title: Analysis of metallothioneins by means of capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry with sheathless interfacing.
abstract: Capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry via sheathless interfacing has been applied to the analysis of mammalian metallothionein (MT) extracts. In a rabbit-liver extract, four (MT-2C, MT-2A, MT-2D and MT-2E) out of six known MT sub-isoforms were unambiguously identified under three CE-resolved peaks. A fourth peak was found to contain MT-1A and/or MT-2B, whose molecular masses differ by only 1 Da. Traces of non-N-acetylated MT-2D and MT-2E were observed in a fifth, minor peak. In a rat-liver extract, both MT-1 and MT-2 were resolved and identified. Non-N-acetylated MT-2 was also identified in a resolved, minor peak. Minimum detectable amounts of MTs have been estimated to be approximately 0.6 fmol per sub-isoform.
authors: Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Guo
authors: H M
authors: HM
authors: Chan
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Guevremont
authors: K W
authors: KW
authors: Siu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007527:Isoenzymes; D009842:Oligopeptides; D008668:Metallothionein