Extensive deuterium back-exchange in certain immobilized pepsin columns used for H/D exchange mass spectrometry

Anal Chem. 2006 Mar 1;78(5):1719-23. doi: 10.1021/ac0518497.

Abstract

Pepsin digestion prior to mass analysis increases the spatial resolution of hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry experiments. Online digestion with immobilized pepsin is advantageous for several reasons including better digestion efficiency. We have found that certain immobilized pepsin columns cause substantial deuterium back-exchange, rendering the data unusable. When pepsin immobilized on a POROS support was used for online digestion, back-exchange was within the expected range and was similar to the back-exchange of deuterated peptides produced by in-solution pepsin digestion. However, when pepsin immobilized onto selected polystyrene-divinylbenzene supports was used for online digestion with the same system, deuterium loss was extremely high. The effect seems linked to the properties of the solid support used to conjugate the pepsin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Deuterium Exchange Measurement / standards*
  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Mass Spectrometry / standards
  • Pepsin A / metabolism*
  • Peptide Fragments / analysis
  • Proteins / analysis

Substances

  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Proteins
  • Pepsin A