Identifying Ca2+-binding sites in proteins by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry using Ca2+-directed dissociations.

Here we describe a new method to identify calcium-binding sites in proteins using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in concert with calcium-directed collision-induced dissociations. Our method does not require any modifications to the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry apparatus, uses standard digestion protocols, and can be applied to existing high-resolution MS data files. In contrast to NMR, our method is applicable to very small amounts of complex protein mixtures (femtomole level). Calcium-bound peptides can be identified using three criteria: (1) the calculated exact mass of the calcium containing peptide; (2) specific dissociations of the calcium-containing peptide from threonine and serine residues; and (3) the very similar retention times of the calcium-containing peptide and the free peptide.

Complexation of divalent metal ions with diols in the presence of anion auxiliary ligands: zinc-induced oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolaldehyde by consecutive hydride ion and proton shifts.

Ternary complexes of the type AH•••M(2+)•••L(-) (AH = diol, including diethylene and triethylene glycol, M = Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn and auxiliary anion ligand L(-) = CH(3)COO(-), HCOO(-) and Cl(-)) have been generated in the gas phase by MALDI and ESI, and their dissociation characteristics have been obtained. Use of the auxiliary ligands enables the complexation of AH with the divalent metal ion without AH becoming deprotonated, although A(-)•••M(2+) is often also generated in the ion source or after MS/MS. For M = Ca, dissociation occurs to AH + M(2+)•••L(-) and/or to A(-)•••M(2+) + LH, the latter being produced from the H-shifted isomer A(-) •••M(2+)•••LH. For a given ligand L(-), the intensity ratio of these processes can be interpreted (barring reverse energy barriers) in terms of the quantity PA(A(-)) - Ca(aff) (A(-)), where PA is the proton affinity and Ca(aff) is the calcium ion affinity. Deuterium labeling shows that the complex ion HOCH(2)CH(2) OH•••Zn(2+)•••(-)OOCCH(3), in addition to losing acetic acid (60 Da), also eliminates glycolaldehyde (HOCH(2)CH=O, also 60 Da); it is proposed that these reactions commence with a hydride ion shift to produce the ion-dipole complex HOCH(2)CHOH(+)••• HZnOOCCH(3), which then undergoes proton transfer and dissociation to HOCH(2)CH=O + HZn(+)•••O = C(OH)CH(3). In this reaction, ethylene glycol is oxidized by consecutive hydride ion and proton shifts. A minor process leads to loss of the isomeric species HOCH=CHOH.

Structure and dissociation characteristics of metal chloride anion clusters containing redox-active metal ions studied by laser desorption and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and ab initio calculations.

Copper chloride anion clusters with both copper oxidation states can be made by laser desorption of CuCl(2) crystals. We have used this method to study the dissociation characteristics of such cluster ions. The stability and the structure of the observed complexes were probed by ab initio calculations. These calculations show that many of these complexes are bridged structures. Thus, for the Cu(2)Cl(4) dimer anion, formally [ClCu-Cl-CuCl(2)](-) , with putative mixed copper oxidation states, the two copper ions become equivalent through bridging. Such bridging does not occur when redox inactive metal ions are present as in [ClCu-Cl-CaCl(2)](-) . By observing the dissociation characteristics of a variety of metal chloride cluster anions produced from binary mixtures, the following Cl(-) affinity order is obtained: FeCl(3) > CuCl > CaCl(2) > FeCl(2) > AgCl ≈ CuCl(2) ≈ ZnCl(2) > LiCl. Ab initio calculations on the Cl(-) affinity of selected chlorides confirm this order as do Cl(-) affinity estimates from the experimentally known vertical electron detachment energies of the superhalogens CaCl(3)(-) and LiCl(2)(-) . An equimolar mixture of CuCl(2) and FeCl(3) produces an intense cluster ion, which, from (65)Cu labeling experiments, is best described as FeCl(4)(-)···Cu(+)···(-)Cl(4) Fe, a Cu(+) bound superhalogen FeCl(4)(-) dimer. The Cu(+) ion can be replaced by the redox inactive alkali cations and by Ag(+) but these metal ion bound FeCl(4)(-) dimers show an entirely different fragmentation behavior which is attributed to the absence of bridging. Electrospray ionization (ESI) of CuCl(2) produces an extended series of (CuCl(2))(n) Cl(-) anions (n = 1-11) and so in ESI very limited reduction of Cu(2+) takes place. The (CuCl(2))(n) Cl(-) anions show an abundant dissociation via loss of neutral Cu(2)Cl(4) which according to our ab initio calculations is 9 kcal/mol more stable than two CuCl(2).

Metal ion attachment to the matrix meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin, related matrices and analytes: an experimental and theoretical study.

In a previous study [van Kampen et al. Analytical Chemistry 2006; 78: 5403], we found that meso-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (F20TPP), in combination with lithium salts, provides an efficient matrix to cationize small molecules by Li+ attachment and that this combination can be successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of drugs, such as antiretroviral compounds using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization in conjunction with a time-of-flight analyzer (MALDI-TOF). In the present study, we further explore the mechanism of metal ion attachment to F20TPP and analytes by MALDI-FTMS(/MS). To this end, we have studied the interaction of F20TPP and analytes with various mono-, di- and trivalent metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Co2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Ga3+). For the alkali cations, we find that F20TPP forms complexes only with Li+ and Na+; in addition, model analyte molecules such as poly(ethyleneglycol)s, mixed with F20TPP and the alkali cations, also only form Li+ and Na+ adducts. This contrasts sharply with the commonly used matrix 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, where analytes are most efficiently cationized by Na+ or K+. Reasons for this difference are delineated. Ab initio calculations on porphyrin itself reveal that even the smallest alkali cation, Li+, does not fit in the porphyrin cavity, but lies on top of it, pushing the 21H and 23 H hydrogen atoms out of and below the plane with concomitant bending of the porphyrin skeleton in the opposite direction, i.e. toward the cation. Thus, the Li+ ion is not effectively sequestered and is in fact exposed and thus accessible for donation to analyte molecules. Interaction of F20TPP with di- and trivalent metal ions leads to protoporphyrin-metal ions, where the metal ion is captured within the protoporphyrin dianion cavity. The most intense signal is obtained when F20TPP is reacted with CuCl2 and then subjected to laser ablation. This method presents an easy general route to study the metal containing protoporphyrin molecules, which could all act as potential MALDI matrices.