title: Oligonucleotide analysis by nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.
abstract: We analyzed oligonucleotides by nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption/ionization (nano-PALDI) mass spectrometry (MS). To this end, we prepared several kinds of nanoparticles (Cr-, Fe-, Mn-, Co-based) and optimized the nano-PALDI MS method to analyze the oligonucleotides. Iron oxide nanoparticles with diammonium hydrogen citrate were found to serve as an effective ionization-assisting reagent in MS. The mass spectra showed both [M - H](-) and [M + xMe(2+)- H](-) (Me: transition metal) peaks. The number of metal-adducted ion signals depended on the length of the oligonucleotide. This phenomenon was only observed using bivalent metal core nanoparticles, not with any other valency metal core nanoparticles. Our pilot study demonstrated that iron oxide nanoparticles could easily ionize samples such as chemical drugs and peptides as well as oligonucleotides without the aid of an oligonucleotide-specific chemical matrix (e.g., 3-hydroxypicolinic acid) used in conventional MS methods. These results suggested that iron-based nanoparticles may serve as the assisting material of ionization for genes and other biomolecules.
authors.affiliation: Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, School of Material Science, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi City, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan. s-taira@jaist.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taira
authors.forename: Issey
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Osaka
authors.forename: Shuich
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimma
authors.forename: Daisaku
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiroki
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawamura-Konishi
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichiyanagi
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007834:Lasers; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D028561:Transition Elements / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides; D010087:Oxides; D028561:Transition Elements; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA