Issue 9, 2004

MALDI-TOF MS detection of dilute, volume-limited peptide samples with physiological salt levels

Abstract

This paper presents a highly efficient sample preparation technique for matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The purpose of the research is to use a conventional MALDI support to directly and conveniently detect sub-nM levels of peptides from volume-limited samples with physiological salt levels. In this new method, highly uniform matrix-nitrocellulose spots with a 500 µm diameter were conveniently generated by direct contact of a capillary tip to a stainless steel MALDI plate. An array of 50 microspots can be blotted from 1 µL matrix-nitrocellulose solution within 1 min. It was found that the addition of high concentration nitrocellulose to the α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) matrix solution is critical for the formation of microspots. Samples are deposited on top of those microspots and incubated for 3 min. The CHCA-nitrocellulose surface shows a significant peptide binding capability for sub-nM levels of peptide. Restricting the matrix spot diameter to 500 µm gives an analyte enrichment effect because the peptides are confined to a small solid-phase surface area. Selective peptide binding is seen even with >0.15 M salt levels. Loading small aliquots of samples with multiple applications allows low level peptide detection down to 100 pM. Push-pull perfusates collected from the rat striatum were successfully analyzed with the microspot method.

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 May 2004
Accepted
18 Jul 2004
First published
04 Aug 2004

Analyst, 2004,129, 817-822

MALDI-TOF MS detection of dilute, volume-limited peptide samples with physiological salt levels

X. Zhao, J. Barber-Singh and S. A. Shippy, Analyst, 2004, 129, 817 DOI: 10.1039/B407322C

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