Influence of a Gamma Amino Acid on the Structures and Reactivity of Peptide a(3) Ions

Collision-induced dissociation of protonated AGabaAIG (where Gaba is gamma-amino butyric acid, NH(2)-(CH(2))(3)-COOH) leads to an unusually stable a(3) ion. Tandem mass spectrometry and theory are used here to probe the enhanced stability of this fragment, whose counterpart is not usually observed in CID of protonated peptides containing only alpha amino acids. Experiments are carried out on the unlabelled and (15)N-Ala labeled AGabaAIG (labeled separately at residue one or three) probing the b(3), a(3), a(3)-NH(3) (a(3) (*)), and b(2) fragments while theory is used to characterize the most stable b(3), a(3), and b(2) structures and the formation and dissociation of the a(3) ion. Our results indicate the AGabaA oxazolone b(3) isomer undergoes head-to-tail macrocyclization and subsequent ring opening to form the GabaAA sequence isomer while this chemistry is energetically disfavored for the AAA sequence. The AGabaA a(3) fragment also undergoes macrocyclization and rearrangement to form the rearranged imine-amide isomer while this reaction is energetically disfavored for the AAA sequence. The barriers to dissociation of the AGabaA a(3) ion via the a(3)→b(2) and a(3)→a(3)* channels are higher than the literature values reported for the AAA sequence. These two effects provide a clear explanation for the enhanced stability of the AGabaA a(3) ion.