Multiplexed screening of neutral mass-tagged RNA targets against ligand libraries with electrospray ionization FTICR MS: a paradigm for high-throughput affinity screening

Anal Chem. 1999 Aug 15;71(16):3436-40. doi: 10.1021/ac990262n.

Abstract

We demonstrate that binding of mixtures of aminoglycosides can be measured simultaneously against multiple RNA targets of identical length and similar (or identical) molecular weight. Addition of a neutral mass tag to one of the RNA targets shifts the detected peaks to a higher mass/charge ratio, where complexes with small molecules can be identified unambiguously. An appropriately placed neutral mass tag does not alter RNA--ligand binding. The utility of this strategy is demonstrated with model RNAs corresponding to the decoding region of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic rRNAs and a mixture of five aminoglycosides. Complexes are observed between the aminoglycoside library and the prokaryotic rRNA model, while no aminoglycoside was observed to bind to the mass-tagged eukaryotic rRNA model. The differential binding data is consistent with the eukaryotic A-site rRNA having a different conformation compared with the prokaryotic A-site that prevents entry and binding of neomycin-class aminoglycosides. Mass spectrometric analysis of neutral mass-tagged macromolecular targets represents a new high-throughput screening paradigm in which the interaction of multiple targets against a collection of small molecules can be evaluated in parallel.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Mass Spectrometry*
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Peptide Library*
  • RNA* / chemistry
  • RNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • RNA, Ribosomal / chemistry

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Peptide Library
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal
  • RNA