The fate of proteins in outer space

Open AccessCCS ChemistryMINI REVIEW1 Mar 2022Multidimensional Mass Spectrometry Assisted Metallo-Supramolecular Chemistry Heng Wang, Chenxing Guo and Xiaopeng Li Heng Wang College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518073 Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Shenzhen 518055 , Chenxing Guo College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518073 and Xiaopeng Li *Corresponding author: E-mail Address: [email protected] College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518073 Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Shenzhen 518055 https://doi.org/10.31635/ccschem.021.202101408 SectionsAboutAbstractPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Metallo-supramolecular chemistry based on the reversible, directional, and predictable noncovalent interaction of metal–ligand coordination has been widely applied in constructing a myriad of two- and three-dimensional supramolecules with sophisticated structures. The development of metallo-supramolecular chemistry highly relies on facile characterization methods. For advancement of structural complexity with desired functions, however, conventional crystallographic and spectroscopic characterizations are limited by crystal growth, sample purity, and severe signal overlaps. With high sensitivity and low requirement for purity, multidimensional mass spectrometry (MS), including electrospray ionization-MS (ESI-MS), tandem MS (MS2), and ion mobility-MS (IM-MS), is emerging as an essential analytical tool for characterization of the chemical compositions, connectivity, stability, shape, and size of metallo-supramolecules, as well as kinetic and thermodynamic features of self-assembly processes. Thus, this review mainly focuses on the recent development of multidimensional MS in metallo-supramolecular characterization and discusses how ESI-MS, MS2, and IM-MS assist the development of metallo-supramolecular chemistry. Download figure Download PowerPoint Introduction Supramolecular self-assembly, inspired by the precise organization of bio-macromolecules in living systems, allows for the spontaneous formation of ordered complexes from a chaos state.1 Among various noncovalent driving forces, metal–ligand coordination plays a vital role in the self-assembly of structurally and functionally sophisticated metallo-supramolecules, benefitting from the high directionality and predictable feature of coordination bonds.2–6 As a result, metallo-supramolecular chemistry has witnessed an explosion in constructing a myriad of artificial supramolecular architectures, including polygons,7–11 knots,12–15 links,16–19 fractals,20–22 as well as Platonic,23–27 Archimedean,28–34 Goldenberg polyhedrons,35,36 and so on. And these complexes show great potentials among different fields, including catalysis,37–46 nano-electronics,47,48 stabilization of air- or water-sensitive molecules,49–51 disease diagnosis and therapy,52–57 and so on. Furthermore, various delicate assembling approaches, inter alia, directional bonding,2 symmetry interactions,58 molecular paneling,59 and sub-components,60 have been developed to assist the exploration of metallo-supramolecular chemistry. Compared to the flourish of self-assembly strategies, however, the lack of efficient characterization methods always limits the investigation of assembled complexes at equilibrium and the kinetic details of self-assembly processes in solution because of the weak interaction and dynamic nature of metallo-supramolecules. Among the conventional characterizations of metallo-supramolecules, single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) is a powerful and direct method that allows for detailed structural information at the atomic level.61 However, it remains a formidable challenge to obtain high-quality single crystals, particularly for metallo-supramolecules with large voids filled by disordered solvent molecules or counterions. In addition, the refinement of the crystal structures for large metallo-supramolecules is difficult because the current crystal refinement approaches were mainly developed for small molecules. Apart from those issues the structural information obtained through SC-XRD in solid phase may not correlate with the study of metallo-supramolecular systems in solution or gas phase. Another well-established characterization method is NMR spectroscopy, whereby various nuclei in metallo-supramolecular systems, such as 1H, 13C, 19F, 31P, and so on can be detected, allowing the chemical environment of these nuclei in metallo-supramolecules to be elucidated.62,63 Through two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopic techniques, for example, 1H–1H correlation spectroscopy (COSY), nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY), and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY), diverse structural information about the metallo-supramolecules can be further obtained, including metal–ligand coordinations, geometric distributions of nuclei, and details of the size and shape of assembled architectures. However, the application of NMR is also limited in analyzing samples with low purity, severe overlapping signals, or those containing paramagnetic metal ions. As complementary characterization techniques, various microscopic methods, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), directly image the analytes. AFM and STM, in which tips probe the surface of the target molecules on substrates, reveal the size and shape of an individual molecule64 and distinguish the metal ions by using scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS).65 However, high image resolution relies on sharp tips, as well as high-quality samples without impurities, severe aggregations, or dissociations of the target supramolecules. TEM uses electrons as the "probe" and can offer atomic resolution of the entire molecular structure assisted by computer-assisted three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) techniques.66 Unfortunately, in addition to the challenges of preparing a high-quality sample, TEM also suffers from the intrinsic instability of metallo-supramolecules under electron beam or during sample preparation. The mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) information of the intact metallo-supramolecular ions obtained by mass spectrometry (MS) measurements in the gas phase enables the determination of the chemical composition of analytes. Furthermore, MS characterization provides higher sensitivity but a lower sample purity requirement than crystallographic analysis and NMR. Such features along with high analytical speed make it possible to monitor the dynamic process of self-assembly before the system in question reaches equilibrium. Thus, MS is emerging as an essential analytical tool for determining structures and monitoring reaction processes. However, traditional MS approaches also suffer from the fragmentation of metallo-supramolecules bound by weak coordination interaction even when a soft ionization method, that is, electrospray ionization (ESI), is applied. Cold-spray ionization (CSI),67 equipped with an ESI source cooled by liquid nitrogen, was used to overcome the problem by lowering the internal energy gained during the ionization. Due to the labile connectivity, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) could cause very severe fragmentation and thus is not preferred for the characterization of metallo-supramolecules. In addition to the m/z information obtained from MS, tandem MS (MS2) and ion mobility-MS (IM-MS) can elucidate more detailed information of the analytes. First, as a controllable fragmentation technique, MS2 offers deeper insight into the analytes, such as the information about the stability and connectivity of the structures. Furthermore, as an orthogonal in situ separation method, IM-MS can identify different species with the same m/z; more importantly, it provides structural information in terms of the shape and size of selected ions. During the past two decades, multidimensional MS with the combination of MS, IM-MS, and MS2 has played an important role in the development of metallo-supramolecular chemistry. Here, we discuss how ESI-MS, MS2, and IM-MS can be applied in (1) determining chemical compositions, connectivity, shape, and size of metallo-supramolecules, (2) distinguishing the isomers and by-products present in a dynamic combinatorial library, and (3) investigating kinetic and thermodynamic features of self-assembly processes. More importantly, we anticipate that multidimensional MS would not only act as an analytical method, but also serve as a powerful tool to assist the design of next-generation metallo-supramolecules, and even advance the development of new synthetic strategies. ESI-MS Studies Charged coordination complexes are ideal analytes for ESI-MS studies because of the easy-to-ionize feature of these supramolecules in which the counterions are readily stripped off, especially in polar and volatile solvents. Another advantage of ESI-MS is its intrinsic capability of reducing the signals corresponding to the multiply charged analytes with high molar mass (<104 Da) to the mass range of the conventional mass analyzers, since it only measures the m/z values of these ensembles. Consequently, a series of peaks is usually observed, representing different charge states of the same intact analyte through successive loss of counterions. To minimize the fragmentation during ionization, it is crucial to ionize the fragile analytes under mild conditions, including careful selection of the focusing and ionization voltages, low operation temperature, and fast ion extraction process through increasing source pressure (or a low vacuum).68 Additionally, highly concentrated metallo-supramolecular samples are often required to inhibit the potential entropy-driven dissociation in solution, although the ESI source needs more extensive cleaning after each measurement. Without annoying fragmentation, ESI-MS is suitable for detecting the chemical compositions of the ionic species in the metallo-supramolecular analytes, as well as providing information regarding the following aspects of the self-assembly: (1) fast screening the assembled structures; (2) monitoring the dynamic processes during the self-assembly; and (3) detecting the minor products to guide further design. Acting as a fast-screening characterization approach for the self-assembly Fast screening of the analytes' structural information by ESI-MS does not require extensive purification processes that are otherwise inevitable for NMR measurement and single-crystal growth. In most cases, after simply removing the inorganic salts to reduce ion suppression, the resulting sample solution is ready for direct measurement. With careful control of stoichiometry, the solution containing the self-assembled species can be directly subjected to ESI-MS without any further purification. Additionally, its capability of detecting m/z values enables the characterization of multiple assemblies with different numbers of building blocks, paramagnetic metallo-supramolecular analytes, and host–guest adducts. Therefore, ESI-MS could serve as a complementary or even superior method to perform structural characterization compared to NMR. The first example showcasing the fast screening by ESI-MS is the characterization of different generations of metallo-dendrimers S1/ S2 (Figure 1a) comprised of polyazaaromatic Ru(II) complexes reported by Kirsch-De Mesmaeker et al.69 ESI-MS directly generated clear and simple patterns that allowed the unambiguous determination of the chemical formula, whereas the other spectroscopic characterization just provided nonconclusive data (Figure 1b). Second, in the characterization of metallo-macrocycles reported by Newkome and co-workers,701H NMR gave very similar chemical shifts for the hexagon, octagon, and decagon ( S3- S5) assembled from the Ru(II)-connected bitopic 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridyl (TPY) subunit L3 (Figure 1c) because of the similar symmetry and chemical environments of the detected protons. In contrast, these analogs with distinct molar mass were unambiguously identified by ESI-MS, where three distinct sets of peaks were detected (Figures 1d and 1e).70 Figure 1 | ESI-MS acting as a fast-screening approach for the preparation of (a and b) metallo-dendrimers comprised of polyazaaromatic Ru(II) complexes S2 and its corresponding ESI-MS spectrum; (c–e) TPY-Ru(II)/Fe(II)-based metallo-hexagon S3, -octagon S4, and -decagon S5 with corresponding 1H NMR spectra and ESI-MS spectra; (f–h) self-assembly of supramolecular fractals S6 based on the metal complexation between a TPY-based ligand and paramagnetic metal ions with corresponding 1H NMR and ESI-MS spectrum of the Co(II) complex (S6-Co). (a and b) Adapted with permission from ref 69. Copyright 1996 American Chemical Society. (c–e) Adapted with permission from ref 70. Copyright 2011 Wiley-VCH. (f–h) Adapted with permission from ref 71. Copyright 2020 American Chemical Society. Download figure Download PowerPoint Metallo-supramolecules containing paramagnetic transition metal ions with unpaired electrons remain a formidable challenge for NMR characterization. In contrast, ESI-MS has no problem characterizing these samples. For example, Shionoya et al.25 constructed a series of metallo-supramolecular octahedra by mixing a tritopic pyridinyl building block with different transition metal ions. ESI-MS spectra of the paramagnetic analytes containing Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) ions clearly showed a dominant set of peaks ascribed to the designed structures; whereas, NMR spectra only displayed broad peaks with limited information.25 Similarly, with the help of ESI-MS characterization, coordination-driven self-assembly based on a TPY-paramagnetic metal ion complex was applied to construct a series of supramolecular fractals reported by Li et al.,71 which not only expanded the library of metal ions for assembling TPY-based architectures but also set up an ideal platform for studying the kinetic and thermodynamic features of these metallo-supramolecules (Figures 1f–1h). When characterizing the paramagnetic Co(II) and Ni(II) cages assembled using the sub-component self-assembly strategy, the reliable ESI-MS method also played a vital role in identifying the formation of target structures.72,73 Investigation of host–guest complexation is an important subfield of metallo-supramolecular chemistry, which is related to the fundamental study of molecular recognition and the potential applications of these metal–organic containers. NMR spectroscopy is extensively applied to provide evidence for the interaction with diagnostic chemical shifts of the protons on guest molecules. However, it cannot always accurately address how many guest molecules are encapsulated in the containers. ESI-MS can properly examine the exact change in mass upon the encapsulation of the guest molecules, thus, providing an accurate m/z value for deducing the number of guest molecules. In a self-assembled M8L6 (M = the metal ion, L = the ligand) cube with porphyrin faces, Nitschke et al.74 described that large guests such as coronene and fullerene can be selectively encapsulated (Figure 2a). Compared with the complicated NMR spectra that only provided a 2:1 ratio of guests in two different environments, ESI-MS spectrum of the coronene-encapsulated cube directly provided the number of the guest molecules via deconvolution of the dominant set of peaks (Figures 2b and 2c). The ESI-MS spectrum also clearly confirmed that the cube allowed for selective encapsulation of C70, C76, C82, and C84 over C60 from the fullerene soot, as evidenced by the absence of any discernible peaks assignable to the C60-encapsulated or guest-free cube. Figure 2 | ESI-MS-based fast screening for studying the guest encapsulation of metallo-supramolecular cages. (a–c) Self-assembly of porphyrin-faced cube S8 for encapsulation of three coronene with corresponding characterization by 1H NMR and ESI-MS; (d and e) a PBI-edged tetrahedron capable of encapsulating two molecules of C60S9 and the corresponding ESI-MS spectrum; (f–h) self-assembly of a metallo-supramolecular peanut S10 for simultaneous encapsulation of one diamantane and two phenanthrenes (S11) with corresponding characterization by 1H NMR and ESI-MS. (a–c) Adapted with permission from ref 74. Copyright 2011 Wiley-VCH. (d and e) Adapted with permission from ref 76. Copyright 2013 American Chemical Society. (f–h) Adapted with permission from ref 83. Copyright 2017 Springer Nature. Download figure Download PowerPoint Thus, ESI-MS is also a feasible and rapid method for qualitatively studying the encapsulation selectivity of a certain metallo-supramolecule with different guests. In another example of selective encapsulation, when mixing a metallo-supramolecular tetragonal prism with a mixture of C60 and its derivatives, the selectivity could be determined qualitatively by comparing the relative abundance of the peaks corresponding to the host–guest complexes containing different guests. Among them, C60 and PCBM-C60 have higher affinity with the host than N-methylpyrrolidine-C60.75 However, it is still challenging to quantitatively determine the selectivity by ESI-MS because of the different ionization efficiency of those complexes, although the host molecules are the same. Ideally, quantitative data could be obtained if the ionization efficiencies of different complexes are calibrated. In addition to encapsulating one fullerene molecule, Würthner et al.76 applied ESI-MS to unequivocally prove the encapsulation of one or two molecules of C60 inside the cavity of perylene-bisimide (PBI) edged tetrahedron S9 (Figures 2d and 2e). Note that the C60 guest does not bear any protons so that it can only be identified by 13C NMR. Although the 13C NMR could confirm the encapsulation of the C60, it was unable to determine the number of guest molecules because conventional 13C NMR does not allow for quantitative analysis as opposed to 1H NMR. Metallo-supramolecular trigonal prisms, wherein C3-symmetrical tritopic pyridyl ligands, linear ditopic pyridyl ligands, and an end-capped Pd(II) moiety served as the base faces, pillars, and vertices, respectively, were found to be an excellent molecular container capable of encapsulating a variety of guest molecules, including, coronene,77 triphenylene,78 pyrene-4,5-dione,79,80 and metal–organic complexes.81,82 More intriguingly, the number of the encapsulated guest molecules can be precisely manipulated via tuning the length of the organic pillars. The accurate number of encapsulated guests could be unambiguously determined by ESI-MS. A more complicated situation was reported by Yoshizawa et al.83 The self-assembled metallo-supramolecular peanut S10 heteroleptically encapsulated two different types of guests, that is, one diamantane and two phenanthrenes, inside its two cavities (Figure 2f). Without an SC-XRD result or clear NMR spectrum (Figure 2g), such an unusual encapsulation was identified by ESI-MS (Figure 2h), where peaks with m/z values of the expected host–guest complex were found. Monitoring the dynamic processes for unveiling self-assembly details Metallo-supramolecules bonded via labile coordination interactions exhibit dynamic features in solution due to the dissociation and reassociation of the weak bonds. Thus, it is hard to investigate the kinetic processes by traditional characterization techniques in solution. Nevertheless, in an ESI-MS measurement, each complex ion is a separated species in gas phase. Therefore, the dynamic process is "frozen" to display the kinetic instead of thermodynamic feature of the system. As one type of dynamic process, ligand exchange involves the disassociation of a ligand from the assembled supramolecule and subsequent replacement by another ligand. Such a process is related to the coordination bond strength and the activation energies during the exchange processes. If the time scales of such dynamic exchanges are comparable for MS measurement, one should be able to study the exchange process of two kinds of pre-assembled supramolecules with distinct molar masses of ligands by MS. Once the exchange occurs, the m/z values corresponding to each possible re-assembled species as well as the initial ensembles would be different, all of which can be specifically recorded by ESI-MS measurement. For example, Fujita et al.84 reported the studies of ligand exchange between two M12L24 spheres via mixing two topologically identical spheres bearing different length of alkyl chains (–OC3H7 vs –OC6H13) and then monitoring under time-dependent ESI-MS (Figures 3a and 3b). Due to the difference in mass, all the peaks corresponding to the initial two spheres and the exchanged ones were easily identified in the spectra. Time-dependent measurements revealed a quite remarkable kinetic stability of the spheres regarding ligand exchange. The half-time for the first ligand exchange was measured to be approximately 20 days. After evaluating the ionization efficiency of two spherical supramolecules, the estimated kinetic ligand exchange rate was found to be 2 × 10−2 M−1·s−1, which is far less than the exchange rate between a free ligand with a sphere (half-time of 23 min). Therefore, the ESI-MS studies semi-quantitatively revealed that the fully closed framework slowed down the dynamic exchange processes through a cooperative effect.84 A similar method was also utilized to carefully study the dynamic nature of metallo-polygons assembled from organoplatinum motifs and pyridyl ligands with 1H/2D isotope labeling.85 In addition to the quantitative determination of the ligand exchange rates, further understanding about the kinetic processes in coordination-driven self-assembly was provided by time-dependent ESI-MS, which showed the ligand exchange rate highly depended on the experimental conditions such as temperature, solvent, and counterions. Figure 3 | ESI-MS of ligand exchange. (a) Ligand exchange between two structurally identical spheres (Pd12L724 and Pd12L824) with different alkyl chain lengths (-n-C3H7 vs -n-C6H13), and (b) the time-dependent ESI-MS spectra; (c) self-assembly of four types of supramolecular snowflakes (S12–S15) with different lengths of the ligands, and time-dependent ESI-MS spectra of the mixture of and (a and b) Adapted with permission from ref Copyright American Chemical Society. and e) with permission from ref Copyright Wiley-VCH. with permission from ref Copyright 2017 American Chemical Society. Download figure Download PowerPoint In addition to the pyridyl ESI-MS also provided insight into the ligand exchange processes of metallo-supramolecular systems based on analyzing the peaks to the complexes in ESI-MS it was revealed that the exchange processes a certain of to the size and shape of the ligand via the of the structure when the Through a time-dependent ESI-MS measurement, such a was estimated in the metallo-supramolecular snowflakes with different length of ligand The exchange rate was found to directly correlate with that is, the the the ligand exchange. When = the exchange equilibrium = required for whereas = in no exchange (Figures Furthermore, the ligand exchange rate was also found to correlate with the coordination metal ion in TPY-based To quantitatively these exchange rates, different metal ions (M = were applied. of these metal ions was used to two structures with the same molecular size and shape but different molar After mixing the of pre-assembled supramolecules, time-dependent ESI-MS was utilized to the relative abundance of each After the ionization efficiency of these supramolecules, ESI-MS data provided exchange of these metallo-supramolecules at with a of Mn(II) Co(II), whereas the and fractals were found to be to the ligand exchange. The exchange rate of fractals was determined to be × M−1·s−1, which is higher than that of fractals × Monitoring the in the self-assembly processes is also a kinetic investigation that can be carefully by ESI-MS. When using NMR to monitor the complexation of ligands with or Ni(II) shifts of the peaks were observed, the of an before the formation of However, the limited information provided by NMR spectra not elucidate the ESI-MS was then used to the and the that is, linear by the m/z value of the intact Thus, ESI-MS can reveal the reaction via monitoring the Such capability was also used in monitoring the formation of a supramolecular wherein ligand and self-assembly were in a The time-dependent the of the coordination and processes (Figures and Figure | (a) The formation of supramolecular via a ligand and self-assembly (b) time-dependent ESI-MS monitoring the (b) Adapted with permission from ref Copyright American Chemical Society. Download figure Download PowerPoint With m/z values of the more details about the self-assembly processes could be allowing for deeper understanding of the assembling For in the of ligands with ions to and an with metal ion in the ligand with instead of was through ESI-MS by increasing ligand or metal Such an that the complexation to the A similar of complexation was also in other systems by ESI-MS, its ESI-MS of the species during the formation of prism with a ligand revealed the of the The ESI spectra the of self-assembly and showed the formation of the base with a Such a the design of a building block with two types of two distinct geometric that is, as base and respectively, allowing for the self-assembly of a structures to further design With the reliable m/z ESI-MS can identify the desired before other and characterization. For based on the directional an tritopic ligand was designed to metallo-supramolecules by coordination with or to the assembled could be or Unfortunately, NMR characterization because of the Nevertheless, ESI-MS provided evidence for the formation of a which the of the ligand to the of the complex for structural on

LC coupled to ESI, MALDI and ICP MS – A multiple hyphenation for metalloproteomic studies

The central thesis of the authors’ paper is that macroscopic water vapor diffusion is not enhanced in snow compared to diffusion through humid air alone. Further, mass diffusion occurs entirely as the result of water vapor diffusion in the humid air at the microscale and the ice phase has no effect other than occupying volume where diffusion cannot occur. The foundation of their conclusion relies on the premise that the synchronous sublimation and deposition of water vapor across ice grains, known as hand-to-hand water vapor transport, does not lead to enhanced mass diffusion. We use a layered microstructure to rigorously show that diffusion is enhanced at all ice volume fractions compared to diffusion through humid air alone, and further, the hand-to-hand model of diffusion correctly predicts this diffusion enhancement. The authors attempt to dismiss the concept of enhanced mass transfer resulting from hand-to-hand water vapor transport by arguing that there is a “counterflux” of water vapor in the form of downward motion of ice. While the ice phase appears to be propagating downward, all continuum material points of water (either vapor or ice) are moving upward (counter to the temperature gradient) with a monotonically increasing (nonnegative) motion. Specifically, material points of water in vapor form are diffusing upward through the humid air while material points of water in the form of ice are at zero velocity while locked in the ice phase. Material points of water never exhibit downward motion, despite the ice phase appearance of downward motion. Since the motion of all material points of water is monotonically increasing for all time, there is no counterflux of mass due to downward motion of the ice and such apparent motion is a mirage in the context of mass transfer. This paper presents a rigorous fluid mechanics control volume analysis of mass transfer to demonstrate that the hand-to-hand model of diffusion produces the correct diffusion coefficient for the layered microstructure. Moreover, the control volume analysis shows why the authors’ approach of volume averaging the microscale diffusion coefficient does not capture the complete water vapor mass transport and therefore does not produce the correct macroscale diffusion coefficient. An entirely fresh perspective on the role of the ice phase in mass diffusion is also presented. In particular, an analysis showing diffusion enhancement is developed without resorting to the hand-to-hand diffusion analogy. In brief, rather than looking at the ice as blocking microscale diffusion, the ice phase should be viewed as a reservoir of water, containing vast amounts of water vapor, ready to be released in the diffusion process. In conclusion, mass diffusion in a layered microstructure is enhanced at all ice volume fractions compared to diffusion through humid air as a pure substance. The mechanism producing this enhanced diffusion is also on full display in snow under strong temperature gradients. Hence, it is entirely possible, indeed probable, that macroscopic water vapor diffusion is enhanced in snow compared to diffusion in humid air as a pure substance.

N-linked oligosaccharide standards obtained from commercial sources were derivatized with phenylhydrazine (PHN) and analyzed by on-line reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). This procedure was then applied to mixtures of N-glycans enzymatically released from hen ovalbumin. Under ESI-MS conditions, phenylhydrazones of asialylated oligosaccharide standards and ovalbumin glycans produced mainly [M+2H]2+ molecular ions at low cone voltage values, while minimal fragmentation was observed. Reversed-phase HPLC/ESI-MS total and selected ion chromatograms obtained for derivatized N-glycans from ovalbumin showed partial but useful separation. Overall glycan profiles obtained by ESI-MS were compared with results obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MS. Qualitatively, profiles were similar from one technique to the other in terms of relative abundance of glycans versus composition. Post-source decay (PSD) analysis of the [M+Na]+ ions of PHN–glycans showed dominant B, C and internal B/Y, C/Y cleavages. These patterns were helpful in relating fragmentation to proposed structures. Cross-ring cleavage fragment ions (A-type) were also observed in most cases. The PHN derivatization method is fast and simple. It produces abundant parent ions in both MALDI-MS and ESI-MS, while avoiding the presence of salt contaminants during the labeling procedure.

Exploration of deep space regions such as the Jovian and Uranian systems, the Kuiper Belt, and even the outer reaches of the solar system is a key approach for humanity to expand the boundaries of cosmic cognition and to search for extraterrestrial life information. Therefore, it has become an important direction of global deep space exploration activities. Among them, landing and roving missions are the most direct and effective ways to explore deep space. The navigation, guidance, and control technologies for autonomous landing and roving in deep space are important research contents that urgently need to be broken through, and it is highly necessary to conduct a comprehensive review and summary of them. Therefore, this paper focuses on sorting out the research on navigation, guidance, and control for deep space landing and roving missions. It summarizes the classification and key technologies of autonomous navigation, classifies and elaborates on guidance and control technologies, and respectively analyzes their technical challenges and future development trends, so as to provide technical references for deep space exploration.

A new ion source has been developed for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS) that enables quick changes between matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) modes. When operating as an ESI source, the sample solution is sprayed through an angled nebulizer. The generated ions pass through a glass capillary followed by a skimmer and three sequential hexapole ion guides. Ions can be accumulated in the third hexapole (storage hexapole) before they are injected into the ICR trap. The second hexapole is mounted on a movable platform which also carries the MALDI sample plate. During the switch from ESI to MALDI, this platform moves the second hexapole out of the hexapole series and locates a MALDI sample plate with 384 sample positions into the area directly in front of the storage hexapole. The storage hexapole is in a medium pressure chamber (MPC) which has windows both for the incoming laser beam and for the observation optics, as well as a gas tube for pulsing collision gas into the chamber. During the MALDI operation the focused laser beam enters the MPC, passes between the hexapole rods and irradiates a MALDI sample on the target plate. The sample molecules are desorbed/ionized into the storage hexapole and simultaneously cooled by collisions with the pulsed gas. Ions desorbed from multiple laser shots can be accumulated in this hexapole before they are transferred to the ICR trap. With the combined ion source a computer-controlled switch between MALDI and ESI modes is possible in less than a minute, depending on the position of the MALDI target on the 384-spot plate. Immediate acquisition of mass spectra is possible after mode switching without the need for tuning or re-calibration.

The stoichiometry of yeast V(1)-ATPase peripheral stalk subunits E and G was determined by two independent approaches using mass spectrometry (MS). First, the subunit ratio was inferred from measuring the molecular mass of the intact V(1)-ATPase complex and each of the individual protein components, using native electrospray ionization-MS. The major observed intact complex had a mass of 593,600 Da, with minor components displaying masses of 553,550 and 428,300 Da, respectively. Second, defined amounts of V(1)-ATPase purified from yeast grown on (14)N-containing medium were titrated with defined amounts of (15)N-labeled E and G subunits as internal standards. Following protease digestion of subunit bands, (14)N- and (15)N-containing peptide pairs were used for quantification of subunit stoichiometry using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight MS. Results from both approaches are in excellent agreement and reveal that the subunit composition of yeast V(1)-ATPase is A(3)B(3)DE(3)FG(3)H.

Future Analytical Techniques: DNA Mass Spectrometry

Development and application of a sensitive phosphonium-hydrazide oligosaccharide labelling reagent in capillary electrophoresis- electrospray ionization- mass spectrometry

Structural analyses of oligosaccharide-malononitrile derivatives were conducted by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization post-source decay (MALDI-PSD) analysis in positive ion mode, and by electrospray ionization collision-induced dissociation (ESI-CID) analysis in negative ion mode. The malononitrile derivatives of oligosaccharides, which were developed for separation and detection of multi-component oligosaccharides by negative ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), were detected by positive ion MALDI with a detection limit at a 400 fmol level even without any purification procedure for the derivatized oligosaccharide mixture. The results of structural analyses of oligosaccharide-malononitrile derivatives by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) were affected drastically by the choice of matrix used, and gave much more structural information than the free oligosaccharide. The effects of the malononitrile labeling group on the structural analyses of oligosaccharide-malononitrile derivatives by positive-ion MALDI-PSD analysis in reflectron mode, and by MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) in linear mode, are compared with those of in-source ESI-CID analysis in negative ion mode. The malononitrile derivatization method could be a powerful tool for structural analyses of oligosaccharides. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Conventional studies of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) typically require elaborate separation procedures or complicated sample pretreatment processes such as purification by dialysis and lyophilization. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the use of electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) as powerful techniques for direct analysis of EPS secreted by E. coli. We have compared the extraction efficiency of two widely used extraction methods including physical extraction (room-temperature centrifugation and high-speed centrifugation) and chemical extraction using EDTA and formaldehyde. We specify the most favorable extraction method and the analyte to extractant concentration with respect to mass spectrometric analysis of EPS, based on the results obtained from ESI-MS and MALDI-MS analysis. Chemical extraction methods were found to be more efficient than physical extraction methods. Of the chemical extractants, EDTA was found more effective compared to formaldehyde and gave more EPS peaks during ESI- and MALDI-MS analysis. We report the classification of E. coli EPS into loosely bound, bound and tightly bound EPS based on a simple modification of an existing methodology. Our studies showed that ESI-MS was very effective for <300 Da EPS studies and MALDI-MS more suitable for rapid analysis of EPS above mass range 400 Da. This is a preliminary study reporting for the first time the feasibility of ESI-MS and MALDI-MS techniques for the analysis of bacterial EPS without prior complicated purification and separation methodologies.

Characterization of Monomeric and Dimeric Forms of Recombinant Sml1p-histag Protein by Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

MALDI- and ESI-MS of the HDL apolipoproteins; new isoforms of apoA-I, II

The effect on the conformations and stability of gas-phase ions of Cerezyme, a glycoprotein, when bound to three small-molecule chaperones has been studied using intact ESI MS, collision cross section and MS/MS measurements. To distinguish between the peaks from apo and small-molecule complex ions, Cerezyme is deglycosylated (dg-Cer). ESI MS of dg-Cer reveals that glycosylation accounts for 8.5% of the molecular weight. When excess chaperone, either covalent (2FGF) or noncovalent (A and B iminosugars), is added to solutions of dg-Cer, mass spectra show peaks from 1:1 chaperone-enzyme complexes as well as free enzyme. On average, ions of the apoenzyme have 1.6 times higher cross sections when activated in the source region of the mass spectrometer. For a given charge state, ions of complexes of 2FGF and B have about 30% and 8.4% lower cross sections, respectively, compared to the apoenzyme. Thus, binding the chaperones causes the gas-phase protein to adopt more compact conformations. The noncovalent complex ions dissociate by the loss of charged chaperones. In the gas phase, the relative stability of dg-Cer with B is higher than that with the A, whereas in solution A binds enzyme more strongly than B. Nevertheless, the disagreement is explained based on the greater number of contacts between the B and dg-Cer than the A and dg-Cer (13 vs. 8), indicating the importance of noncovalent interactions within the protein-chaperone complex in the absence of solvent. Findings in this work suggest a hypothesis towards predicting a consistent correlation between gas-phase properties to solution binding properties.

The specific interaction of Cu(II) ions with metal-binding peptides in solution has been investigated by two different methods of soft ionization mass spectrometry, namely matrix-assisted ultraviolet laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDTOF) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ES). The metal-binding peptide selected for these investigations is a 26-residue sequence found on the surface of the human plasma metal-transport protein histidine-rich glycoprotein. The peptide, (GHHPH)5 G, was synthesized and evaluated by ES and LDTOF before and after the addition of Cu(II) or Mn(II) ions in solution. In the absence of added metal ions, the peptide was observed to have a mass equal to within 0.5 Da of its calculated mass (2903.0 Da) by both LDTOF and ES. In the presence of Cu(II), up to five additional peaks were observed at mass increments of approximately 63.9 Da (LDTOF) or 62.3 Da (ES); Mn was not bound to the peptide under identical experimental conditions. By both LDTOF and ES, the maximum Cu-binding capacity observed (i.e., 5 g-atoms mol−1) demonstrated that up to 1 Cu could be bound per (GHHPH) internal repeat unit. This peptide-metal ion interaction stoichiometry was verified by direct titration in solution and, with immobilized peptide, by quantitative metal ion affinity chromatography. Thus, the ability to detect stable peptide-metal complexes did not appear to be differentially affected by the two different volatilization/ionization methods needed to generate charged intact molecular ions. The quantity and stoichiometry of bound Cu atoms was affected, however, by experimental conditions such as LDTOF matrix and ES solution composition. These results demonstrate the ability to verify directly the solution-phase binding capacity of metal-binding peptides by LDTOF and by ES. We conclude from these studies that other metallo-organic interactions may also be amenable to investigation by these rapid and sensitive techniques.