. The results show that IR-MALDI-MS can be a valuable tool for fast and simple screening of noncovalent enzyme-ligand interactions.

Hydrophobic protein-ligand interactions preserved in the gas phase

The results of time-resolved thermal dissociation measurements and molecular dynamic simulations are reported for gaseous deprotonated ions of the specific complexes of bovine beta-lactoglobulin (Lg) and a series of the fatty acids (FA): CH(3)(CH(2))(x)COOH, where x = 10, 12, 14, and 16. At the reaction temperatures investigated, 25-66 degrees C, the gaseous ions dissociate exclusively by the loss of neutral FA. According to the kinetic data, and confirmed by ion mobility measurements, the (Lg + FA)(7-) ions exist in two, noninterconverting structures designated the fast (Lg + FA)(f)(7-) and slow (Lg + FA)(s)(7-) components. The Arrhenius parameters for both components are sensitive to the length of the FA aliphatic chain. For the fast components, the activation energy (E(a)) increases in a nearly linear fashion, with each methylene group contributing approximately 0.8 kcal mol(-1) to E(a). This is similar to the contribution of -CH(2)- groups to the solvation of n-alkanes in nonpolar solvents. Furthermore, the magnitude of the E(a) values for the fast components is similar to the solvation enthalpies expected for the FA aliphatic chains in nonpolar and weakly polar solvents. The E(a) values determined for the slow components are larger than those of the fast components. Furthermore, the E(a) values do not vary in a simple fashion with the length of the aliphatic chain. Molecular dynamics simulations performed on the (Lg + PA) complex revealed that, depending on the charge configuration, the (Lg + PA)(7-) ion can exist in two distinct structures, which differ primarily by the position of the EF loop. In the open structure the EF loop is positioned away from the entrance to the hydrophobic cavity and the ligand is stabilized only through nonpolar intermolecular interactions. In the closed structure the EF loop covers the entrance of the cavity and the carboxylic group of PA participates in H-bonds with residues on the EF loop or residues located at the entrance of the cavity. The loss of ligand from the closed structure would require both the cleavage of the H-bonds and the nonpolar contacts. Taken together, these results suggest that the aliphatic chain of the FA remains bound within the hydrophobic cavity in the gas phase (Lg + FA)(7-) ions. Furthermore, the barrier to dissociation of the (Lg + FA)(f)(7-) ions reflects predominantly the cleavage of the nonpolar intermolecular interactions, while for the (Lg + FA)(s)(7-) ions the FA is stabilized by both nonpolar interactions and H-bonds.

Gas phase noncovalent protein complexes that retain solution binding properties: Binding of xylobiose inhibitors to the beta-1, 4 exoglucanase from cellulomonas fimi

Tandem mass spectrometry has been used to compare gas-phase and solution binding of three small-molecule inhibitors to the wild type and three mutant forms of the catalytic domain of Cex, an enzyme that hydrolyses xylan and xylo-oligosaccharides. The inhibitors, xylobiosyl-deoxynojirimycin, xylobiosyl-isofagomine lactam, and xylobiosyl-isofagomine consist of a common distal xylose linked to different proximal aza-sugars. The three mutant forms of the enzyme contain the substitutions Asn44Ala, Gln87Met, and Gln87Tyr that alter the binding interactions between Cex and the distal sugar of each inhibitor. An electrospray ionization (ESI) triple quadrupole MS/MS system is used to measure the internal energies, DeltaE(int), that must be added to gas-phase ions to cause dissociation of the noncovalent enzyme-inhibitor complexes. Collision cross sections of ions of the apo-enzyme and enzyme-inhibitor complexes, which are required for the calculations of DeltaE(int), have also been measured. The results show that, in the gas phase, enzyme-inhibitor complexes have more compact, folded conformations than the corresponding apo-enzyme ions. With the mutant enzymes, the effects of substituting a single residue can be detected. The energies required to dissociate the gas-phase complexes follow the same trend as the values of DeltaG0 for dissociation of the complexes in solution. This trend is observed both with different inhibitors, which probe binding to the proximal sugar, and with mutants of Cex, which probe binding to the distal sugar. Thus the gas-phase complexes appear to retain much of their solution binding characteristics.

Thermal decomposition of multiply charged T-rich oligonucleotide anions in the gas phase. Influence of internal solvation on the arrhenius parameters for neutral base loss

Arrhenius activation parameters (E(a), A) for the loss of neutral nucleobases from a series of T-rich, doubly and triply deprotonated 15- and 20-mer oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing a single reactive base (X = A or C) with the sequence, XT14, XT19 and T19X, have been determined using the blackbody infrared radiative dissociation technique. The A-containing anions are significantly more reactive (> or =3000 times) than the C-containing ions over the temperature range investigated. Importantly, the Arrhenius parameters for the loss of AH exhibit a strong dependence on size of the ODN and, to some extent, the charge state; the Arrhenius parameters increase with size and charge (Ea = 29-39 kcal mol(-1), A = 10(15)-10(20) s(-1)). In contrast, the parameters for the loss of CH are much less sensitive to size (Ea = 35-39 kcal mol(-1), A = 10(14)-10(17) s(-1)). The results are consistent with a greater contribution from the internal solvation of the reactive base to the Arrhenius parameters for the loss of A, compared with C, from the 15- and 20-mers. To further probe differences in internal solvation of A and C, hydrogen/deuterium exchange was carried out on AT19(-3), T19A(-3), CT19(-3) and T19C(-3) using D2O as the exchange reagent. However, the H/D exchange results did not reveal any differences in internal solvation within the ODN anions. Arrhenius parameters for the dissociation of noncovalent complexes of T20(-3) and the neutral nucleobase AH or CH have also been determined. Differences in the parameters indicate differences in the nature of the intermolecular interactions. It is proposed that neutral A-T interactions (i.e., base-base), which originate in solution, dominate in the case of (T20 + AH)(-3), while charge solvation, involving CH and a deprotonated phosphate group, is present for (T20 + CH)(-3).

Stability of the homopentameric B subunits of shiga toxins 1 and 2 in solution and the gas phase as revealed by nanoelectrospray fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The assembly of the B subunits of Shiga toxins (Stx) 1 and 2 and the influence of solution conditions (protein concentration, temperature, pH, and ionic strength) on it are investigated using temperature-controlled nanoflow electrospray (nano-ES) ionization and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Despite the similar higher order structure predicted by X-ray crystallography analysis, the B(5) homopentamers of Stx1 and Stx2 exhibit differences in stability under the solution conditions investigated. At solution temperatures ranging from 0 to 60 degrees C and subunit concentrations ranging from 5 to 85 microM, the Stx1 B subunit exists almost entirely as the homopentamer in aqueous solutions, independent of the ionic strength. In contrast, the degree of assembly of Stx2 B subunit is strongly dependent on temperature, subunit concentration, and ionic strength. At subunit concentrations of more than 50 microM, the Stx2 B subunit exists predominantly as a pentamer, although smaller multimers (dimer, trimer, and tetramer) are also evident. At lower concentrations, the Stx2 B subunit exists predominantly as monomer and dimer. The relative abundance of multimeric species of the Stx2 B subunit was insensitive to the ion source conditions, suggesting that gas-phase dissociation of the pentamer ions in the source does not influence the mass spectrum. Blackbody infrared radiative dissociation of the protonated B(5) ions of Stx2 at the +12 and +13 charge states proceeds, at reaction temperatures of 120 to 180 degrees C, predominantly by the ejection of a single subunit from the complex. Dissociation into dimer and trimer ions constitutes a minor pathway. It follows that the dimer and trimer ions and, likely, the monomer ions observed in the nano-ES mass spectra of Stx2 B subunit originated in solution and not from gas-phase reactions. It is concluded that, under the solution conditions investigated, the homopentamer of Stx2 B subunit is thermodynamically less stable than that of Stx1 B subunit. Arrhenius activation parameters determined for the protonated Stx2 B(5) ions at the +12 and +13 charge states were compared with values reported for the corresponding B(5) ions of Stx1 B subunit. In contrast to the differential stability of the Stx1 and Stx2 B pentamers in solution, the dissociation activation energies (E(a)) determined for the gaseous complexes are indistinguishable at a given charge state. The similarity in the E(a) values suggests that the protonated pentamer ions of both toxins are stabilized by similar intersubunit interactions in the gas phase, a result that is in agreement with the X-ray crystal structures of the holotoxins.

Blackbody infrared radiative dissociation of nonspecific protein-carbohydrate complexes produced by nanoelectrospray ionization: the nature of the noncovalent interactions

Gas-phase thermal dissociation experiments, implemented with blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, have been performed on a series of protonated and deprotonated 1:1 and protonated 1:2 protein-carbohydrate complexes formed by nonspecific interactions during the nanoflow electrospray (nanoES) ionization process. Nonspecific interactions between the proteins bovine carbonic anhydrase II (CA), bovine ubiquitin (Ubq), and bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor and several carbohydrates, ranging in size from mono- to tetrasaccharides, have been investigated. Over the range of temperatures studied (60-190 degrees C), BIRD of the protonated and deprotonated complexes proceeds exclusively by the loss of the carbohydrate in its neutral form. The rates of dissociation of the 1:1 complexes containing a mono- or disaccharide decrease with reaction time, suggesting the presence of two or more kinetically distinct structures produced during nanoES or by gas-phase processes. In contrast, the 1:1 complexes of the tri- and tetrasaccharides exhibit simple first-order dissociation kinetics, a result that, on its own, is suggestive of a single preferred carbohydrate binding site or multiple equivalent sites in the gas phase. A comparative analysis of the dissociation kinetics measured for protonated 1:1 and 1:2 complexes of Ubq with alphaTal[alphaAbe]alphaMan further supports the presence of a single preferred binding site. However, a similar analysis performed on the complexes of CA and alphaTal[alphaAbe]alphaMan suggests that equivalent but dependent carbohydrate binding sites exist in the gas phase. Analysis of the Arrhenius activation parameters (E(a) and A) determined for the dissociation of 1:1 complexes of CA with structurally related trisaccharides provides evidence that neutral intermolecular hydrogen bonds contribute, at least in part, to the stability of the gaseous complexes. Surprisingly, the E(a) values for the complexes of the same charge state are not sensitive to the structure (primary or higher order) of the protein, suggesting that the carbohydrates are able to form energetically equivalent interactions with the various functional groups presented by the protein. For a given protein-carbohydrate complex, the dissociation E(a) is sensitive to charge state, initially increasing and then decreasing with increasing charge. It is proposed that both ionic and neutral hydrogen bonds stabilize the nonspecific protein-carbohydrate complexes in the gas phase and that the relative contribution of the neutral and ionic interactions is strongly influenced by the charge state of the complex, with neutral interactions dominating at low charge states and ionic interactions dominating at high charge states.

Features of the ESI mechanism that affect the observation of multiply charged noncovalent protein complexes and the determination of the association constant by the titration method

Several factors, attributable to the ESIMS mechanism, that can affect the assumptions of the titration method are examined: (1) The assumption that the concentrations in solution of the protein P, the ligand L, and the complex PL are proportional to the respective ion intensities observed with ESIMS, is examined with experiments in which ion intensities of two non-interacting proteins are compared with the respective concentrations. The intensities are found to be approximately proportional to the concentrations. The proportionality factors are found to increase as the mass of the protein is decreased. Very small proteins have much higher intensities. The results suggest that it is preferable to use only the intensity ratio of PL and P, whose masses are very close to each other when L is small, to determine the association constant KA in solution. (2) From the charge residue model (CRM) one expects that the solution will experience a very large increase of concentration due to evaporation of the precursor droplets, before the proteins P and PL are produced in the gas phase. This can shift the equilibrium in the droplets: P + L = PL, towards PL. Analysis of the droplet evaporation history shows that such a shift is not likely, because the time of droplet evolution is very short, only several micros, and the equilibrium relaxation time is much longer. (3) The droplet history shows that unreacted P and L can be often present together in the same droplet. On complete evaporation of such droplets L will land on P leading to PL and this effect will lead to values of KA that are too high. However, it is argued that mostly accidental, weakly bonded, complexes will form and these will dissociate in the clean up stages (heated transfer capillary and CAD region). Thus only very small errors are expected due to this cause. (4) Some PL complexes may have bonding that is too weak in the gas phase even though they have KA values in solution that predict high solution PL yields. In this case the PL complexes may decompose in the clean up stages and not be observed with sufficient intensity in the mass spectrum. This will lead to KA values that are too low. The effect is expected for complexes that involve significant hydrophobic interaction that leads to high stability of the complex in solution but low stability in the gas phase. The titration method is not suited for such systems.

Investigation of intact protein complexes by mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry has grown in recent years to a well-accepted and increasingly important complementary technique in structural biology. Especially electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is well suited for the detection of non-covalent protein complexes and their interactions with DNA, RNA, ligands, and cofactors. Over the last decade, significant advances have been made in the ionization and mass analysis techniques, which makes the investigation of even larger and more heterogeneous intact assemblies feasible. These technological developments have paved the way to study intact non-covalent protein-protein interactions, assembly and disassembly in real time, subunit exchange, cooperativity effects, and effects of cofactors, allowing us a better understanding of proteins in cellular processes. In this review, we describe some of the latest developments and several highlights.

BIRD (blackbody infrared radiative dissociation): evolution, principles, and applications

Blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD) describes the observation of ion-dissociation reactions at essentially zero pressure by the ambient blackbody radiation field, which is usually studied in the ion-trapping ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) mass spectrometer. A brief summary of the historical context and evolution is provided. Focussing on the quantitative observation of the temperature dependence of BIRD rates, methods are developed for connecting BIRD observations with activation parameters and dissociation thermochemistry. Three regimes are differentiated and described, comprising large molecules, small molecules, and intermediate-sized molecules. The different approaches to interpreting BIRD kinetics in those three regimes are discussed. In less than a decade since its inception, this approach to studying gas-phase ions has spread over a wide variety of applications, which are surveyed. Some major areas of activity are: the characterization of solvent-molecule detachment from solvated ions; dissociation reactions of biomolecules (polypeptides, oligonucleotides, complexes involving polysaccharides) and the structural information to be deduced from them; and dissociations of proton-bound and metal-ion-containing complexes. Studies of blackbody-radiation-driven evaporation of water molecules from large water-cluster ions are surveyed briefly. Several techniques related to BIRD are noted, including collisional dissociation in the FT-ICR ion trap; high-pressure thermal dissociation in quadrupole ion traps and in heated inlet capillary regions; hot-filament-assisted dissociation; and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD).

Arrhenius activation parameters for the loss of neutral nucleobases from deprotonated oligonucleotide anions in the gas phase

Arrhenius activation parameters (E(a) and A) for the loss of neutral nucleobase from a series of doubly deprotonated oligodexoynucleotide 10-mers of the type XT(9), T(9)X, and T(5)XT(4), where X = A, C, and G, have been determined using the blackbody infrared radiative dissociation technique. At temperatures of 120 to 190 degrees C, the anions dissociate exclusively by the loss of a neutral nucleobase (XH), followed by cleavage of the sugar 3' C-O bond leading to (a-XH) and w type ions or, in the case of the T(9)X(2-) ions, the loss of H(2)O. The dissociation kinetics and energetics are sensitive to the nature and position of X. Over the temperature range investigated, the kinetics for the loss of AH and GH were similar, but approximately 100 times faster than for the loss of CH. For the loss of AH and GH, the values of E(a) are sensitive to the position of the base. The order of the E(a)s for the loss of XH from the 5' and 3' termini is: C > G > A; while for T(5)XT(4) the order is: C > A > G. The trends in the values of E(a) do not parallel the trend in deprotonation enthalpies or proton affinities of the nucleobases in the gas phase, indicating that the energetic differences do not simply reflect differences in their gas phase acidity or basicity. The pre-exponential factors (A) vary from 10(10) to 10(15) s(-1), depending on the nature and position of X. These results suggest that the reactivity of individual nucleobases is influenced by stabilizing intramolecular interactions.

Gas-phase dissociation pathways of multiply charged peptide clusters

Numerous studies of cluster formation and dissociation have been conducted to determine properties of matter in the transition from the condensed phase to the gas phase using materials as diverse as atomic nuclei, noble gases, metal clusters, and amino acids. Here, electrospray ionization is used to extend the study of cluster dissociation to peptides including leucine enkephalin with 7-19 monomer units and 2-5 protons, and somatostatin with 5 monomer units and 4 protons under conditions where its intramolecular disulfide bond is either oxidized or reduced. Evaporation of neutral monomers and charge separation by cluster fission are the competing dissociation pathways of both peptides. The dominant fission product for all leucine enkephalin clusters studied is a proton-bound dimer, presumably due to the high gas-phase stability of this species. The branching ratio of the fission and evaporation processes for leucine enkephalin clusters appears to be determined by the value of z2/n for the cluster where z is the charge and n the number of monomer units in the cluster. Clusters with low and high values of z2/n dissociate primarily by evaporation and cluster fission respectively, with a sharp transition between dissociation primarily by evaporation and primarily by fission measured at a z2/n value of approximately 0.5. The dependence of the dissociation pathway of a cluster on z2/n is similar to the dissociation of atomic nuclei and multiply charged metal clusters indicating that leucine enkephalin peptide clusters exist in a state that is more disordered, and possibly fluid, rather than highly structured in the dissociative transition state. The branching ratio, but not the dissociation pathway of [somatostatin5 + 4H]4+ is altered by the reduction of its internal disulfide bond indicating that monomer conformational flexibility plays a role in peptide cluster dissociation.

Threshold dissociation energies of protonated amine/polyether complexes in a quadrupole ion trap

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is increasingly used to probe the nature of noncovalent complexes; however, assessing the relevance of gas-phase results to structures of complexes in solution requires knowledge of the types of interactions that are maintained in a solventless environment and how these might compare to key interactions in solution. This study addresses the factors impacting the strength of hydrogen bonding noncovalent interactions in the gas phase. Hydrogen bonded complexes consisting of ammonium ions bound to polydentate ethers are transported to the gas phase with ESI, and energy-variable collisional activated dissociation (CAD) is used to map the relative dissociation energies. The measured relative dissociation energies are correlated with the gas-phase basicities and steric factors of the amine and polyether constituents. To develop correlations between hydrogen bonding strength and structural features of the donor and acceptor molecules, a variety of amines with different gas-phase basicities and structures were selected, including primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, as well as those that are bidentate to promote intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The acceptor molecules are polydentate ethers, such as 18-crown-6. Four primary factors influence the observed dissociation energies of the polyether/ammonium ion complexes: the gas-phase basicities of the polyether and amine, steric effects of the amines, conformational flexibility of the polyethers, and the inhibition of intramolecular hydrogen bonds of the guest ammonium ions in the resulting ammonium/polyether noncovalent complexes.

Origin of asymmetric charge partitioning in the dissociation of gas-phase protein homodimers

The origin of asymmetric charge and mass partitioning observed for gas-phase dissociation of multiply charged macromolecular complexes has been hotly debated. These experiments hold the potential to provide detailed information about the interactions between the macromolecules within the complex. Here, this unusual phenomenon of asymmetric charge partitioning is investigated for several protein homodimers. Asymmetric charge partitioning in these ions depends on a number of factors, including the internal energy, charge state, and gas-phase conformation of the complex, as well as the conformational flexibility of the protein monomer in the complex. High charge states of both cytochrome c and disulfide-reduced alpha-lactalbumin homodimers dissociate by a symmetrical charge partitioning process in which both fragment monomers carry away roughly an equal number of charges. In contrast, highly asymmetric charge partitioning dominates for the lower charge states. Cytochrome c dimer ions with eleven charges formed by electrospray ionization from two solutions in which the solution-phase conformation differs dissociate with dramatically different charge partitioning. These results demonstrate that these gas-phase complexes retain a clear "memory" of the solution from which they are formed, and that information about their solution-phase conformation can be obtained from these gas-phase dissociation experiments. Cytochrome c dimer ions formed from solutions in which the conformation of the protein is native show greater asymmetric charge partitioning with increasing ion internal energy. Cytochrome c dimers that are conformationally constrained with intramolecular cross-linkers undergo predominantly symmetric charge partitioning under conditions where asymmetric charge partitioning is observed for cytochrome c dimers without cross-links. Similar results are observed for alpha-lactalbumin homodimers. These results provide convincing evidence that the origin of asymmetric charge partitioning in these homodimers is the result of one of the protein monomers unfolding in the dissociation transition state. A mechanism that accounts for these observations is proposed.

Thermal dissociation of the protein homodimer ecotin in the gas phase

The influence of charge on the thermal dissociation of gaseous, protonated, homodimeric, protein ecotin ions produced by nanoflow electrospray ionization (nanoES) was investigated using the blackbody infrared radiative dissociation technique. Dissociation of the protonated dimer, (E2 + nH)(n+) congruent to E2(n+) where n = 14-17, into pairs of monomer ions is the dominant reaction at temperatures from 126 to 175 degrees C. The monomer pair corresponding to the most symmetric charge distribution is preferred, although 50-60% of the monomer product ions correspond to an asymmetric partitioning of charge. The relative abundance of the different monomer ion pairs produced from E2(14+), E2(15+), and E2(16+) depends on reaction time, with the more symmetric charge distribution pair dominating at longer times. The relative yield of monomer ions observed late in the reaction is independent of temperature indicating that proton transfer between the monomers does not occur during dissociation and that the different monomer ion pairs are formed from dimer ions which differ in the distribution of charge between the monomers. For E2(17+), the yield of monomer ions is independent of reaction time but does exhibit slight temperature dependence, with higher temperatures favoring the monomers corresponding to most symmetric charge distribution. The charge distribution in the E2(15+) and E2(16+) dimer ions influences the dissociation kinetics, with the more asymmetric distribution resulting in greater reactivity. In contrast, the charge distribution has no measurable effect on the dissociation kinetics and energetics of the E2(17+) dimer.