Charge derivatization of peptides for analysis by mass spectrometry

Qualitative and Quantitative Mass Spectrometry in Salivary Metabolomics and Proteomics

The metabolomics and proteomics analysis of saliva, an excellent biofluid that is a rich source of biological compounds, allows for the safe and frequent screening of drugs, their metabolites, and molecular biomarkers of various diseases. One of the most frequently used analytical methods in saliva analysis is liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry. The low ionisation efficiency of some compounds and a complex matrix makes their identification by MS difficult. Furthermore, quantitative analysis by LC-MS frequently cannot be performed without isotopically labelled standards, which usually have to be specially synthesised. This review presented reports on qualitative and quantitative approaches in salivary metabolomics and proteomics. The purpose of this manuscript was to present the challenges, advances, and future prospects of mass spectrometry, both in the analysis of salivary metabolites and proteins. The presented review should appeal to those interested in the recent advances and trends in qualitative and quantitative mass spectrometry in salivary metabolomics and proteomics, which may facilitate a diagnostic accuracy, the evaluation of treatment efficacy, the early diagnosis of disease, and a forensic investigation of some unapproved drugs for any medical or dietary administration.

From Peptide Nucleic Acids to Supramolecular Structures of Nucleic Acid Derivatives

Nucleic acids play a pivotal role in life processes. The endeavours to shed light on the essential properties of these intriguing building blocks led us to the synthesis of different analogues and the investigation of their properties. First various peptide nucleic acid monomers and oligomers have been synthesized, using an Fmoc/acyl protecting group strategy, and their properties studied. The serendipitous discovery of a side reaction of coupling agents led us to the elaboration of a peptide sequencing method. The capricious behaviour of guanine derivatives spurred the determination of their substitution pattern using ¹³ C, ¹⁵ N NMR, and mass spectrometric methods. The properties of guanines initiated the logical transition to the study of supramolecular systems composed of purine analogues. Thus, xanthine and uracil derivatives have been obtained and their supramolecular self-assembly properties scrutinized in gas, solid, and liquid states and at solid-liquid interfaces.

Programmed Formation of HCN Oligomers through Organosulfur Catalysis

An efficient, inexpensive, and reliable synthesis of diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN, 1) is described starting from readily available acetone cyanohydrin as the source of hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) is known to be an important intermediate in heterocyclic and medicinal chemistry as well as being a possible precursor for the origin of life's hypothesis within prebiotic chemistry. The mechanism of its formation through organosulfur catalysis has been investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using two newly synthesized cationic "marker" molecules as a tool that allows for sensitive detection. As a result, the proposed mechanism of a thiocyanate-mediated synthesis of the HCN tetramer DAMN starting from organic disulfides was confirmed.

α-Active Pyrylium Salt 2,4,5-Triphenylpyrylium for Improved Mass Spectrometry-Based Detection of Peptides

Pyrylium salts are considered efficient chemical tags for amino groups. However, the apparent steric selectivity of pyrylium salts limits their application in the field of chemical labeling, especially during the labeling of sterically hindered compounds like amino acids, peptides, and proteins. Herein, we have investigated the effects of the α-substitution of pyrylium salts on their reactivity. We have also investigated the mechanism of nucleophilic reactions with pyrylium salts and further proposed that the reactivity of pyrylium salts mainly depends on the position and type of their substituents. A series of pyrylium salts were synthesized, and a highly active α-monosubstituted pyrylium salt, 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium, was developed for efficient chemical labeling. All of the 15 amino acids studied were efficiently labeled under optimized reaction conditions. The 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium salt was highly efficient in comparison to the previously reported 2,4,6-triphenylpyrylium salt developed for lysine-specific modifications. Furthermore, we successfully used 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium salt for the hydrophobic labeling of peptides and protein hydrolysates. The most striking observation was that the ionization efficiency of short-chain multilabeled peptides in mixed samples, after derivatization, increased by up to 60 times. The increase in ionization efficiency gradually decreased with increasing peptide chain length. During the "soft" collision-induced dissociation (CID) process, the peptide was tagged at the N-terminus with 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium, producing abundant a-type ions and b-type ions (Δ = 28), which eases the peptide resequencing process and assists in cracking the peptide codes. Moreover, 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium has been utilized for the proteomic analysis of HeLa cell digests. In addition, 215 additional proteins were identified in the labeled products and the coverage of most proteins was improved.

Non-targeted and targeted analysis of oxylipins in combination with charge-switch derivatization by ion mobility high-resolution mass spectrometry

Eicosanoids and other oxylipins play an important role in mediating inflammation as well as other biological processes. For the investigation of their biological role(s), comprehensive analytical methods are necessary, which are able to provide reliable identification and quantification of these compounds in biological matrices. Using charge-switch derivatization with AMPP (N-(4-aminomethylphenyl)pyridinium chloride) in combination with liquid chromatography ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-IM-QTOF-MS), we developed a non-target approach to analyze oxylipins in plasma, serum, and cells. The developed workflow makes use of an ion mobility resolved fragmentation to pinpoint derivatized molecules based on the cleavage of AMPP, which yields two specific fragment ions. This allows a reliable identification of known and unknown eicosanoids and other oxylipins. We characterized the workflow using 52 different oxylipins and investigated their fragmentation patterns and ion mobilities. Limits of detection ranged between 0.2 and 10.0 nM (1.0-50 pg on column), which is comparable with other state-of-the-art methods using LC triple quadrupole (QqQ) MS. Moreover, we applied this strategy to analyze oxylipins in different biologically relevant matrices, as cultured cells, human plasma, and serum. Graphical abstract.

Traceless Immobilization of Analytes for High-Throughput Experiments with SAMDI Mass Spectrometry

Label-free assays, and particularly those based on the combination of mass spectroscopy with surface chemistries, enable high-throughput experiments of a broad range of reactions. However, these methods can still require the incorporation of functional groups that allow immobilization of reactants and products to surfaces prior to analysis. In this paper, we report a traceless method for attaching molecules to a self-assembled monolayer for matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (SAMDI) mass spectrometry. This method uses monolayers that are functionalized with a 3-trifluoromethyl-3-phenyl-diazirine group that liberates nitrogen when irradiated and gives a carbene that inserts into a wide range of bonds to covalently immobilize molecules. Analysis of the monolayer with SAMDI then reveals peaks for each of the adducts formed from molecules in the sample. This method is applied to characterize a P450 drug metabolizing enzyme and to monitor a Suzuki–Miyaura coupling chemical reaction and is important because modification of the substrates with a functional group would alter their activities. This method will be important for high-throughput experiments in many areas, including reaction discovery and optimization.

Fixed-Charge Trimethyl Pyrilium Modification for Enabling Enhanced Top-Down Mass Spectrometry Sequencing of Intact Protein Complexes

Mass spectrometry of intact proteins and protein complexes has the potential to provide a transformative level of information on biological systems, ranging from sequence and post-translational modification analysis to the structures of whole protein assemblies. This ambitious goal requires the efficient fragmentation of both intact proteins and the macromolecular, multicomponent machines they collaborate to create through noncovalent interactions. Improving technologies in an effort to achieve such fragmentation remains perhaps the greatest challenge facing current efforts to comprehensively analyze cellular protein composition and is essential to realizing the full potential of proteomics. In this work, we describe the use of a trimethyl pyrylium (TMP) fixed-charge covalent labeling strategy aimed at enhancing fragmentation for challenging intact proteins and intact protein complexes. Combining analysis of TMP-modified and unmodified protein complexes results in a greater diversity of regions within the protein that give rise to fragments, and results in an up to 2.5-fold increase in sequence coverage when compared to unmodified protein alone, for protein complexes up to 148 kDa. TMP modification offers a simple and powerful platform to expand the capabilities of existing mass spectrometric instrumentation for the complete characterization of intact protein assemblies.

The unexpected racemization and hydrogen–deuterium exchange of the hydrogen at the α-carbon of proline analogs containing the 5-azoniaspiro[4.4]nonyl-group

Herein, we present an unexpected racemization and the hydrogen–deuterium exchange (HDX) at the α-C atom of the proline derivative under basic aqueous conditions (1% water solution of triethylamine).

Peptide Sequencing Directly on Solid Surfaces Using MALDI Mass Spectrometry

There are an increasing variety of applications in which peptides are both synthesized and used attached to solid surfaces. This has created a need for high throughput sequence analysis directly on surfaces. However, common sequencing approaches that can be adapted to surface bound peptides lack the throughput often needed in library-based applications. Here we describe a simple approach for sequence analysis directly on solid surfaces that is both high speed and high throughput, utilizing equipment available in most protein analysis facilities. In this approach, surface bound peptides, selectively labeled at their N-termini with a positive charge-bearing group, are subjected to controlled degradation in ammonia gas, resulting in a set of fragments differing by a single amino acid that remain spatially confined on the surface they were bound to. These fragments can then be analyzed by MALDI mass spectrometry, and the peptide sequences read directly from the resulting spectra.

A Novel Triethylphosphonium Charge Tag on Peptides: Synthesis, Derivatization, and Fragmentation

Charge tagging is a peptide derivatization process that commonly localizes a positive charge on the N-terminus. Upon low energy activation (e.g., collision-induced dissociation or post-source decay) of charge tagged peptides, relatively few fragment ions are produced due to the absence of mobile protons. In contrast, high energy fragmentation, such as 157 nm photodissociation, typically leads to a series of a-type ions. Disadvantages of existing charge tags are that they can produce mobile protons or that they are undesirably large and bulky. Here, we investigate a small triethylphosphonium charge tag with two different linkages: amide (158 Da) and amidine bonds (157 Da). Activation of peptides labeled with a triethylphosphonium charge tag through an amide bond can lead to loss of the charge tag and the production of protonated peptides. This enables low intensity fragment ions from both the protonated and charge tagged peptides to be observed. Triethylphosphonium charge tagged peptides linked through an amidine bond are more stable. Post-source decay and photodissociation yield product ions that primarily contain the charge tag. Certain amidine induced fragments are also observed. The previously reported tris(trimethoxyphenyl) phosphonium acetic acid N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester charge tag shows a similar fragment ion distribution, but the mass of the triethylphosphonium tag label is 415 Da smaller. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

A Facile Method for Preferential Modification of the N-Terminal Amino Group of Peptides Using Triazine-Based Coupling Reagents

It has been shown that chemical modification of the peptide N-terminus with a charged tag greatly affects the fragmentation process caused by collision-induced dissociation to obtain more interpretable product ion spectra. In this study, we examined the selective introduction of a charged tag, 4-(guanidinomethyl)benzoic acid (Gmb), into the peptide N-terminus. After optimization of the reaction conditions, we found that the most effective conversion in terms of the reaction rate and selectivity was achieved by reacting the peptide with the active ester of Gmb, prepared using 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM) at pH 7. This method is applicable to the introduction of various carboxylic acid-containing compounds into the N-terminus of peptides, which will be useful not only for improvement of MS/MS fragmentation but also for various biochemical studies of peptides and proteins.

Combinatorial Labeling Method for Improving Peptide Fragmentation in Mass Spectrometry

Annotation of peptide sequence from tandem mass spectra constitutes the central step of mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Peptide mass spectra are obtained upon gas-phase fragmentation. Identification of the protein from a set of experimental peptide spectral matches is usually referred as protein inference. Occurrence and intensity of these fragment ions in the MS/MS spectra are dependent on many factors such as amino acid composition, peptide basicity, activation mode, protease, etc. Particularly, chemical derivatizations of peptides were known to alter their fragmentation. In this study, the influence of acetylation, guanidinylation, and their combination on peptide fragmentation was assessed initially on a lipase (LipA) from Bacillus subtilis followed by a bovine six protein mix digest. The dual modification resulted in improved fragment ion occurrence and intensity changes, and this resulted in the equivalent representation of b- and y-type fragment ions in an ion trap MS/MS spectrum. The improved representation has allowed us to accurately annotate the peptide sequences de novo. Dual labeling has significantly reduced the false positive protein identifications in standard bovine six peptide digest. Our study suggests that the combinatorial labeling of peptides is a useful method to validate protein identifications for high confidence protein inference. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Peptides Labeled with Pyridinium Salts for Sensitive Detection and Sequencing by Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometric analysis of trace amounts of peptides may be problematic due to the insufficient ionization efficiency resulting in limited sensitivity. One of the possible ways to overcome this problem is the application of ionization enhancers. Herein we developed new ionization markers based on 2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium and 2,4,6-trimethylpyridinium salts. Using of inexpensive and commercially available pyrylium salt allows selective derivatization of primary amino groups, especially those sterically unhindered, such as ε-amino group of lysine. The 2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium modified peptides generate in MS/MS experiments an abundant protonated 2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium ion. This fragment is a promising reporter ion for the multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) analysis. In addition, the fixed positive charge of the pyridinium group enhances the ionization efficiency. Other advantages of the proposed ionization enhancers are the simplicity of derivatization of peptides and the possibility of convenient incorporation of isotopic labels into derivatized peptides.

Lessons in de novo peptide sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry has become the method of choice for the qualitative and quantitative characterization of protein mixtures isolated from all kinds of living organisms. The raw data in these studies are MS/MS spectra, usually of peptides produced by proteolytic digestion of a protein. These spectra are "translated" into peptide sequences, normally with the help of various search engines. Data acquisition and interpretation have both been automated, and most researchers look only at the summary of the identifications without ever viewing the underlying raw data used for assignments. Automated analysis of data is essential due to the volume produced. However, being familiar with the finer intricacies of peptide fragmentation processes, and experiencing the difficulties of manual data interpretation allow a researcher to be able to more critically evaluate key results, particularly because there are many known rules of peptide fragmentation that are not incorporated into search engine scoring. Since the most commonly used MS/MS activation method is collision-induced dissociation (CID), in this article we present a brief review of the history of peptide CID analysis. Next, we provide a detailed tutorial on how to determine peptide sequences from CID data. Although the focus of the tutorial is de novo sequencing, the lessons learned and resources supplied are useful for data interpretation in general.

Advances in tissue section preparation for MALDI imaging MS

Enriched by a decade of remarkable developments, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) has witnessed a phenomenal expansion. Initially introduced for the mapping of peptides and intact proteins from mammalian tissue sections, MALDI IMS applications now extend to a wide range of molecules including peptides, lipids, metabolites and xenobiotics. Technology and methodology are quickly evolving to push the limits of the technique forward. Within a short period of time, numerous protocols and concepts have been developed and introduced in tissue section preparation, nonexhaustively including in situ tissue chemistries and solvent-free matrix depositions. Considering the past progress and current capabilities, this Review aims to cover the different aspects and challenges of tissue section preparation for MALDI IMS.

Peptides derivatized with bicyclic quaternary ammonium ionization tags. Sequencing via tandem mass spectrometry

Improving the sensitivity of detection and fragmentation of peptides to provide reliable sequencing of peptides is an important goal of mass spectrometric analysis. Peptides derivatized by bicyclic quaternary ammonium ionization tags: 1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (ABCO) or 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO), are characterized by an increased detection sensitivity in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and longer retention times on the reverse-phase (RP) chromatography columns. The improvement of the detection limit was observed even for peptides dissolved in 10 mM NaCl. Collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry of quaternary ammonium salts derivatives of peptides showed dominant a- and b-type ions, allowing facile sequencing of peptides. The bicyclic ionization tags are stable in collision-induced dissociation experiments, and the resulted fragmentation pattern is not significantly influenced by either acidic or basic amino acid residues in the peptide sequence. Obtained results indicate the general usefulness of the bicyclic quaternary ammonium ionization tags for ESI-MS/MS sequencing of peptides.

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange of α-carbon protons and fragmentation pathways in N-methylated glycine and alanine-containing peptides derivatized by quaternary ammonium salts

Recently, we developed a selective and efficient method of hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) at the α-carbon (α-C) of sarcosine residue (N-methylglycine) in model peptides [Bąchor et al. J. Mass Spectrom. 2014, 49, 43]. Here, we report the influence of quaternary ammonium (QA) group on HDX at the α-C of sarcosine and N-methylalanine in peptides. The obtained results suggest a significant acceleration of the HDX in sarcosine residue caused by the presence of QA. The effect depends on the distance between the sarcosine residue and QA moiety. The deuterons, introduced at α-C, are resistant to the back-exchange in acidic aqueous solution. The collision induced dissociation of the deuterium-labeled analogs of QA-tagged oligosarcosine peptides without mobile hydrogen revealed the mobilization of the hydrogens localized at α-C of sarcosine residue.

Gas-phase fragmentation of oligoproline peptide ions lacking easily mobilizable protons

The fragmentation of peptides containing quaternary ammonium group, but lacking easily mobilizable protons, was examined with the aid of deuterium-labeled analogs and quantum-chemical modeling. The fragmentation of oligoproline containing quaternary ammonium group involves the mobilization of hydrogens localized at α- and γ- or δ-carbon atoms in the pyrrolidine ring of proline. The study of the dissociation pattern highlights the unusual proline residue behavior during MS/MS experiments of peptides.

High-confidence de novo peptide sequencing using positive charge derivatization and tandem MS spectra merging

De novo peptide sequencing holds great promise in discovering new protein sequences and modifications but has often been hindered by low success rate of mass spectra interpretation, mainly due to the diversity of fragment ion types and insufficient information for each ion series. Here, we describe a novel methodology that combines highly efficient on-tip charge derivatization and tandem MS spectra merging, which greatly boosts the performance of interpretation. TMPP-Ac-OSu (succinimidyloxycarbonylmethyl tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium bromide) was used to derivatize peptides at N-termini on tips to reduce mass spectra complexity. Then, a novel approach of spectra merging was adopted to combine the benefits of collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD) fragmentation. We applied this methodology to rat C6 glioma cells and the Cyprinus carpio and searched the resulting peptide sequences against the protein database. Then, we achieved thousands of high-confidence peptide sequences, a level that conventional de novo sequencing methods could not reach. Next, we identified dozens of novel peptide sequences by homology searching of sequences that were fully backbone covered but unmatched during the database search. Furthermore, we randomly chose 34 sequences discovered in rat C6 cells and verified them. Finally, we conclude that this novel methodology that combines on-tip positive charge derivatization and tandem MS spectra merging will greatly facilitate the discovery of novel proteins and the proteome analysis of nonmodel organisms.

2D gels still have a niche in proteomics

With the rapid advance of MS-based proteomics one might think that 2D gel-based proteomics is dead. This is far from the truth. Current research has shown that there are still a number of places in the field of protein and molecular biology where 2D gels still play a leading role. The aim of this review is to highlight some of these applications. Examples from our own research as well as from other published works are used to illustrate the 2D gel driven research in the areas of: 1) de novo sequencing and protein identification from organisms with no or incomplete genome sequences available; 2) alternative detection methods for modification specific proteomics; 3) identification of protein isoforms and modified proteins. With an example of the glycoprotein TIMP-1 protein we illustrate the unique properties of 2D gels for the separation and characterisation of multiply modified proteins. We also show that careful analysis of experimental and theoretical protein mass and pI can lead to the identification of unanticipated protein variants modified by for example proteolytic cleavage. Together this shows that there is an important niche for 2D gel-based proteomics, which compliments traditional LC-MS techniques for specific protein research purposes.

Photodissociation of charge tagged peptides

Tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl) phosphonium acetyl (TMPP-Ac) was previously introduced to improve the mass spectrometric sequence analysis of peptides by fixing a permanent charge at the N-termini. However, peptides containing arginine residues did not fragment efficiently after TMPP-Ac modification. In this work, we combine charge derivatization with photodissociation. The fragmentation of TMPP-derivatized peptides is greatly improved and a series of N-terminal fragments is generated with complete sequence information. Arginine has a special effect on the fragmentation of the TMPP tagged peptides when it is the N-terminal peptide residue. Theoretical and experimental results suggest that this is due to hydrogen transfer from the charged N-terminus to the hydrogen-deficient peptide sequence.

Tunable charge tags for electron-based methods of peptide sequencing: design and applications

Charge tags using basic auxiliary functional groups 6-aminoquinolinylcarboxamido, 4-aminopyrimidyl-1-methylcarboxamido, 2-aminobenzoimidazolyl-1-methylcarboxamido, and the fixed-charge 4-(dimethylamino)pyridyl-1-carboxamido moiety are evaluated as to their properties in electron transfer dissociation mass spectra of arginine C-terminated peptides. The neutral tags have proton affinities that are competitive with those of amino acid residues in peptides. Charge reduction by electron transfer from fluoranthene anion-radicals results in peptide backbone dissociations that improve sequence coverage by providing extensive series of N-terminal c-type fragments without impeding the formation of C-terminal z fragments. Comparison of ETD mass spectra of free and tagged peptides allows one to resolve ambiguities in fragment ion assignment through mass shifts of c ions. Simple chemical procedures are reported for N-terminal tagging of Arg-containing tryptic peptides.

Photo-SRM: laser-induced dissociation improves detection selectivity of Selected Reaction Monitoring mode

Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) carried out on triple-quadrupole mass spectrometers coupled to liquid chromatography has been a reference method to develop quantitative analysis of small molecules in biological or environmental matrices for years and is currently emerging as a promising tool in clinical proteomic. However, sensitive assays in complex matrices are often hampered by the presence of co-eluted compounds that share redundant transitions with the target species. On-the-fly better selection of the precursor ion by high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) or increased quadrupole resolution is one way to escape from interferences. In the present work we document the potential interest of substituting classical gas-collision activation mode by laser-induced dissociation in the visible wavelength range to improve the specificity of the fragmentation step. Optimization of the laser beam pathway across the different quadrupoles to ensure high photo-dissociation yield in Q2 without detectable fragmentation in Q1 was assessed with sucrose tagged with a push-pull chromophore. Next, the proof of concept that photo-SRM ensures more specific detection than does conventional collision-induced dissociation (CID)-based SRM was carried out with oxytocin peptide. Oxytocin was derivatized by the thiol-reactive QSY® 7 C(5)-maleimide quencher on cysteine residues to shift its absorption property into the visible range. Photo-SRM chromatograms of tagged oxytocin spiked in whole human plasma digest showed better detection specificity and sensitivity than CID, that resulted in extended calibration curve linearity. We anticipate that photo-SRM might significantly improve the limit of quantification of classical SRM-based assays targeting cysteine-containing peptides.

Enhancement of the capabilities of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with derivatization: general principles and applications

The integration of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with derivatization is a relatively new and unique strategy that could add value and could enhance the capabilities of LC-MS-based technologies. The derivatization process could be carried out in various analytical steps, for example, sampling, storage, sample preparation, HPLC separation, and MS detection. This review presents an overview of derivatization-based LC-MS strategy over the past 10 years and covers both the general principles and applications in the fields of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis, biomarker and metabolomic research, environmental analysis, and food-safety evaluation. The underlying mechanisms and theories for derivative reagent selection are summarized and highlighted to guide future studies.

Improving peptide fragmentation by N-terminal derivatization with high proton affinity

An improved method of de novo peptide sequencing based on mass spectrometry using novel N-terminal derivatization reagents with high proton affinity has been developed. The introduction of a positively charged group into the N-terminal amino group of a peptide is known to enhance the relative intensity of b-ions in product ion spectra, allowing the easy interpretation of the spectra. However, the physicochemical properties of charge derivatization reagents required for efficient fragmentation remain unclear. In this study, we prepared several derivatization reagents with high proton affinity, which are thought to be appropriate for peptide fragmentation under low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) conditions, and examined their usefulness in de novo peptide sequencing. Comparison of the effects on fragmentation among three derivatization reagents having a guanidino or an amidino moiety, which differ in proton affinity, clearly indicated that there was an optimal proton affinity for efficient fragmentation of peptides. Among reagents tested in this study, derivatization with 4-amidinobenzoic acid brought about the most effective fragmentation. This derivatization approach will offer a novel de novo peptide sequencing method under low-energy CID conditions.

Derivatization of peptides as quaternary ammonium salts for sensitive detection by ESI-MS

A series of model peptides in the form of quaternary ammonium salts at the N-terminus was efficiently prepared by the solid-phase synthesis. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of the peptide quaternary ammonium derivatives was shown to provide sequence confirmation and enhanced detection. We designed the 2-(1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2] octylammonium)acetyl quaternary ammonium group which does not suffer from neutral losses during MS/MS experiments. The presented quaternization of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) by iodoacetylated peptides is relatively easy and compatible with standard solid-phase peptide synthesis. This methodology offers a novel sensitive approach to analyze peptides and other compounds.

Electron-capture and -transfer dissociation of peptides tagged with tunable fixed-charge groups: structures and dissociation energetics

Pyridiniummethylcarbonyl moieties that were previously designed on the basis of electronic structure analysis are now utilized as fixed-charge tags with tunable electronic properties to be used for N-terminal peptide derivatization and sequencing by electron-transfer dissociation. Dipeptides AK and KA were derivatized at the peptide N-terminus with 4-dimethylaminopyridinium-N-acetyl (DMAP-ac) and pyridinium-N-acetyl (pyrid-ac) tags of increasing intrinsic recombination energies. Upon the capture of a free electron or electron transfer from fluoranthene anions, (DMAP-ac-AK+H)(2+), (DMAP-ac-KA+H)(2+), (pyrid-ac-AK+H)(2+) and (pyrid-ac-KA+H)(2+) ions, as well as underivatized (AK+2H)(2+), completely dissociated. The fixed-charge tags steered the dissociation upon electron transfer to form abundant backbone N-C(α) bond cleavages, whereas the underivatized peptide mainly underwent H-atom and side-chain losses. Precursor ion structures for the tagged peptides were analyzed by an exhaustive conformational search combined with B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) geometry optimization and single-point energy calculations in order to select the global energy minima. Structures, relative energies, transition states, ion-molecule complexes, and dissociation products were identified for several charge-reduced species from the tagged peptides. The electronic properties of the charge tags and their interactions with the peptide moieties are discussed. Electrospray ionization and electron-transfer dissociation of larger peptides are illustrated with a DMAP-tagged pentapeptide.

In-gel protein N- and C-termini identification and its application for transgenic protein characterization

A new method for the determination of N- and C-termini of a protein isolated in a polyacrylamide gel is introduced. In-gel partial protein hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid is used to generate N- and C-terminal peptides for identification. This new method is complementary to existing techniques. The application of the in-gel protein termini identification technique to the characterization of the transgenic protein diacylglycerol acyltransferase (UrDGAT2A) purified from soybean seeds is also reported here. Both N- and C-termini of UrDGAT2A were successfully identified and the N-terminus was found to be blocked by acetylation. The analysis results of UrDGAT2A and two commercial proteins (bovine serum albumin (BSA) and alcohol dehydrogenase) are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in identifying actual N- and C-termini, terminal truncation and blocking.

Simple chemical tools to expand the range of proteomics applications

Proteomics is an expanding technology with potential applications in many research fields. Even though many research groups do not have direct access to its main analytical technique, mass spectrometry, they can interact with proteomics core facilities to incorporate this technology into their projects. Protein identification is the analysis most frequently performed in core facilities and is, probably, the most robust procedure. Here we discuss a few chemical reactions that are easily implemented within the conventional protein identification workflow. Chemical modification of proteins with N-hydroxysuccinimide esters, 4-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate, O-methylisourea or through β-elimination/Michael addition can be easily performed in any laboratory. The reactions are quite specific with almost no side reactions. These chemical tools increase considerably the number of applications and have been applied to characterize protein-protein interactions, to determine the N-terminal residues of proteins, to identify proteins with non-sequenced genomes or to locate phosphorylated and O-glycosylated.

Dansyl-peptides matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric (MALDI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) features improve the liquid chromatography/MALDI-MS/MS analysis of the proteome

Peptide tagging is a useful tool to improve matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometric (MALDI-MS/MS) analysis. We present a new application of the use of the dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl). DNS-Cl is a specific primary amine reagent widely used in protein biochemistry. It adds a fluorescent dimethylaminonaphthalene moiety to the molecule. The evaluation of MALDI-MS and MS/MS analyses of dansylated peptides shows that dansylation raises the ionization efficiency of the most hydrophilic species compared with the most hydrophobic ones. Consequently, higher Mascot scores and protein sequence coverage are obtained by combining MS and MS/MS data of native and tagged samples. The N-terminal DNS-Cl sulfonation improves the peptide fragmentation and promotes the generation of b-fragments allowing better peptide sequencing. In addition, we set up a labeling protocol based on the microwave chemistry. Peptide dansylation proved to be a rapid and cheap method to improve the performance of liquid chromatography (LC)/MALDI-MS/MS analysis at the proteomic scale in terms of peptide detection and sequence coverage.

Fluorous derivatization combined with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry: a method for the selective and sensitive determination of sialic acids in biological samples

We have developed a novel method for selective and sensitive analysis of sialic acids (N-acetylneuraminic, N-glycolylneuraminic, and 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galactonononic acid) utilizing liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) combined with a fluorous derivatization technique. In this method, the carboxylic groups in the sialic acids are derivatized via amidation with heptadecafluoroundecylamine, a commercially available perfluoroalkylamine reagent. This reaction proceeds rapidly and readily at room temperature in the presence of a condensation reagent. Subsequently, the derivatives are retained specifically on an LC column with a perfluoroalkyl stationary phase by means of a fluorophilic or 'fluorous' interaction, and detected by positive electrospray ionization MS/MS. The detection limits of the examined sialic acids are in the range of 60-750 amol on column. We show that the proposed method can be used to analyze trace amounts of sialic acids in biological samples.

Gas-phase fragmentation characteristics of benzyl-aminated lysyl-containing tryptic peptides

The fragmentation characteristics of peptides derivatized at the side-chain epsilon-amino group of lysyl residues via reductive amination with benzaldehyde have been examined using collision-induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass spectrometry. The resulting MS/MS spectra exhibit peaks representing product ions formed from two independent fragmentation pathways. One pathway results in backbone fragmentation and commonly observed sequence ion peaks. The other pathway corresponds to the unsymmetrical, heterolytic cleavage of the C(zeta)-N(epsilon) bond that links the benzyl derivative to the side-chain lysyl residue. This results in the elimination of the derivative as a benzylic or tropylium carbocation and a (n - 1)(+)-charged peptide product (where n is the precursor ion charge state). The frequency of occurrence of the elimination pathway increases with increasing charge of the precursor ion. For the benzyl-modified tryptic peptides analyzed in this study, peaks representing products from both of these pathways are observed in the MS/MS spectra of doubly-charged precursor ions, but the carbocation elimination pathway occurs almost exclusively for triply-charged precursor ions. The experimental evidence presented herein, combined with molecular orbital calculations, suggests that the elimination pathway is a charge-directed reaction contingent upon protonation of the secondary epsilon-amino group of the benzyl-derivatized lysyl side chain. If the secondary epsilon-amine is protonated, the elimination of the carbocation is observed. If the precursor is not protonated at the secondary epsilon-amine, backbone fragmentation persists. The application of appropriately substituted benzyl analogs may allow for selective control over the relative abundance of product ions generated from the two pathways.

De novo sequencing of peptides by MS/MS

The current status of de novo sequencing of peptides by MS/MS is reviewed with focus on collision cell MS/MS spectra. The relation between peptide structure and observed fragment ion series is discussed and the exhaustive extraction of sequence information from CID spectra of protonated peptide ions is described. The partial redundancy of the extracted sequence information and a high mass accuracy are recognized as key parameters for dependable de novo sequencing by MS. In addition, the benefits of special techniques enhancing the generation of long uninterrupted fragment ion series for de novo peptide sequencing are highlighted. Among these are terminal (18)O labeling, MS(n) of sodiated peptide ions, N-terminal derivatization, the use of special proteases, and time-delayed fragmentation. The emerging electron transfer dissociation technique and the recent progress of MALDI techniques for intact protein sequencing are covered. Finally, the integration of bioinformatic tools into peptide de novo sequencing is demonstrated.

Efficient and clean charge derivatization of peptides for analysis by mass spectrometry

Charge derivatization with succinimidyloxycarbonylmethyl tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium bromide (TMPP-Ac-OSu) has great potential in several aspects of proteomics, such as peptide de novo sequencing, PTM analysis, etc. However, the excess reagent and its side products greatly limited its scope of use. Here, we report an improved method to perform charge derivatization of peptides by TMPP-Ac-OSu without interference from the excess reagent and corresponding side products. Briefly, the protein was first separated on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) or coagulated with the gel. The protein in-gel was then incubated with a high concentration of reagent, followed by extensive washing. Afterwards, the protein was in-gel digested with trypsin according to the routine protocol. The mainly resultant peptides were attached with one positive tag on the N-termini or Lys-epsilon-NH(2). The process has been successfully applied to 2-DE resolved protein spots. Compared to the native proteins, the derivatized counterparts have higher rates of PMF identification and more straightforward tandem mass spectra. This promising method should pave the way for the practical use of charge derivatization in proteomics.

On tissue protein identification improvement by N-terminal peptide derivatization

Identification of potential markers of a physiological stage (e.g., pathology) discovered using MALDI-MSI is an important step in the understanding of signaling pathways or for providing sets of diagnosis and prognosis markers for clinical applications. Classically, identification can be achieved by extraction from a piece of tissue and proteomics strategies. However, this induces loss of information especially for low-abundance proteins or proteins localized to a specific region of the tissue. In this respect, identification directly at the tissue level is an attractive alternative. Because the molecular charge states in MALDI are low, on tissue identification is possible using bottom-up MALDI-MSI strategies. Enzymatic digestion using an enzyme such as trypsin can be performed at the micro-scale level to generate peptide collections while avoiding these peptides to be delocalized. It is, therefore, possible to image proteins through the molecular images of their digested peptides. These peptides can also be used to retrieve information on protein sequences by performing MS/MS, although databank interrogation or de novo sequencing using MS/MS spectra does not always lead to a successful or confident identification because on tissue complexities render PMF data problematic. Identification can be improved by increasing MS/MS spectra quality and simplifying their interpretation. This can be achieved by derivatization of peptides. In fact, derivatization of peptides leads to increases in fragmentation yields and orients fragmentations toward a specific series of fragment ions. In this respect, N-terminal chemical derivatization has proven to be particularly efficient. N-terminal chemical derivatization of tryptic peptides has been developed to be performed at the tissue level after on tissue digestion. Specific focus is given to 4-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate (4-SPITC), 3-sulfobenzoic acid NHS ester (3-SBASE), and (N-succinimidyloxycarbonylmethyl)tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium bromide (TMPP) derivatizations. This provides a complete strategy for protein identification in a bottom-up MALDI-MSI approach and opens the way for novel biomarker identification.