Acyl modification and binding of mitochondrial ACP to multiprotein complexes.

The mitochondrial acyl carrier protein (ACPM/NDUFAB1) is a central element of the mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis type II machinery. Originally ACPM was detected as a subunit of respiratory complex I but the reason for the association with the large enzyme complex remained elusive. Complex I from the aerobic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica comprises two different ACPMs, ACPM1 and ACPM2.

Custom-made Microdialysis Probe Design.

Microdialysis is a commonly used technique in neuroscience research. Therefore commercial probes are in great demand to monitor physiological, pharmacological and pathological changes in cerebrospinal fluid. Unfortunately, commercial probes are expensive for research groups in public institutions.

Fast quantitative determination of methylphenidate levels in rat plasma and brain ex vivo by MALDI-MS/MS.

This study presents a simple and sensitive high-throughput matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS/MS) method for ex vivo quantification of methylphenidate (MPH) in rat plasma and brain. The common MALDI matrix alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid was used to obtain an optimal dried droplet preparation. For method validation, standards diluted in plasma and brain homogenate prepared from untreated (control) rats were used.

Self-built microdialysis probes with improved recoveries of ATP and neuropeptides.

Background: Microdialysis is an established technique for collecting small molecular weight substances (e.g. neurotransmitter and energy metabolites) from the extracellular space.

MALDI analysis of proteins after extraction from dissolvable ethylene glycol diacrylate cross-linked polyacrylamide gels.

Although the extraction of intact proteins from polyacrylamide gels followed by mass spectrometric molecular mass determination has been shown to be efficient, there is room for alternative approaches. Our study evaluates ethylene glycol diacrylate, a cleavable cross-linking agent used for a new type of dissolvable gels. It attains an ester linkage that can be hydrolyzed in alkali conditions.

Graphite supported preparation (GSP) of α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) for peptides and proteins.

Graphite as MALDI matrix or in combination with other substances has been reported in recent years. Here, we demonstrate that graphite can be used as target coating supporting the crystallization of the α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid matrix. A conventional dried-droplet preparation of matrix and analyte solution on a graphite-coated metal target leads to a thin, uniform layer of cubic crystals with about 1 μm edge length.

Perfusion reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for protein separation from detergent-containing solutions: an alternative to gel-based approaches.

Detergents are frequently used for the solubilization of membrane proteins during and after purification steps. Unfortunately some of these detergents impair chromatographic separations and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Perfusion reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using POROS materials is suited for separating intact proteins solubilized by detergents due to the particles' highly diffusive pores and chemical stability.