Using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer for combined in-source decay/post-source decay experiments

J Mass Spectrom. 1999 Jun;34(6):644-50. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9888(199906)34:6<644::AID-JMS816>3.0.CO;2-H.

Abstract

Mass spectrometric experiments with fragment ions have not yet been possible with a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer because intense signals of fragment ions were rarely observed during continuous extraction and the mass resolution of in-source formed fragment ions has been low. This paper describes a combination of MALDI in-source decay and post-source decay experiments on a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer equipped with delayed extraction. Fragment ions initially formed in the ion source were selected by the precursor ion gate and investigated by post-source decay. The in-source formed fragment ions were sufficiently excited to undergo further metastable decay. The new method was applied to linear peptides, the cyclic peptide gramicidin S and a pentasaccharide, leading to unambiguous structural information.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Gramicidin / chemistry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligosaccharides / chemistry*
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

Substances

  • Oligosaccharides
  • Peptides
  • Gramicidin
  • lacto-N-fucopentaose II