How to design, execute, and interpret experiments for protein sequencing using mass spectrometry The rapid expansion of searchable protein and DNA databases in recent years has triggered an explosive growth in the application of mass spectrometry to protein sequencing. This timely and authoritative book provides professionals and scientists in biotechnology research with complete coverage of procedures for analyzing protein sequences by mass spectrometry, including step-by-step guidelines for sample preparation, analysis, and data interpretation. Michael Kinter and Nicholas Sherman present their own high-quality, laboratory-tested protocols for the analysis of a wide variety of samples, demonstrating how to carry out specific experiments and obtain fast, reliable results with a 99% success rate. Readers will get sufficient experimental detail to apply in their own laboratories, learn about the proper selection and operation of instruments, and gain essential insight into the fundamental principles of mass spectrometry and protein sequencing. Coverage includes: * Peptide fragmentation and interpretation of product ion spectra * Basic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis * Preparation of protein digests for sequencing experiments * Mass spectrometric analysis using capillary liquid chromatography * Techniques for protein identification by database searches * Characterization of modified peptides using tandem mass spectrometry And much more

Abstract: Tandem mass spectrometry is one of the most important tools for protein analysis. This thesis is focused on the development of new methods and algorithms for tandem mass spectrometry data analysis. A database search engine, MassMatrix, has also been developed that incorporates these methods and algorithms. The program is publicly available both on the web server at www.massmatrix.net and as a deliverable software package for personal computers. Three different scoring algorithms have been developed to identify and characterize proteins and peptides by use of tandem mass spectrometry data. The first one is targeted at the next generation of tandem mass spectrometers that are capable of high mass accuracy and resolution. Two scores calculated by the algorithm are sensitive to high mass accuracy due to the fact that this new algorithm explicitly incorporates mass accuracy into scoring potential peptide and protein matches for tandem mass spectra. The algorithm is further improved by employing Monte Carlo Simulations to calculate ion abundance based scores without any assumptions or simplifications. For high mass accuracy data, MassMatrix provides improvements in sensitivity over other database search programs. The second scoring algorithm based on peptide sequence tags inferred from tandem mass spectra further improves the performance of MassMatrix for low mass accuracy tandem mass spectrometry data. The third algorithm is the first automated data analysis method that uses peptide retention times in liquid chromatography to evaluate potential peptide matches for tandem mass spectrometry data. The algorithm predicts reverse phase liquid chromatography retention times of peptides by their hydrophobicities and compares the predicted retention times with the observed ones to evaluate the peptide matches. In order to handle low quality data, a new method has also been developed to reduce noise in tandem mass spectra and screen poor quality spectra. In addition, a data analysis method for identification of disulfide bonds in proteins and peptides by tandem mass spectrometry data has been developed and incorporated in MassMatrix. By this new approach, proteins and peptides with disulfide bonds can be directly identified in tandem mass spectrometry with high confidence without any chemical reduction and/or other derivatization.

Written by an experienced and well-published individual, this unique reference source takes a forward-looking approach. It describes the concepts and practice of protein phosphorylation analysis by tanden mass spectrometry and related techniques. These include purification, enrichment, database searching, other software tools, synthesis, phosphatase treatment, phospho-specific staining methods, isoelectric focusing and element mass spectrometry. The book then goes on to cover the fragmentation behaviour of phosphopeptides in tandem MS (pos+neg ions) and the implementation of the particular features into an analytical strategy. Protein Phosphorylation Analysis by Electrospray Mass Spectrometry: A Guide to Concepts and Practice ends with a summary and discussion of useful internet and software tools currently available.