title: Artifacts induced by selective blanking of time-domain data in Fourier transform mass spectrometry.
abstract: Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) of the isolated isotopic distribution for a highly charged biomolecule produces time-domain signal containing large amplitude signal "beats" separated by extended periods of much lower signal magnitude. Signal-to-noise ratio for data sampled between beats is low because of destructive interference of the signals induced by members of the isotopic distribution. Selective blanking of the data between beats has been used to increase spectral signal-to-noise ratio. However, blanking also eliminates signal components and, thus, can potentially distort the resulting FT spectrum. Here, we simulate the time-domain signal from a truncated isotopic distribution for a single charge state of an antibody. Comparison of the FT spectra produced with or without blanking and with or without added noise clearly show that blanking does not improve mass accuracy and introduces spurious peaks at both ends of the isotopic distribution (thereby making it more difficult to identify posttranslational modifications and/or adducts). Although the artifacts are reduced by use of multiple Gaussian (rather than square wave) windowing, blanking appears to offer no advantages for identifying true peaks or for mass measurement.
authors.affiliation: Ion Cyclotron Resonance Program, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Santosh G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Valeja
authors.forename: Steve C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Beu
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hendrickson
authors.forename: Alan G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G
references.citation: Anal Chem. 1984 Dec;56(14):2744-8
references.pmid: 6524653
references.citation: Anal Chem. 1998 Jan 15;70(2):405-8
references.pmid: 9450366
references.citation: J Am Chem Soc. 2002 Jan 30;124(4):672-8
references.pmid: 11804498
references.citation: J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2011 Aug;22(8):1343-51
references.pmid: 21953188
references.citation: J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 1995 Jan;6(1):52-6
references.pmid: 24222060
references.citation: J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2010 Dec;21(12):1966-8
references.pmid: 20843701
references.citation: Biochemistry. 1995 Dec 19;34(50):16251-4
references.pmid: 8845349
references.citation: Anal Chem. 2011 Nov 15;83(22):8391-5
references.pmid: 22011246
references.citation: J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2009 Dec;20(12):2183-91
references.pmid: 19747844
references.citation: Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 1999 Jun;13(12):1201-1204
references.pmid: 10407297
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Aug 4;106(31):12658-63
references.pmid: 19541641