Autoproteolytic fragments are intermediates in the oligomerization/aggregation of the Parkinson's disease protein alpha-synuclein as revealed by ion mobility mass spectrometry.

Gas-phase protein separation by ion mobility: With its ability to separate the Parkinson's disease protein α-synuclein and its autoproteolytic products-despite the small concentrations of the latter-ion-mobility MS has enabled the characterization of intermediate fragments in in vitro oligomerization-aggregation. In particular, a possible key fragment, the highly aggregating C-terminal fragment, αSyn(72-140), has been revealed.