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Related Concept Videos

Mass Spectrometry: Molecular Fragmentation Overview01:20

Mass Spectrometry: Molecular Fragmentation Overview

The ionization of a molecule into a molecular ion inside the mass spectrometer causes instability in the molecule's structure due to the loss of an electron. This eventually leads to the fragmentation or breaking of some bonds in the molecule. The fragmentation occurs predominantly at specific bonds to yield relatively stable fragments.
One type of fragmentation pattern is the cleavage of a single bond in the molecular ion. The cleavage leads to a radical and a cation. The cleavage can occur at...
Mass Spectrometry: Alkene Fragmentation00:59

Mass Spectrometry: Alkene Fragmentation

Alkenes lose one electron from the unsaturated π bond upon ionization and form stable molecular ions. Further fragmentation of alkenes occurs through three different reaction pathways. The most prominent fragmentation is the cleavage at the allylic position. The resultant allylic carbocation is resonance stabilized. In the mass spectra of terminal alkenes, this fragment appears at a mass-to-charge ratio of 41. In the internal alkenes, where there are two choices of allylic cleavage, the...
Mass Spectrometry: Carboxylic Acid, Ester, and Amide Fragmentation01:01

Mass Spectrometry: Carboxylic Acid, Ester, and Amide Fragmentation

The fragmentation patterns observed for compounds such as carboxylic acids, esters, and amides in the mass spectra include ⍺-cleavage and McLafferty rearrangement. Fragmentation by ⍺-cleavage preferentially occurs at the carbon-carbon bond at the ⍺-position next to the carboxylic group to generate a neutral radical and a cation. Long chain compounds with hydrogen at their γ-carbon undergo McLafferty rearrangement to give a radical cation and a neutral alkene.
For example, the fragmentation of...
Mass Spectrometry: Alkyne Fragmentation00:53

Mass Spectrometry: Alkyne Fragmentation

The fragmentation of alkynes preferentially occurs at the carbon–carbon bond between the α and β carbon of the alkyne bond to generate a 3-propynyl cation (or propargyl cation). In terminal alkynes, there is the only type of fragmentation that yields the 3-propynyl cation. The unsubstituted 3-propynyl cation exhibits a peak at a mass-to-charge ratio of 39. In internal alkynes, the 3-propynyl cation is substituted. For example, 2-pentyne fragments into methyl-substituted 3-propynyl cation, which...
Mass Spectrometry: Cycloalkene Fragmentation00:54

Mass Spectrometry: Cycloalkene Fragmentation

The molecular ions of cycloalkenes undergo fragmentation via a retro-Diels–Alder reaction.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry01:21

Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Tandem mass spectrometry is a technique that uses multiple mass analyzers in series to obtain a higher selectivity and reduce chemical noise during analyte detection. Instruments with multiple analyzers separated by an interaction cell enable secondary fragmentation and selected study of the fragment ions.Secondary fragmentations occur in the interaction cell and can be induced by various factors. Fragmentation induced by collision with inert gases, such as N2, Ar, He, etc., is called...

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Charge remote fragmentation in electron capture and electron transfer dissociation.

Xiaojuan Li1, Cheng Lin, Liang Han

  • 1Mass Spectrometry Resource, Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
|February 23, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Electron capture dissociation (ECD) and electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) reveal secondary fragmentation patterns in peptides. ECD produces more charge remote fragmentations, aiding peptide sequencing and database searching.

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Area of Science:

  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Proteomics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Peptide fragmentation analysis is crucial for protein identification.
  • Electron capture dissociation (ECD) and electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) are advanced mass spectrometry techniques for peptide sequencing.
  • Understanding secondary fragmentation pathways enhances spectral interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate secondary fragmentation mechanisms in peptides using ECD and ETD.
  • To compare the types and abundance of fragments generated by ECD and ETD.
  • To elucidate the role of basic residue location in peptide fragmentation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of three synthetic peptides: human alphaA crystallin peptide 1-11, deamidated human betaB2 crystallin peptide 4-14, and amyloid beta peptide 25-35.
  • Utilizing electron capture dissociation (ECD) and electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) mass spectrometry.
  • Characterization of fragment ions, including charge remote fragmentations (CRF).

Main Results:

  • ECD generated abundant CRF fragments, leading to internal fragments and side-chain losses, particularly with internal basic residues.
  • Secondary cleavages were initiated by hydrogen abstraction at various side-chain positions.
  • ETD produced fewer CRF fragments compared to ECD.
  • Observed fragmentation patterns differed based on the location of basic residues.

Conclusions:

  • Secondary fragmentation pathways, especially CRF in ECD, provide valuable information for peptide de novo sequencing.
  • The findings facilitate the interpretation of ECD and ETD spectra.
  • This study enhances the utility of mass spectrometry for complex peptide analysis and database searching.