Automated precolumn derivatization system for analyzing physiological amino acids by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

An automated method for high-throughput amino acid analysis, using precolumn derivatization high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS), was developed and evaluated. The precolumn derivatization step was performed in the reaction port of a home-built auto-sampler system. Amino acids were derivatized with 3-aminopyridyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate, and a 3 microm Wakosil-II 3C8-100HG column (100 x 2.

Analysis of saccharides possessing post-translational protein modifications by phenylhydrazine labeling using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Sugar analysis by postcolumn labeling using phenylhydrazine with high-performance liquid chromatography is herein introduced. Phenylhydrazine reacts not only with the reducing end of oligosaccharides, but also with mono-sugar components with degraded glycosyl bonds. N-acethylhexosamine is highly sensitive at a sub-pico molecular range, and this method is useful for detecting glycans on glycoproteins.