title: Investigation of protein-protein noncovalent interactions in soybean agglutinin by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: Noncovalent interactions in soybean agglutinin (SBA) were studied on an electrospray ionization (ESI) time-of-flight mass spectrometer constructed recently at the University of Manitoba. The high m/z range and high sensitivity of the instrument together with mild ESI interface conditions turned out to be ideal for detecting this noncovalently bonded tetrameric protein (MW approximately 116,000 Da) in low charge states (z = 23 to 27). By altering the acetonitrile content of the SBA solutions it was shown that the observed SBA tetramers are due to structurally specific noncovalent associations in solution. Octamers and dodecamers (MW approximately 350,000 Da) were also detected. Information on the quaternary structure of the tetramers was obtained by analyzing the fragment-ion spectrum resulting from the collision-induced dissociation of the tetramer ions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461.
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chernushevich
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ens
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Standing
mesh_terms: D037102:Lectins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C028824:soybean lectin; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins