Localization of Multiple -Linked Glycans Exhibited in Isomeric Glycopeptides by Hot Electron Capture Dissociation.

We describe a method to obtain a comprehensive profile of multiple glycosylations in glycopeptide isoforms. We detected a wide range of abundances of various -glycoforms in isomeric glycopeptides using hot electron capture dissociation (hot ECD) in liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. To capture low abundant glycosylated species, a prototype of a ZenoTOF 7600 system incorporating an efficient electron-activated dissociation device to perform hot ECD was operated in targeted or scheduled high-resolution multiple reaction monitoring workflows. In addition, Zeno trap pulsing was activated to enhance the sensitivity of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Sixty-nine -glycopeptides of the long -glycopeptides in tryptic bovine fetuin digest were obtained with a relative abundance range from 100 to 0.2%, which included sialylated glycans with Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc.