Chiral and Structural Analysis of Biomolecules Using Mass Spectrometry and Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

This report describes the strategies for gas-phase chiral and structural characterization of biomolecules using mass spectrometry (MS) and ion mobility-MS (IM-MS) techniques. Because both MS and IM-MS do not directly provide chiral selectivity, methodologies for adding a chiral selector are discussed in the context of (i) host-guest (H-G) associations, (ii) diastereomeric collision-induced dissociation (CID) methods, (iii) ion-molecule reactions, and (iv) the kinetic method. MS techniques for the analysis of proteins and protein complexes are briefly described. New advances in performing rapid 2D gas-phase separations on the basis of IM-MS are reviewed with a particular emphasis on the different forms of IM instrumentation and how they are used for chiral and/or structural biomolecular studies. This report is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the field, but rather to underscore the contemporary techniques that are commonly or increasingly being used to complement measurements performed by chiroptical methodologies. Chirality 21:E253-E264, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.