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In this work, we show the advantages of label-free, tridimensional mass spectrometry imaging using dual beam analysis (25 keV Bi 3 + ) and depth profiling (20 keV with a distribution centered at Ar 1500 + ) coupled to time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (3D-MSI-TOF-SIMS) for the study of A-172 human glioblastoma cell line treated with B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) inhibitor ABT-737. The high spatial (~250 nm) and high mass resolution (m/Δm ~10,000) of TOF-SIMS permitted the localization and identification of the intact, unlabeled drug molecular ion (m/z 811.26 C 42 H 44 ClN 6 O 5 S 2 - [M - H] - ) as well as characteristic fragment ions. We propose a novel approach based on the inspection of the drug secondary ion yield, which showed a good correlation with the drug concentration during cell treatment at therapeutic dosages (0-200 μM with 4 h incubation). Chemical maps using endogenous molecular markers showed that the ABT-737 is mainly localized in subsurface regions and absent in the nucleus. A semiquantitative workflow is proposed to account for the biological cell diversity based on the spatial distribution of endogenous molecular markers (e.g., nuclei and cytoplasm) and secondary ion confirmation based on the ratio of drug-specific fragments to molecular ion as a function of the therapeutic dosage. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) and theoretical calculations [density functional theory (DFT)] were utilized to investigate the influence of cysteine side chain on Cu(+) binding to peptides and how Cu(+) ions competitively interact with cysteine (-SH/SO(3)H) versus arginine. Results from theoretical and experimental (fragmentation reactions) studies on [M + Cu](+) and [M + 2Cu - H](+) ions suggest that cysteine side chains (-SH) and cysteic acid (-SO(3)H) are important Cu(+) ligands. For example, we show that Cu(+) ions are competitively coordinated to the -SH or SO(3)H groups; however, we also present evidence that the proton of the SH/SO(3)H group is mobile and can be transferred to the arginine guanidine group. For [M + 2Cu - H](+) ions, deprotonation of the -SH/SO(3)H group is energetically more favorable than that of the carboxyl group, and the resulting thiolate/sulfonate group plays an important role in the coordination structure of [M + 2Cu - H](+) ions, as well as the fragmentation patterns., (2010 American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The dinuclear copper complex (alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) copper salt (CHCA)(4)Cu(2)), synthesized by reacting CHCA with copper oxide (CuO), yields increased abundances of [M + xCu - (x-1)H](+) (x = 1-6) ions when used as a matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (355 nm Nd:YAG laser). The yield of [M + xCu - (x-1)H](+) (x = 1 to approximately 6) ion is much greater than that obtained by mixing peptides with copper salts or directly depositing peptides onto oxidized copper surfaces. The increased ion yields for [M + xCu - (x-1)H](+) facilitate studies of biologically important copper binding peptides. For example, using this matrix we have investigated site-specific copper binding of several peptides using fragmentation chemistry of [M + Cu](+) and [M + 2Cu - H](+) ions. The fragmentation studies reveal interesting insight on Cu binding preferences for basic amino acids. Most notable is the fact that the binding of a single Cu(+) ion and two Cu(+) ions are quite different, and these differences are explained in terms of intramolecular interactions of the peptide-Cu ionic complex.

Collision induced dissociation (CID) combined with matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (MALDI-IM-MS) is described. In this approach, peptide ions are separated on the basis of mobility in a 15 cm drift cell. Following mobility separation, the ions exit the drift cell and enter a 5 cm vacuum interface with a high field region (up to 1000 V/cm) to undergo collisional activation. Ion transmission and ion kinetic energies in the interface are theoretically evaluated accounting for the pressure gradient, interface dimensions, and electric fields. Using this CID technique, we have successfully fragmented and sequenced a number of model peptide ions as well as peptide ions obtained by a tryptic digest. This instrument configuration allows for the simultaneous determination of peptide mass, peptide-ion sequence, and collision-cross section of MALDI-generated ions, providing information critical to the identification of unknown components in complex proteomic samples.