title: On the preservation of non-covalent protein complexes during electrospray ionization.
abstract: The application range of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the quantitative determination of stoichiometries and binding constants for non-covalent protein complexes is broadly discussed. The underlying fundamental question is whether or not the original molecular equilibrium can be preserved during the ionization process and be revealed by subsequent mass spectrometry analysis. Here, we take a new look at this question by discussing recent studies in droplet chemistry.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.
authors.affiliation: Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Guanglan Road 418, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330013, People's Republic of China chingin.k@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4670-8859
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chingin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barylyuk
authors.affiliation: Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Guanglan Road 418, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330013, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huanwen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D008024:Ligands; D055616:Microtechnology; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D011506:Proteins
keywords: accelerated reactions; desorption electrospray ionization; extractive electrospray ionization; microdroplet fusion; native mass spectrometry; thermodynamic equilibrium