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Here, we describe a digital-waveform dual-quadrupole mass spectrometer that enhances the performance of our drift tube FT-IMS high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer (MS). The dual-quadrupole analyzer enhances the instrument capabilities for studies of large protein and protein complexes. The first quadrupole (q) provides a means for performing low-energy collisional activation of ions to reduce or eliminate noncovalent adducts, viz., salts, buffers, detergents, and/or endogenous ligands. The second quadrupole (Q) is used to mass-select ions of interest for further interrogation by ion mobility spectrometry and/or collision-induced dissociation (CID). Q is operated using digital-waveform technology (DWT) to improve the mass selection compared to that achieved using traditional sinusoidal waveforms at floated DC potentials (>500 V DC). DWT allows for increased precision of the waveform for a fraction of the cost of conventional RF drivers and with readily programmable operation and precision (Hoffman, N. M. . A comparison-based digital-waveform generator for high-resolution duty cycle. Review of Scientific Instruments 2018, 89, 084101).

Stabilities and structure(s) of proteins are directly coupled to their local environment or Gibbs free energy landscape as defined by solvent, temperature, pressure, and concentration. Solution pH, ionic strength, cofactors, chemical chaperones, and osmolytes perturb the chemical potential and induce further changes in structure, stability, and function. At present, no single analytical technique can monitor these effects in a single measurement. Mass spectrometry and ion mobility-mass spectrometry play increasingly essential roles in studies of proteins, protein complexes, and even membrane protein complexes; however, with few exceptions, the effects of the solution temperature on the stability and structure(s) of analytes have not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we describe a new variable-temperature electrospray ionization (vT-ESI) source that utilizes a thermoelectric chip to cool and heat the solution contained within the static ESI emitter. This design allows for solution temperatures to be varied from ~5 to 98 °C with short equilibration times (

TRAAK is an ion channel from the two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel family with roles in maintaining the resting membrane potential and fast action potential conduction. Regulated by a wide range of physical and chemical stimuli, the affinity and selectivity of K2P4.1 towards lipids remains poorly understood. Here we show the two isoforms of K2P4.1 have distinct binding preferences for lipids dependent on acyl chain length and position on the glycerol backbone. Unexpectedly, the channel can also discriminate the fatty acid linkage at the sn-1 position. Of the 33 lipids interrogated using native mass spectrometry, phosphatidic acid (PA) had the lowest equilibrium dissociation constants for both isoforms of K2P4.1. Liposome potassium flux assays with K2P4.1 reconstituted in defined lipid environments show that those containing PA activate the channel in a dose-dependent fashion. Our results begin to define the molecular requirements for the specific binding of lipids to K2P4.1.

Rotationally averaged collision cross section (CCS) values for a series of proteins and protein complexes ranging in size from 8.6 to 810 kDa are reported. The CCSs were obtained using a native electrospray ionization drift tube ion mobility-Orbitrap mass spectrometer specifically designed to enhance sensitivity while having high-resolution ion mobility and mass capabilities. Periodic focusing (PF)-drift tube (DT)-ion mobility (IM) provides first-principles determination of the CCS of large biomolecules that can then be used as CCS calibrants. The experimental, first-principles CCS values are compared to previously reported experimentally determined and computationally calculated CCS using projected superposition approximation (PSA), the Ion Mobility Projection Approximation Calculation Tool (IMPACT), and Collidoscope. Experimental CCS values are generally in agreement with previously reported CCSs, with values falling within ~5.5%. In addition, an ion mobility resolution (CCS centroid divided by CCS fwhm) of ~60 is obtained for pyruvate kinase (MW ~ 233 kDa); however, ion mobility resolution for bovine serum albumin (MW ~ 68 kDa) is less than ~20, which arises from sample impurities and underscores the importance of sample quality. The high resolution afforded by the ion mobility-Orbitrap mass analyzer provides new opportunities to understand the intricate details of protein complexes such as the impact of post-translational modifications (PTMs), stoichiometry, and conformational changes induced by ligand binding.

Understanding the molecular driving forces that underlie membrane protein-lipid interactions requires the characterization of their binding thermodynamics. Here, we employ native mass spectrometry in conjunction with a variable temperature apparatus to determine the thermodynamics of individual lipid binding events to the human G-protein-gated inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir3.2. We find that Kir3.2 displays distinct thermodynamic strategies to engage phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphorylated forms thereof. The addition of a 4’- phosphate to PI with 18:1-18:1 (DO) tails results in an increase in favorable entropy along with an enthalpic penalty. The binding of PI with two or more phosphates is more complex where lipids bind to Kir3.2 with the cytoplasmic domain in either a docked or extended configuration. Remarkably, the interaction of 4,5-bisphosphate DOPI (DOPI(4,5)P2) with Kir3.2 is solely driven by a large, favorable change in entropy. Installment of a third 3’-phosphate to DOPI(4,5)P2 results in an alternative thermodynamic strategy for the first binding event whereas each successive binding event shows strong enthalpy-entropy compensation. PI(4,5)P2 with 18:0-20:4 tails results in an inversion of thermodynamic parameters where the change in enthalpy now dominates. Collectively, the data show that entropy can indeed play important roles in regulating membrane protein-lipid interactions.

Chaperonins are nanomachines that harness ATP hydrolysis to power and catalyze protein folding, chemical action that is directly linked to the maintenance of cell function through protein folding/refolding and assembly. GroEL and the GroEL-GroES complex are archetypal examples of such protein folding machines. Here, variable-temperature-electrospray ionization (vT-ESI) native mass spectrometry is used to delineate the effects of solution temperature and ATP concentrations on the stabilities of GroEL and GroEL/GroES complexes. The results show clear evidences for de-stabilization of both GroEL14 and GroES7 at temperatures of 50 oC and 45 oC, respectively, substantially below the pre-viously reported melting temperature (Tm ~ 70 oC). This destabilization is accompanied by temperature-dependent reaction products that have previously unreported stoichiometries, viz. GroEL14-GroESx-ATPy, where x = 1, 2, 8 and y = 0, 1, 2, that are also dependent on Mg2+ and ATP concentrations. Variable-temperature native mass spectrometry re-veals new insights about the stability of GroEL in response to several environmental effects: (i) temperature-dependent ATP binding to GroEL (ii) effects of temperature as well as Mg2+ and ATP concentrations on the stoichiome-try of the GroEL-GroES complex, with Mg2+ showing greater effects compared to ATP; and, (iii) a change in the temper-ature-dependent stoichiometries of the GroEL-GroES complex (GroEL14-GroES7 vs GroEL14-GroES8) between 24 to 56 oC. The similarities between results obtained using native MS and cryo-EM (Clare et al., An expanded protein folding cage in the GroEL-gp31 complex. J. Mol. Biol. 2006, 358, 905-11; Ranson et al., Allosteric signaling of ATP hydrolysis in GroEL–GroES complexes. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 2006, 13, 147-152.) underscores the utility of native MS for investiga-tions of molecular machines as well as identification of key intermediates involved in the chaperone-assisted protein folding cycle.

Here, we describe a digital-waveform dual-quadrupole mass spectrometer that enhances the performance of our drift tube FT-IMS high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer (MS). The dual-quadrupole analyzer enhances the instrument capabilities for studies of large protein and protein complexes. The first quadrupole (q) provides a means for performing low-energy collisional activation of ions to reduce or eliminate noncovalent adducts, viz., salts, buffers, detergents, and/or endogenous ligands. The second quadrupole (Q) is used to mass-select ions of interest for further interrogation by ion mobility spectrometry and/or collision-induced dissociation (CID). Q is operated using digital-waveform technology (DWT) to improve the mass selection compared to that achieved using traditional sinusoidal waveforms at floated DC potentials (>500 V DC). DWT allows for increased precision of the waveform for a fraction of the cost of conventional RF drivers and with readily programmable operation and precision (Hoffman, N. M. et al.. A comparison-based digital-waveform generator for high-resolution duty cycle.

There is growing interest in the characterization of protein complexes and their interactions with ligands using native ion mobility mass spectrometry. A particular challenge, especially for membrane proteins, is preserving noncovalent interactions and maintaining native-like structures. Different approaches have been developed to minimize activation of protein complexes by manipulating charge on protein complexes in solution and the gas-phase. Here, we report the utility of polyamines that have exceptionally high charge-reducing potencies with some molecules requiring 5-fold less than trimethylamine oxide to elicit the same effect. The charge-reducing molecules do not adduct to membrane protein complexes and are also compatible with ion-mobility mass spectrometry, paving the way for improved methods of charge reduction.

The amyloidogenic mechanism of transthyretin is still debated but understanding it fully could lend insight into disease progression and potential therapeutics. Transthyretin was investigated revealing a metal-induced (Cr/Cu) oxidation pathway leading to N-terminal backbone fragmentation and oligomer formation; previously hidden details were revealed only by FT-IM-Orbitrap MS and surface-induced dissociation.

Studies of large proteins, protein complexes, and membrane protein complexes pose new challenges, most notably the need for increased ion mobility (IM) and mass spectrometry (MS) resolution. This review covers evolutionary developments in IM-MS in the authors' and key collaborators' laboratories with specific focus on developments that enhance the utility of IM-MS for structural analysis. IM-MS measurements are performed on gas phase ions, thus "structural IM-MS" appears paradoxical-do gas phase ions retain their solution phase structure? There is growing evidence to support the notion that solution phase structure(s) can be retained by the gas phase ions. It should not go unnoticed that we use "structures" in this statement because an important feature of IM-MS is the ability to deal with conformationally heterogeneous systems, thus providing a direct measure of conformational entropy. The extension of this work to large proteins and protein complexes has motivated our development of Fourier-transform IM-MS instruments, a strategy first described by Hill and coworkers in 1985 (Anal Chem, 1985, 57, pp. 402-406) that has proved to be a game-changer in our quest to merge drift tube (DT) and ion mobility and the high mass resolution orbitrap MS instruments. DT-IMS is the only method that allows first-principles determinations of rotationally averaged collision cross sections (CSS), which is essential for studies of biomolecules where the conformational diversities of the molecule precludes the use of CCS calibration approaches. The Fourier transform-IM-orbitrap instrument described here also incorporates the full suite of native MS/IM-MS capabilities that are currently employed in the most advanced native MS/IM-MS instruments. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Mass Spec Rev.

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are ubiquitous protein cofactors that are required for many important biological processes including oxidative respiration, nitrogen fixation, and photosynthesis. Biosynthetic pathways assemble Fe-S clusters with different iron-to-sulfur stoichiometries and distribute these clusters to appropriate apoproteins. In the ISC pathway, the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent cysteine desulfurase enzyme IscS provides sulfur to the scaffold protein IscU, which templates the Fe-S cluster assembly. Despite their functional importance, mechanistic details for cluster synthesis have remained elusive. Recent advances in native mass spectrometry (MS) have allowed proteins to be preserved in native-like structures and support applications in the investigation of protein structure, dynamics, ligand interactions, and the identification of protein-associated intermediates. Here, we prepared samples under anaerobic conditions and then applied native MS to investigate the molecular mechanism for Fe-S cluster synthesis. This approach was validated by the high agreement between native MS and traditional visible circular dichroism spectroscopic assays. Time-dependent native MS experiments revealed potential iron- and sulfur-based intermediates that decay as the [2Fe-2S] cluster signal developed. Additional experiments establish that (i) Zn(II) binding stabilizes IscU and protects the cysteine residues from oxidation, weakens the interactions between IscU and IscS, and inhibits Fe-S cluster biosynthesis; and (ii) Fe(II) ions bind to the IscU active site cysteine residues and another lower affinity binding site and promote the intermolecular sulfur transfer reaction from IscS to IscU. Overall, these results support an iron-first model for Fe-S cluster synthesis and highlight the power of native MS in defining protein-associated intermediates and elucidating mechanistic details of enzymatic processes.

As a step towards development of a high-resolution ion mobility mass spectrometer using the orbitrap mass analyzer platform, we describe herein a novel reverse-entry ion source (REIS) coupled to the higher-energy C-trap dissociation (HCD) cell of an orbitrap mass spectrometer with extended mass range. Development of the REIS is a first step in the development of a drift tube ion mobility-orbitrap MS. The REIS approach retains the functionality of the commercial instrument ion source which permits the uninterrupted use of the instrument during development as well as performance comparisons between the two ion sources. Ubiquitin (8.5 kDa) and lipid binding to the ammonia transport channel (AmtB, 126 kDa) protein complex were used as model soluble and membrane proteins, respectively, to evaluate the performance of the REIS instrument. Mass resolution obtained with the REIS is comparable to that obtained using the commercial ion source. The charge state distributions for ubiquitin and AmtB obtained on the REIS are in agreement with previous studies which suggests that the REIS-orbitrap EMR retains native structure in the gas phase.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can transfer an aqueous-phase peptide or peptide complex to the gas-phase while conserving its mass, overall charge, metal-binding interactions, and conformational shape. Coupling ESI with ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) provides an instrumental technique that allows for simultaneous measurement of a peptide's mass-to-charge (m/z) and collision cross section (CCS) that relate to its stoichiometry, protonation state, and conformational shape. The overall charge of a peptide complex is controlled by the protonation of 1) the peptide's acidic and basic sites and 2) the oxidation state of the metal ion(s). Therefore, the overall charge state of a complex is a function of the pH of the solution that affects the peptides metal ion binding affinity. For ESI-IM-MS analyses, peptide and metal ions solutions are prepared from aqueous-only solutions, with the pH adjusted with dilute aqueous acetic acid or ammonium hydroxide. This allows for pH dependence and metal ion selectivity to be determined for a specific peptide. Furthermore, the m/z and CCS of a peptide complex can be used with B3LYP/LanL2DZ molecular modeling to discern binding sites of the metal ion coordination and tertiary structure of the complex. The results show how ESI-IM-MS can characterize the selective chelating performance of a set of alternative methanobactin peptides and compare them to the copper-binding peptide methanobactin.

Native mass spectrometry (nMS) is increasingly used for studies of large biomolecules (>100 kDa), especially proteins and protein complexes. The growth in this area can be attributed to advances in native electrospray ionization as well as instrumentation that is capable of accessing high mass-to-charge (m/z) regimes without significant losses in sensitivity and resolution. Here, we describe modifications to the ESI source of an Agilent 6545XT Q-TOF MS that is tailored for analysis of large biomolecules. The modified ESI source was evaluated using both soluble and membrane protein complexes ranging from ~127 to ~232 kDa and the ~801 kDa protein chaperone GroEL. The increased mass resolution of the instrument affords the ability to resolve small molecule adducts and analyze collision-induced dissociation products of the native complexes.

Native ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is an emerging biophysical approach to probe the intricate details of protein structure and function. The instrument design enables measurements of accurate first-principle determinations of rotationally-averaged ion-neutral collision cross sections coupled with high-mass, high-resolution mass measurement capabilities of Orbitrap MS. The inherent duty-cycle mismatch between drift tube IM and Orbitrap MS is alleviated by operating the drift tube in a frequency modulated mode while continuously acquiring mass spectra with the Orbitrap MS. Fourier transform of the resulting time-domain signal, i.e., ion abundances as a function of the modulation frequency, yields a frequency domain spectrum that is then converted (s(−1) to s) to IM drift time. This multiplexed approach allows for a duty-cycle of 25% compared to

A new instrument configuration for native ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is described. Macromolecule ions are generated by using a static ESI source coupled to an RF ion funnel, and these ions are then mobility and mass analyzed using a periodic focusing drift tube IM analyzer and an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The instrument design retains the capabilities for first-principles determination of rotationally averaged ion-neutral collision cross sections and high-resolution measurements in both mobility and mass analysis modes for intact protein complexes. Operation in the IM mode utilizes FT-IMS modes (originally described by Knorr ( Knorr , F. J. Anal. Chem . 1985 , 57 ( 2 ), 402 - 406 )), which provides a means to overcome the inherent duty cycle mismatch for drift tube (DT)-IM and Orbitrap mass analysis. The performance of the native ESI-FT-DT-IM-Orbitrap MS instrument was evaluated using the protein complexes Gln K (MW 44 kDa) and streptavidin (MW 53 kDa) bound to small molecules (ADP and biotin, respectively) and transthyretin (MW 56 kDa) bound to thyroxine and zinc.

Protein crystallization is central to understanding of molecular structure in biology, a vital part of processes in the pharmaceutical industry, and a crucial component of numerous disease pathologies. Crystallization starts with nucleation and how nucleation proceeds determines the crystallization rate and essential properties of the resulting crystal population. Recent results with several proteins indicate that crystals nucleate within preformed mesoscopic protein-rich clusters. The origin of the mesoscopic clusters is poorly understood. In the case of lysozyme, a common model of protein biophysics, earlier findings suggest that clusters exist owing to the dynamics of formation and decay of weakly-bound transient dimers. Here we present evidence of a weakly bound lysozyme dimer in solutions of this protein. We employ two electrospray mass spectrometry techniques, a combined ion mobility separation mass spectrometry and a high-resolution implementation. To enhance the weak but statistically-significant dimer signal we develop a method based on the residuals between the maxima of the isotope peaks in Fourier space and their Gaussian envelope. We demonstrate that these procedures sensitively detect the presence of a non-covalently bound dimer and distinguish its signal from other polypeptides, noise, and sampling artefacts. These findings contribute essential elements of the crystal nucleation mechanism of lysozyme and other proteins and suggest pathways to control nucleation and crystallization by enhancing or suppressing weak oligomerization.

The peptide hormone insulin is central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body by controlling blood sugar levels. Insulin's most active form is the monomer and the extent of insulin oligomerization is related to insulin's activity of controlling blood sugar levels. Electrospray ionization (ESI) of human insulin produced a series of oligomers from the monomer to the undecamer identified using quadrupole ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Previous research suggested that only the monomer, dimer and hexamer are native forms of insulin in solution and the range of oligomers observed in the gas phase are ESI artifacts. Here the properties of three distinct oligomer bands, I, II and III, where both the charge state and number of insulin units of the oligomer increase incrementally, were investigated. When Zn(II) was added to the insulin sample the same oligomers were observed, but with 0–6 Zn(II) ions bound to each of the oligomers. The oligomers of bands I, II and III were characterized by comparing their drift times, collision cross-sections, relative intensities, collision-induced dissociation (CID) patterns and relative breakdown energies. Insulin oligomers of band I dissociated primarily by releasing either the 2+ or 3+ monomer accompanied by an oligomer that conserved the mass, charge and Zn(II) of the precursor. Insulin oligomers of bands II and III dissociated primarily by releasing the 2+ monomer accompanied by an oligomer that conserved the mass, charge and Zn(II) of the precursor. Comparison of CID patterns and breakdown energies showed all the oligomers in band II required higher collision energies to dissociate than oligomers in band I, and the oligomers of band III required higher energies to dissociate than the oligomers of band II. These results show that the amount of excess charge on the oligomer in respect to the number of insulin monomers in the oligomer affects their stability.

Methanobactin (Mb) from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b is a member of a class of metal binding peptides identified in methanotrophic bacteria. Mb will selectively bind and reduce Cu(II) to Cu(I), and is thought to mediate the acquisition of the copper cofactor for the enzyme methane monooxygenase. These copper chelating properties of Mb make it potentially useful as a chelating agent for treatment of diseases where copper plays a role including Wilson's disease, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. Utilizing traveling wave ion mobility-mass spectrometry (TWIMS), the competition for the Mb copper binding site from Ag(I), Pb(II), Co(II), Fe(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) has been determined by a series of metal ion titrations, pH titrations, and metal ion displacement titrations. The TWIMS analyses allowed for the explicit identification and quantification of all the individual Mb species present during the titrations and measured their collision cross-sections and collision-induced dissociation patterns. The results showed Ag(I) and Ni(II) could irreversibly bind to Mb and not be effectively displaced by Cu(I), whereas Ag(I) could also partially displace Cu(I) from the Mb complex. At pH ≈ 6.5, the Mb binding selectivity follows the order Ag(I)≈Cu(I)>Ni(II)≈Zn(II)>Co(II)>>Mn(II)≈Pb(II)>Fe(II), and at pH 7.5 to 10.4 the order is Ag(I)>Cu(I)>Ni(II)>Co(II)>Zn(II)>Mn(II)≈Pb(II)>Fe(II). Breakdown curves of the disulfide reduced Cu(I) and Ag(I) complexes showed a correlation existed between their relative stability and their compact folded structure indicated by their CCS. Fluorescence spectroscopy, which allowed the determination of the binding constant, compared well with the TWIMS analyses, with the exception of the Ni(II) complex. Graphical abstract ᅟ.