Observation of a small oligonucleotide duplex by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Journal Article · Wed Jan 27 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00055a070· OSTI ID:6387675

Light-Wahl, K J; Springer, D L; Winger, B E; Edmonds, C G; Thrall, B D; Smith, R D ^[1]; Camp, II, D G ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Eastern Oregon State College, La Grande (United States)

Electrospray ionization (ESI) has been demonstrated to be a soft ionization technique, allowing accurate molecular weight determination for biopolymers due to gas-phase multiple charging. Recent results have demonstrated that noncovalent associations can be preserved upon transfer into the gas phase with ESI, providing a new approach to the determination of both structurally-specific and nonspecific noncovalent associations in solution. The mass spectrometric experimental conditions necessary to preserve such noncovalent associations, and the physical constraints upon such, have yet to be elucidated, although it is clear that gentle interface conditions minimizing internal excitation of noncovalent complexes are helpful. Base-paired oligonucleotide hybridization constitutes one of the most important and thoroughly studied noncovalent associations of biopolymers. Initial attempts to observe duplex oligonucleotides resulted in detection of only the monomeric constituents. Since then, the authors have developed interface conditions that are more gentle and yet still provide sufficient molecular ion desolvation to preserve such associations using new instrumentation with a greatly extended m/z range. In this communication, the authors report the successful ionization of duplex oligonucleotides and the conditions necessary for detection by negative ion ESI-MS. 6 refs., 1 fig.

• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6387675
• Journal Information: Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States) Vol. 115:2; ISSN JACSAT; ISSN 0002-7863
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102 -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
IONIZATION
IONS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MULTIPOLES
NUCLEIC ACIDS
OLIGONUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
QUADRUPOLES
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SOLVATION
SPECTROSCOPY