Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 10 March 1995:
Vol. 267. no. 5203, pp. 1483 - 1485
DOI: 10.1126/science.267.5203.1483
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Conformation of Macromolecules in the Gas Phase: Use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Methods in Ion Chromatography

Gert von Helden 1, Thomas Wyttenbach 1, and Michael T. Bowers 1

1 Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.

Conformational data for macromolecules in the gas phase have been obtained by the coupling of a matrix-assisted laser desorption ion source to an ion chromatograph. A series of polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers "cationized" (converted to a cation) by sodium ions (Na+PEG9 to Na+PEG19) and a protonated neurotransmitter protein, bradykinin, were studied. Mobilities of Na+PEG9 to Na+PEG19 are reported. Detailed modeling of Na+PEG9 with molecular mechanics methods indicates that the lowest energy structure has the Na+ ion "solvated" by the polymer chain with seven oxygen atoms as nearest neighbors. The agreement between the model and experiment is within 1 percent for Na+PEG9, Na+PEG13, and Na+PEG17, giving strong support to both the method and the deduced structures. Similar agreement was obtained in initial studies that modeled experimental data for arginine-protonated bradykinin.

Submitted on October 13, 1994
Accepted on January 10, 1995


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Pendular proteins in gases and new avenues for characterization of macromolecules by ion mobility spectrometry.
A. A. Shvartsburg, S. Y. Noskov, R. W. Purves, and R. D. Smith (2009)
PNAS 106, 6495-6500
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Evidence for Macromolecular Protein Rings in the Absence of Bulk Water.
B. T. Ruotolo, K. Giles, I. Campuzano, A. M. Sandercock, R. H. Bateman, and C. V. Robinson (2005)
Science 310, 1658-1661
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Nonergodic and conformational control of the electron capture dissociation of protein cations.
K. Breuker, H. Oh, C. Lin, B. K. Carpenter, and F. W. McLafferty (2004)
PNAS 101, 14011-14016
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)