In-line system containing porous polymer monoliths for protein digestion with immobilized pepsin, peptide preconcentration and nano-liquid chromatography separation coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy

J Chromatogr A. 2008 Apr 25;1188(2):88-96. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2008.02.075. Epub 2008 Feb 29.

Abstract

The use of two different monoliths located in capillaries for on-line protein digestion, preconcentration of peptides and their separation has been demonstrated. The first monolith was used as support for covalent immobilization of pepsin. This monolith with well-defined porous properties was prepared by in situ copolymerization of 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone and ethylene dimethacrylate. The second, poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith with a different porous structure served for the preconcentration of peptides from the digest and their separation in reversed-phase liquid chromatography mode. The top of the separation capillary was used as a preconcentrator, thus enabling the digestion of very dilute solutions of proteins in the bioreactor and increasing the sensitivity of the mass spectrometric detection of the peptides using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization. Myoglobin, albumin, and hemoglobin were digested to demonstrate feasibility of the concept of using the two monoliths in-line. Successive protein injections confirmed both the repeatability of the results and the ability to reuse the bioreactor for at least 20 digestions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / metabolism*
  • Hemoglobins / isolation & purification
  • Lactones
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Myoglobin / isolation & purification
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Online Systems
  • Pepsin A / metabolism*
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Porosity
  • Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Solutions
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*

Substances

  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • Hemoglobins
  • Lactones
  • Myoglobin
  • Peptides
  • Polymers
  • Proteins
  • Solutions
  • Pepsin A