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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Fast Enzymatic Processing of Proteins for MS Detection with a Flow-through Microreactor
Published on: April 6, 2016
Simultaneous analysis of enzyme structure and activity by kinetic capillary electrophoresis-MS
Gleb G Mironov1, Christopher M Clouthier1, Abdullah Akbar1
1Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Abstract:
To enable the detection of protein conformational isomers, their enzymatic activity and their inhibition in a single experiment, we developed a method based on kinetic capillary electrophoresis coupled on-line with UV detection and ion mobility mass spectrometry (CE-UV-IM-MS). Kinetic CE-UV separated protein conformers and monitored their interconversion dynamics in solution. Ion mobility mass spectrometry analyzed the conformer sizes, exact molecular weights, and structures of an enzyme and of its substrates, inhibitors and corresponding products. This coupled CE-UV-IM-MS system allowed the simultaneous, real-time observation of the effect of small-molecule inhibitors on both the conformational distribution and enzymatic activity of the human tissue transglutaminase TG2. By expanding mass spectrometry profiling of enzymatic reactions beyond proteins and substrates to include protein dynamics, CE-UV-IM-MS opens a new avenue for the modulation and regulation of cellular functions, drug development and protein engineering.
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