PubMed2007
To investigate the possibility of structural assignment based on negative-ion multistage tandem mass (MS(n)) spectral matching, four isomers of disialylated biantennary N-glycans (alpha2-6 and/or alpha2-3 linked sialic acid on alpha1-6 and alpha1-3 antennae) derivatized with 2-aminopyridine (PA) were analyzed by employing high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization linear ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-LIT-TOFMS), which uses helium gas for ion trapping and collision-induced dissociation (CID). It is shown that the MS(2) spectra derived from each precursor ion [M-2H](2-) are reproducible and useful for distinguishing the four isomers. Thus, they can be assigned by negative-ion MS(2) spectral matching based on correlation coefficients. In addition, MS(3) spectra derived from D-type fragment ions clearly differentiate the alpha2-3- or alpha2-6-linked sialic acid on the alpha1-6 antenna due to their characteristic spectral patterns. The C(4)-type fragment ions, which are produced from both the alpha1-6 and alpha1-3 antennae, show the characteristic MS(3) spectra reflecting alpha2-3- or alpha2-6- linkage type or a mixture of both types. Thus, the differentiation and assignment of these disialylated biantennary N-glycan isomers can also be supported with the MS(3) spectra of C(4)- and D-type ions.