APPLICATION OF ELECTROSPRAY AND FAST-ATOM-BOMBARDMENT MASS-SPECTROMETRY TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF POSTTRANSLATIONAL AND OTHER CHEMICAL MODIFICATIONS OF PROTEINS AND PEPTIDES

Mass spectrometry is a very powerful tool in the identification of che mical modifications of proteins and peptides. Often these modification s cannot be determined by conventional techniques. This report describ es the combined use of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and f ast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to complete the primary structu re of proteins and peptides. Examples illustrate how mass spectrometry is used to locate sites of phosphorylation, methylation and acetylati on, and identify blocking groups and unexpected side reactions such as deamidation or alkylation.