title: High pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry for minimization of ganglioside fragmentation.
abstract: Transiently elevating pressure in a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry (MALDI-FTMS) source into the 1-10 mbar range during ionization decreases the metastable fragmentation of gangliosides. This allows detection of the molecular ion species without loss of the highly labile sialic acid residues. In these experiments, gangliosides with up to five sialic acids were ionized by MALDI and detected with the FTMS. In each case, when the high pressure collisional cooling was used, the singly charged molecular ion was the base peak in the spectra, both in the positive and negative ion modes, and minimal metastable fragmentation was observed. This result is promising, as the previously developed TLC separation methods can be coupled to MALDI-FTMS.
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Resource, Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts 02118, USA. poconnor@bu.edu
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mirgorodskaya
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Costello
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000737:chemistry*; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; D006017:Glycolipids; D012794:Sialic Acids