Desorption of ions from locust tissues. III. Study of a metabolite of A-destruxin using fast-atom bombardment linked-scan mass spectrometry.

The process of the detoxification of A-destruxin into a polar linear peptide in vivo in Locusta migratoria has been demonstrated using both high performance liquid chromatography and negative-ion fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The final structure of the metabolite, after synthesis and comparison of retention time with the component in the crude biological mixture, was elucidated by positive-ion fast-atom bombardment linked-scan mass spectrometry. Diagnostic fragment ions produced by collision-induced dissociation are discussed.