SAMPLE PREPARATION FOR PLASMA DESORPTION MASS-SPECTROMETRY

This chapter discusses sample preparation for plasma desorption mass spectrometry. Sample amounts are often very limited in practical biochemical studies, and the sample quantity available for mass spectrometric analysis may represent tedious and costly preparation procedures, or may even be the ultimate sample amount. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that the mass spectrometric procedures employed give optimal chances for success at the first trial, and extract maximum information from a given sample amount. Plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PD-MS) has recently been very successful for the analysis of peptides and proteins up to a molecular weight of approximately 35,000, and it seems to be a promising routine method in the protein chemistry laboratory, because the instrumentation is relatively inexpensive and very simple to operate. Because of this simplicity, the only way to improve the results is by improving the quality of the sample. The method by which the sample is prepared is, therefore, of major importance. The chapter describes the methods currently used in protein studies by PD-MS in the laboratory for sample application and for obtaining structural information on the sample. © 1990, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.