Ethylene glycol improves electrospray ionization efficiency in bottom-up proteomics

Peng Yu, Hannes Hahne, Mathias Wilhelm, Bernhard Kuster

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Liquid chromatography coupled online to nano-electrospray ionization (nESI) tandem mass spectrometry is the analytical workhorse in the field of proteome research. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was recently shown to improve nESI efficiency by a factor of three to ten thus improving the sensitivity and coverage of proteomic experiments. However, relatively few investigations into which solvent additives promote nESI response have been performed at a proteomic scale. Here, we systematically evaluated the concept by screening about 30 compounds with various physico-chemical properties. Detailed further analysis showed that ethylene glycol performed similarly to DMSO and the results indicate that enhancing the nESI response of peptides by simple solvent additives is a valid and promising approach. Ethylene glycol may serve as a viable alternative to DMSO in applications where DMSO has disadvantages. In keeping with nESI theory, the key properties of an effective solvent additive for proteomic applications are a boiling point higher than water, low surface tension, and preferably high polarity for reversed phase LC-MS/MS applications. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1049-1057
Number of pages9
JournalAnalytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Volume409
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2017

Keywords

  • Ethylene glycol
  • LC-MS
  • Nano-electrospray ionization
  • Proteomics

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