Analysis of single cells with capillary electrophoresis electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.
Recent results with on-line capillary electrophoresis (CE) electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry suggest that CE/ESI-FTICR can provide a powerful technique for micro-sample analyses owing to the inherent sensitivity of the technique and the enhanced information content derived from high-performance mass measurements. Using micro-sampling methods and ion accumulation techniques based on quadrupolar excitation, we demonstrate that adequate sensitivity exists to characterize the hemoglobin from a single human erythrocyte (approximately 450 amol). In these studies mass spectra with average mass resolution in excess of 45 000 (FWHM) were obtained for both the alpha- and beta chain of hemoglobin following in-column lysing of a single erythrocyte.
Hofstadler
S A
SA
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
Severs
J C
JC
Smith
R D
RD
Swanek
F D
FD
Ewing
A G
AG
D017357:Cyclotrons; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry