New conditions for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of native bacterial R-type lipopolysaccharides

Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2005;19(13):1829-34. doi: 10.1002/rcm.1994.

Abstract

A new sample preparation method for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) analysis of native rough-type lipopolysaccharides (R-type LPSs) is presented. In our MALDI mass spectra, besides the [M--H](-) ions, abundant ions originating from the cleavage between the 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) unit and the lipid A moiety are always present, giving important pieces of information about the structure of the molecules analyzed. Remarkably, in most cases, the comparison of the MALDI mass spectra of the intact R-type LPS with the O-deacylated one allowed us to obtain the structure of the lipid A moiety.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / chemistry*
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Dealkylation
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Lipid A / analysis
  • Lipopolysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

Substances

  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Lipid A
  • Lipopolysaccharides