EMSL: Jean H Futrell's Publications

Hadjar O, P Wang, JH Futrell, and J Laskin. 2009. "Effect of the Surface on Charge Reduction and Desorption Kinetics of Soft Landed Peptide Ions." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 20(6):901-906. Abstract Charge reduction and desorption kinetics of ions and neutral molecules produced by soft-landing of mass-selected singly and doubly protonated Gramicidin S (GS) on different surfaces was studied using time dependant in situ secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) integrated in a specially designed Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) research instrument. Soft-landing targets utilized in this study included inert self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 1-dodecane thiol (HSAM) and its fluorinated analog (FSAM) on gold and hydrophilic carboxyl-terminated (COOH-SAM) and amine-terminated (NH2-SAM) SAM surfaces. We observed efficient neutralization of soft-landed ions on the COOH-SAM surface, partial retention of only one proton on the HSAM surface and efficient retention of two protons on the FSAM surface. Slow desorption rates measured experimentally indicate fairly strong binding between peptide molecules and SAM surfaces with the binding energy of 20-25 kcal/mol.

Hadjar O, P Wang, JH Futrell, Y Dessiaterik, Z Zhu, JP Cowin, MJ Iedema, and J Laskin. 2007. "Design and Performance of a Novel Instrument for Soft-Landing of Biomolecular Ions on Surfaces." Analytical Chemistry 79(17):6566-6574. doi:10.1021/ac070600h Abstract A new ion deposition apparatus was designed and constructed in our laboratory. Our research objectives were to investigate interactions of biomolecules with hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces and to carry out exploratory experiments aimed at highly-selective deposition of spatially defined and uniquely selected biological molecules on surfaces. The apparatus includes a high-transmission electrospray ion source, quadrupole mass filter, bending quadrupole that deflects the ion beam and prevents neutral molecules originating in the ion source from impacting the surface, an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber for ion deposition by soft landing, and a vacuum-lock system for introducing surfaces into the UHV chamber without breaking vacuum. Ex situ analysis of surfaces following soft-landing of mass-selected peptide ions was performed using 15 keV Ga+ time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and grazing incidence infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). It will be shown that these two techniques are highly complementary methods for characterization of surfaces prepared with a range of doses of mass-selected biomolecular ions.

Hadjar O, JH Futrell, and J Laskin. 2007. "First Observation of Charge Reduction and Desorption Kinetics of Multiply Protonated Peptides Soft Landed onto Self-Assembled Monolayer Surfaces." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 111(49):18220-18225. doi:10.1021/jp075293y Abstract The kinetics of charge reduction and desorption of different species produced by soft-landing of mass-selected ions was studied using in situ secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS). The improved SIMS capability described in this work utilizes an in-line 8 keV Cs+ ion gun and allows us to interrogate the surface both during the ion deposition and after the deposition is terminated. As a model system doubly protonated ions of Gramicidin S were deposited onto a fluorinated self-assembled monolayer (FSAM) surface. Our results demonstrate for the first time that various peptide-related peaks in FT-ICR SIMS spectra follow very different kinetics. We obtained unique kinetics signatures for doubly protonated, singly protonated and neutral peptides retained on the surface and followed their evolution as a function of time. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with a kinetic model that takes into account charge reduction and thermal desorption of different species from the surface.

Laskin J, P Wang, O Hadjar, JH Futrell, J Alvarez, and RG Cooks. 2007. "Charge Retention by Peptide Ions Soft-Landed onto Self-Assembled Monolayer Surfaces." International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 265(1):237-243. Abstract Soft-landing of singly and doubly protonated peptide ions onto three self-assembled monolayer surfaces (SAMs) was performed using a novel ion deposition instrument constructed in our laboratory and a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) specially designed for studying collisions of large ions with surfaces.. Modified surfaces were analyzed using in situ 2 keV Cs+ secondary ion mass spectrometry or ex situ 15 keV Ga+ time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The results demonstrate that a fraction of multiply protonated peptide ions retain more than one proton following soft-landing on the FSAM surface. [M+2H]2+ ions observed in FT-ICR SIMS spectra are produced by desorption of multiply charged ions from the surface, while re-ionization of singly protonated ions or neutral peptides is a source of [M+2H]2+ ions in Tof-SIMS spectra. Differences in neutralization efficiency of soft-landed ions following exposure of surfaces to laboratory air has a measurable effect on the results of ex situ ToF-SIMS analysis of soft-landed ions on SAM surfaces.

Laskin J, JH Futrell, and IK Chu. 2007. "Is Dissociation of Peptide Radical Cations an Ergodic Process?" Journal of the American Chemical Society 129(31):9598-9599. Abstract Achieving a fundamental understanding of the mechanism of unimolecular dissociation of internally excited complex molecules is one of the most important challenges in modern mass spectrometry. One of the central questions is whether the dissociation of large molecules is properly described by statistical theories—RRKM/QET or Phase Space Theories —that have proved to be remarkably successful both for small molecules and a number of small and medium size peptides. The concept question is whether the ergodic assumption that the internal excitation of the ion is randomly redistributed among the vibrational degrees of freedom prior to fragmentation is satisfied for large molecules. The validity of the ergodic hypothesis for dissociation of gas-phase biomolecules has been recently reviewed and will be only briefly discussed here.

Alvarez J, JH Futrell, and J Laskin. 2006. "Soft-Landing of Peptides onto Self-Assembled Monolayer Surfaces." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 110(4):1678-1687. doi:10.1021/jp0555044 Abstract Mass-selected peptide ions produced by electrospray ionization were deposited as ions by soft-landing onto fluorinated and hydrogenated self-assembled monolayer surfaces (FSAM and HSAM) surfaces using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) specially designed for studying interactions of large ions with surfaces. Analysis of the modified surface was performed in situ by combining 2 keV Cs+ secondary ion mass spectrometry with FT-ICR detection of the sputtered ions (FT-ICR-SIMS). Collision energy dependent data indicated that peptide fragmentation observed in Cs+ SIMS analysis of surfaces modified by soft landing occurred in the analysis step (SIMS) rather than during ion deposition. The peptide ion deposition efficiency showed a gradual decrease with increase in collision energy which parallels the decrease in the Langevin cross section with ion velocity at impact. Peptide ion soft-landing on FSAM surfaces gave twice the sputtered ion signal seen for hydrocarbon self-assembled monolayer (HSAM) surfaces. This indicates stronger interaction of peptide ions with the FSAM surface, in good agreement with larger polarizability of fluorinated hydrocarbons. The efficiency of soft landing of different peptides on the FSAM surface increases with the charge state of the ion, consistent with an ion-polarizable molecule model for the initial stage of soft landing on SAM surfaces.

Fernandez FM, VH Wysocki, JH Futrell, and J Laskin. 2006. "Protein Identification Via Surface-Induced Dissociation in an FT-ICR Mass Spectrometer and a Patchwork Sequencing Approach." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 17(5):700-709. Abstract Surface-induced dissociation (SID) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) are ion activation techniques based on energetic collisions with a surface or gas molecules, respectively. One noticeable difference between CID and SID is that SID does not require a collision gas for ion activation and is therefore directly compatible with the high vacuum requirement of Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance mass spectrometers (FT-ICR MS). Eliminating the introduction of collision gas into the ICR cell for collisional activation dramatically shortens the acquisition time for MS/MS experiments, suggesting that SID could be utilized for high-throughput MS/MS studies in FT-ICR MS. We demonstrate for the first time the utility of SID combined with FT-ICR MS for protein identification. Tryptic digests of standard proteins were analyzed using a hybrid 6-Tesla FT-ICR MS with SID and CID capabilities. SID spectra of mass-selected singly and doubly charged peptides were obtained using a diamond-coated target mounted at the rear trapping plate of the ICR cell. The broad internal energy distribution deposited into the precursor ion following collision with the diamond surface allowed a variety of fragmentation channels to be accessed by SID. Composition and sequence qualifiers produced by SID of tryptic peptides were used to improve the statistical significance of database searches. Protein identification MASCOT scores obtained using SID were comparable or better than scores obtained using sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation (SORI-CID) –the conventional ion activation technique in FT-ICR MS.

Laskin J, TH Bailey, and JH Futrell. 2006. "Mechanisms of Peptide Fragmentation from Time-and Energy-Resolved Surface-Induced Dissociation Studies: Dissociation of Angiotensin Analogs." International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 249-250:462-472. Abstract Energetics and mechanism of dissociation of singly protonated angiotensin III (RVYIHPF) and its analogs RVYIFPF, RVYIYPF, RVYIHAF, and RVYIHDF was studied using surface-induced dissociation (SID) in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) specially configured for studying ion activation by collisions with surfaces. The energetics and dynamics of peptide fragmentation were deduced by modeling the time- and energy-resolved survival curves for each precursor ion using an RRKM based approach developed in our laboratory. Fragmentation mechanisms were inferred from comparison of time- and energy-resolved fragmentation efficiency curves (TFECs) of different fragment ions followed by RRKM modeling of dissociation of angiotensin III into six major families of fragment ions. Detailed modeling demonstrated that dissociation of these peptides is dominated by loss of ammonia from the precursor ion and characterized by a high energy barrier of 1.6 eV. Loss of NH3 and subsequent rearrangement of the MH-NH3 ion results in proton mobilization and release of ca. 30 kcal/mol into internal excitation of the MH-NH3 ion. The resulting highly excited ion accesses a variety of non-specific dissociation pathways with very high rate constants. Fast fragmentation of excited MH-NH3 ion forms a variety of abundant bn-NH3 and an-NH3 fragment ions. Abundant XH and HX internal fragments are also formed, reflecting the stability of histidine-containing diketopiperazine structures.

Alvarez J, RG Cooks, SE Barlow, DJ Gaspar, JH Futrell, and J Laskin. 2005. "Preparation and in situ Characterization of Surfaces Using Soft-Landing in a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer." Analytical Chemistry 77(11):3452-3460. Abstract Mass-selected peptide ions produced by electrospray ionization were deposited onto fluorinated self-assembled monolayer surfaces (FSAM) surfaces by soft-landing using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) specially designed for studying interactions of large ions with surfaces. Analysis of the modified surface was performed in situ by combining 2 keV Cs+ secondary ion mass spectrometry with FT-ICR detection of the sputtered ions (FT-ICR-SIMS). Regardless of the initial charge state of the precursor ion, the SIMS mass spectra included singly-protonated peptide fragment ions and peaks characteristic of the surfaces in all cases. In some experiments multiply-protonated peptide ions and [M+Au]+ ions were also observed upon SIMS analysis of modified surfaces. For comparison with the in situ analysis of the modified surfaces, ex situ analysis of some of the modified surfaces was performed by 25 kV Ga+ time of flight – secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The ex situ analysis demonstrated that a significant number of soft-landed peptide ions remain charged on the surface even when exposed to air for several hours after deposition. Charge retention of soft-landed ions dramatically increases the ion yields obtained during SIMS analysis very sensitive detection of deposited material at less than 1% of monolayer coverage. Accumulation of charged species on the surface undergoes saturation due to Coulomb repulsion between charges at close to 30% coverage. We estimated that close to 1 ng of peptide could be deposited on the spot area of 4 mm2 of the FSAM surface without reaching saturation.

Laskin J, and JH Futrell. 2005. "Activation of Large Ions in FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry." Mass Spectrometry Reviews 24(2):135-167. Abstract The advent of soft ionization techniques, notably electrospray and laser desorption ionization methods, has enabled the extension of mass spectrometric methods to large molecules and molecular complexes. This both greatly extends the applications of mass spectrometry and makes the activation and dissociation of complex ions an integral part of these applications. This review emphasizes the most promising methods for activation and dissociation of complex ions and presents this discussion in the context of general knowledge of reaction kinetics and dynamics largely established for small ions. We then introduce the characteristic differences associated with the higher number of internal degrees of freedom and high density of states associated with molecular complexity. This is reflected primarily in the kinetics of unimolecular dissociation of complex ions, particularly their slow decay and the higher energy content required to induce decomposition-the kinetic shift (KS). The longer trapping time for Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) significantly reduces the KS, which presents several advantages over other methods for the investigation of dissociation of complex molecules.