Characteristic fragmentation of bacteriohopanepolyols during atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry.

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) fragment via characteristic pathways during atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (APCI-LC/MS(n)). Comparison of the MS(2) spectra of bacteriohopane-32,33,34,35-tetrol (BHT) and 2 beta-methylbacteriohopane-32,33,34,35-tetrol has confirmed the previously proposed ring-C cleavage occurring between C-9 and 11 and C-8 and 14. This fragmentation, diagnostic of all hopanoids, also occurs in BHPs containing an amino group (-NH(2)) at C-35 although the higher relative stability of the ion limits this fragmentation to a minor process after protonation of the basic nitrogen function. Studies of a number of cell cultures including a prochlorophyte (Prochlorothrix hollandica) and a cyanobacterium (Chlorogloeopsis LA) demonstrate the power of this technique to detect composite BHPs with a complex biological functionality at C-35. We also report the first observation of intact pentafunctionalised bacteriohopanepolyols using this method.