title: Characterization of oligonucleotides and nucleic acids by mass spectrometry.
abstract: The continued refinement of two recent methods for producing gas-phase ions, electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, has resulted in new techniques for the rapid characterization of oligonucleotides by mass spectrometry. Using commercially available instruments, molecular mass measurements at the 20-mer level, with errors less than 2 Da, can now be made routinely in less than 15 min. Progress has also been achieved in the development of mass spectrometry for rapid sequencing of oligonucleotides smaller than 25 residues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Limbach
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Crain
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCloskey
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D012366:RNA, Transfer, Val / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides; D012366:RNA, Transfer, Val; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA