title: The determination of protein, oligonucleotide and peptide molecular weights by ion-spray mass spectrometry.
abstract: The mass spectra of several compounds with molecular weights in the 2500-20,000 Da range were obtained with a quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an atmospheric pressure ion source. Average molecular weight determinations of mellitin (2846.4 Da), a synthetic oligonucleotide (4262.8 Da), myoglobin (16,950.4 Da) and on the subunits of beta-lactoglobulin (18,277.1 Da) requiring as little as 1 pmol of material were achieved with accuracies and precisions of +/- 1 Da. An ion-spray interface was used to produce ions via the ion evaporation process, producing mass spectra containing a series of multiply-charged molecular species. A simple method for calculating the molecular weight of unknown compounds from the spectra containing multiply-charged ions is described.
authors.affiliation: Sciex, Division of MDS Health Group Ltd, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Covey
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Shushan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henion
mesh_terms: D007782:Lactoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D008555:Melitten / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007782:Lactoglobulins; D009211:Myoglobin; D008555:Melitten