Protein N-terminal analysis using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.

Fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry was employed to identify and quantitate dansyl amino acids obtained in the N-terminal analysis of proteins. FAB mass spectra of dansyl amino acids are characterized by intense quasimolecular ions formed by cationization of the molecular species and fragment ions produced by cleavage of the bonds on either side of the sulfanyl group. Investigation of the dansyl amino acid responses using dansyl aminobutyric acid as an internal standard showed that dansyl amino acids can be determined quantitatively at a level of 0.1 nmol. N-terminal residue analysis was performed on a number of proteins to substantiate the technique including bovine serum albumin, pepsinogen, trypsinogen, bromelain, ribonuclease A, and bacteriophage P-22 tail protein.