title: Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry of aminochromes.
abstract: The catecholamines adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, dopa and isoprenaline were oxidized into their respective aminochromes: adrenochrome, noradrenochrome, dopaminochrome, dopachrome and isoprenochrome. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) fragmentation patterns were examined for the five aminochromes in order to establish a general structural assignment of these oxidation products by electrospray mass spectrometry. Although protonated aminochromes undergo similar fragmentation patterns with a characteristic consecutive loss of two carbonyl groups, the presence of different substituents in the parent compounds led to significant changes in the CID spectra. This feature is more evident for isoprenochrome and dopachrome, especially for the latter where the MS/MS spectrum is dominated by the loss of formic acid. A general pattern of fragmentation for aminochromes is proposed, which should provide a suitable basis to aid their characterization in studies in vivo or in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810/123-Aveiro, Portugal. famado@dq.ua.pt
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lemos-Amado
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrer-Correia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Remião
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milhazes
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bastos
mesh_terms: D000323:Adrenochrome / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D045563:Indolequinones; D007211:Indoles / Q000032:analysis*; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012015:Reference Standards; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D045563:Indolequinones; D007211:Indoles; C091584:aminochrome 1; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D000323:Adrenochrome; D007545:Isoproterenol; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine