title: Characterization of beta-endorphin in human pituitary by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry of trypsin-generated fragments.
abstract: A novel mass spectrometric method possessing a high level of structural specificity is described for characterization in biological fluids and tissues of endogenous beta-endorphin of the human amino acid sequence (beta h-EP). The method is based upon purification of tissue extracts by an RP-HPLC gradient, followed by trypsinolysis of that particular HPLC fraction corresponding to the elution time of synthetic beta h-EP. The tryptic digest of that endogenous beta h-EP fraction was purified further by a second RP-HPLC gradient. A unique tryptic fragment selected from the second gradient was analyzed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and B/E linked-field scan MS/MS techniques to provide molecular weight and amino acid sequence-determining fragment ion information, respectively, of that fragment. Collectively, these independent analytical methodologies provided unequivocal structure evidence for the presence of endogenous beta h-EP in human pituitary. The method was established first by utilizing synthetic beta h-EP to optimize experimental parameters, and then applied to the analysis of beta h-EP in post-mortem human pituitary extracts. The suitability of the present method for semi-quantitation of tissue extracts is also demonstrated. The corresponding detection limit of the synthetic beta h-EP was 90 fmol, and human pituitary contained 1.5 pmol of beta h-EP mg-1 protein. The method can be extended readily to the analysis of beta-endorphin derived from other species and tissues.
authors.affiliation: Charles B. Stout Neuroscience Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dass
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Fridland
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Tinsley
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Killmar
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Desiderio
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000032:analysis*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D014357:Trypsin; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D014357:Trypsin