title: Study of the neurotransmitter dopamine and the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine by electrospray ionization coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Electrospray ionization combined with tandem mass spectrometry has been applied to a study of dopamine and 6-hydroxydopamine, an important neurotransmitter and a well-known neurotoxin, respectively. Both protonated and deprotonated molecules were observed for the two compounds. Upon collision-induced dissociation of protonated and deprotonated 6-hydroxydopamine molecules, the number of fragmentation pathways observed was greater than that observed with protonated and deprotonated dopamine molecules; the greater proclivity to fragment of the former is due to the 6-substituted hydroxyl group, which is para to the 3-OH group and ortho to the CH2CH2NH2 group. Furthermore, 6-hydroxydopamine showed a greater propensity to oxidize than did dopamine when sample solutions were kept uncovered in the air for 24 h prior to mass spectrometric examination. Radical structures of the four main oxidation products of 6-hydroxydopamine have been suggested on the basis of their product ion mass spectra; one or more of these oxidation products may be responsible for the cytotoxic property of 6-hydroxydopamine.
authors.affiliation: Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada K9J 7B8.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Raymond E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Croley
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: M Glenn
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Legault
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000032:analysis*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D016627:Oxidopamine; D004298:Dopamine