title: High-resolution differential ion mobility spectrometry of a protein.
abstract: Use of elevated electric fields and helium-rich gases has recently enabled differential ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) with a resolving power up to R ∼ 300. Here we applied that technique to a protein (ubiquitin), achieving R up to ∼80 and separating previously unresolved conformers. While still limited by conformational multiplicity, this resolution is some 4 times greater than that previously reported using either conventional (drift-tube or traveling-wave) or differential IMS. The capability for fine resolution of protein conformers may open new avenues for proteoform separations in top-down and intact-protein proteomics.
authors.forename: Alexandre A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shvartsburg
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D040901:Proteomics; D013696:Temperature; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D025801:Ubiquitin