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Mass discrimination in high-mass MALDI-MS.

Simon Weidmann¹, Gediminas Mikutis, Konstantin Barylyuk

¹Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry

|July 10, 2013

Summary

High-mass detectors in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) show minimal mass bias. This study quantifies response factors and identifies parameters to improve molar fraction accuracy in protein analysis.

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Area of Science:

Analytical Chemistry
Mass Spectrometry
Biochemistry

Background:

High-mass detectors are crucial for extending the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) range in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS).
Ion conversion dynode (ICD) detectors are used for high-mass detection, but potential mass bias has been previously observed.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically investigate the mass-dependent response of ICD detectors in MALDI-MS.
To determine response factors for proteins within a specific high-mass range (35.9–129.9 kDa).
To identify the underlying causes of mass bias and provide guidelines for accurate molar fraction determination.

Main Methods:

Systematic study of the mass-dependent response of an ICD detector.
Determination of response factors for proteins ranging from 35.9 to 129.9 kDa.
Evaluation of factors including laser power, mutual ion suppression, protein identity, molar ratios, and protein oligomers.

Main Results:

ICD detectors exhibit less mass discrimination compared to microchannel plate detectors, with a slight preference for higher masses.
Higher laser power in MALDI discriminates against low-mass ions, and mass discrimination is influenced by protein identity and molar ratios.
Mixtures of protein oligomers show less mass discrimination than mixtures of different proteins with similar masses; discrimination increases with molar ratios deviating from 1:1.

Conclusions:

Mass bias in ICD detectors is less pronounced than in other detectors, but still present and influenced by experimental parameters.
Understanding the impact of laser power, ion suppression, and molar ratios is critical for accurate quantification.
Guidelines are provided to optimize experimental conditions for achieving accurate molar fraction measurements in high-mass MALDI-MS analyses.