High sensitivity analysis of proteins and peptides by capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry: recent developments in technology and applications.

Analytical biochemistry, in particular the analysis of regulatory proteins that control biological systems and pathways, is dependent on methods of ever-increasing sensitivity. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has long been recognized as an ultrasensitive analytical technique. In spite of the high sensitivity, CE has not penetrated protein discovery research as a standard analytical method.

A microfabricated device for rapid protein identification by microelectrospray ion trap mass spectrometry.

Nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry, the infusion at low flow rates of unseparated peptide mixtures representing protein proteolytic digests into an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer (MS), has been shown to be a suitable method for the analysis of small amounts of proteins. However, the current technique is time consuming, tedious, and difficult to automate. We used microfabrication technologies to construct a device for the sequential infusion of different peptide samples into an electrospray ionization MS without the need for sample manipulation.

Capillary electrophoresis of peptides and proteins at neutral pH in capillaries covalently coated with polyethyleneimine.

Two procedures for the derivatization of the inner wall of fused-silica capillaries for the analysis of peptides and proteins by capillary electrophoresis (CE) at neutral pH are presented. In the first procedure, polyethyleneimine (PEI) is covalently attached to the capillary wall. In the second procedure, PEI is additionally cross-linked.

High sensitivity identification of proteins by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry: initial comparison between an ion trap mass spectrometer and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Recently, we have shown that a solid-phase-microextraction/capillary electrophoresis device coupled to an electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometer through a microelectrospray interface represents a powerful analytical system for the rapid, conclusive and sensitive identification of proteins separated by gel electrophoresis. Here we report on the successful coupling of the same device to an electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometer and on the comparative evaluation of the performance of the triple quadrupole and ion-trap-based systems. In the ion trap mass spectrometer-based system, using a tryptic digest of a calibrated bovine serum albumin sample, we achieved limits of detection in the single mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem MS mode, respectively, of 400 amol (if 20 microL of solution at a concentration of 20 amol/microL was applied).

Identification of proteins by capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry. Evaluation of an on-line solid-phase extraction device.

Capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry has been used successfully for the analysis of complex peptide mixtures. The method is limited by a relatively high concentration limit of detection and by matrix effects. Here we describe on-line coupling of a solid-phase microextraction device to a capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry system.

Protein identification by solid phase microextraction-capillary zone electrophoresis-microelectrospray-tandem mass spectrometry.

We describe an analytical system for the rapid identification of proteins by correlation of tandem mass spectra with protein sequence databases. The system consists of an integrated solid phase microextraction/capillary zone electrophoresis peptide separation device that is connected through a microelectrospray ion source to a tandem mass spectrometer. The limits of detection are 660 amol of sample at a concentration limit of < 33 amol/microliters for peptide mass measurement, and < 10 fmol of sample, at a concentration limit of < 300 amol/microliters for peptide analysis by collision-induced dissociation.

Pseudo-coulometric loading in capillary electrophoresis DNA sequencing.

While injection volumes in capillary electrophoresis are typically in the nanoliter range, it is difficult to physically prepare and manipulate samples much smaller than a microliter. As a result, only a small fraction of the analyte contained with the sample volume is transferred to the capillary. This problem is particularly acute in DNA sequencing applications, where on-column stacking is difficult and where the sequencing sample is relatively expensive to prepare.

Protein identification by capillary zone electrophoresis/microelectrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry at the subfemtomole level.

A method for the identification of proteins by their amino acid sequence at the low-femtomole to subfemtomole sensitivity level is described. It is based on an integrated system consisting of a capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) instrument coupled to an electrospray ionization triple- quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer (ESI-MS/MS) via a microspray interface. The method consists of proteolytic fragmentation of a protein, peptide separation by CZE, analysis of separated peptides by ESI-MS/MS, and identification of the protein by correlation of the collision-induced dissociation (CID) patterns of selected peptides with the CID patterns predicted from all the isobaric peptides in a sequence database.

Labeling of double-stranded DNA by ROX-dideoxycytosine triphosphate using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and separation by capillary electrophoresis.

Terminal transferase is used to add a single fluorescently labeled dideoxynucleotide to double-stranded DNA prepared by restriction endonuclease action on a bacteriophage. The product is separated by capillary electrophoresis with both hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and non-cross-linked polyacrylamide. The reaction products generate single peaks for each fragment with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.

Spatial and temporal depletion of ions from noncrosslinked denaturing polyacrylamide in capillary electrophoresis.

Electrical conductivity across a polyacrylamide-filled capillary decreases during the separation of DNA sequencing fragments. This conductivity decrease is localized to the first few centimeters at the injection (negative) end of the capillary; no conductivity change is noted at the detection (positive) end of the capillary. The zone of decreased conductivity extends further into the capillary as the separation proceeds.

Activation energy of single-stranded DNA moving through cross-linked polyacrylamide gels at 300 V/cm. Effect of temperature on sequencing rate in high-electric-field capillary gel electrophoresis.

In DNA sequencing, single-stranded DNA fragments are separated by gel electrophoresis. This separation is based on a sieving mechanism where DNA fragments are retarded as they pass through pores in the gel. In this paper, we present the mobility of DNA sequencing fragments as a function of temperature; mobility is determined in 4% T LongRanger gels at an electric field of 300 V/cm.