Overview of peptide and protein analysis by mass spectrometry

The goals of this unit are to familiarize peptide and protein chemists with the types of mass spectrometers that are appropriate for the majority of their analytical needs, to describe the kinds of experiments that can be performed with these instruments on a routine basis, and to discuss the kinds of information that these experiments provide. The emphasis here is on established tools and techniques that can realistically be used for problem solving. As a result, many useful instruments and techniques employed by the trained mass spectroscopist are not discussed here, because they do not satisfy these criteria or are not yet widely available. A few of these are briefly mentioned at the end of this introductory overview. The overview concludes with a tutorial discussion on the meaning and practical importance of a number of fundamental experimental and performance-related issues that have important implications for interpretation and use of mass spectral data, such as mass accuracy and resolution.