O-glycoproteomics: site-specific O-glycoprotein analysis by CID/ETD electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and top-down glycoprotein sequencing by in-source decay MALDI mass spectrometry.

The sites of mucin-type O-glycosylation are difficult to predict, making structural analysis by mass spectrometry indispensible. This chapter refers to state-of-the-art techniques in the site localization of O-linked glycans and their structural characterization in situ using tandem ESI and MALDI mass spectrometry. Detailed protocols are provided that describe the application of nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS with alternative fragmentation modes (collision-induced dissociation vs. electron-transfer dissociation) for the analysis of O-glycopeptides. Moreover, a top-down sequencing approach by MALDI-MS is presented that is based on the in-source decay of intact glycoproteins or large glycopeptides and allows a ladder sequencing of up to 70 amino acid residues from both termini with unequivocal assignment of modified sites.