Negative electrospray droplet exposure to gaseous bases for the manipulation of protein charge state distributions.

ABSTRACT: The exposure of electrospray droplets to vapors of reagents of various base strengths affects protein negative charge state distributions independent of initial solution conditions. Volatile bases are introduced into the counter-current nitrogen drying gas of an electrospray interface to interact with charged droplets as they undergo desolvation/disintegration, shifting charge state distributions of proteins to higher, more negative, charge states. Alterations of charge state distributions can implicate protein folding/unfolding phenomena. Species bound by relatively weak interactions can be preserved, at least to some extent, allowing for the observation of high charge states of protein-ligand complexes, such as high negative charge states of holomyoglobin. The binding of carbonic anhydra

SUBMITTER: Kharlamova A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3012141 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature