Selective Covalent Bond Formation in Polypeptide Ions via Gas-Phase Ion/Ion Reaction Chemistry

摘要

Primary amines present in protonated polypeptides can be covalently modified via gas-phase ion/ion reactions using bifunctional reagent ions. The use of reagent anions with a charge bearing site that leads to strong interactions with the polypeptide, such as sulfonic acid, gives rise to the formation of a long-lived adduct. A distinct reactive functional group, an aldehyde in the present case, can then undergo a reaction with the peptide. Collisional activation of the adduct ion formed from a reagent with an aldehyde group and a peptide ion with a primary amine gives rise to water loss in conjunction with imine (Schiff base) formation. The covalently-bound modification is retained upon subsequent collisional activation. This work demonstrates the ability to selectively modify polypeptide ions in the gas-phase within the context of a multi-stage mass spectrometry experiment.