High-sensitivity detection and postsource decay of 2-aminopyridine-derivatized oligosaccharides with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

The sensitivities of oligosaccharide derivatives in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) were compared using two matrixes, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) and alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA). For this purpose, maltopentaose was tagged with 2-aminopyridine (PA), 4-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (ABEE), and trimethyl-(p-aminophenyl)ammonium chloride (TMAPA). DHBA was more advantageous for enhancement than CHCA. Among the derivatives, the sensitivity with the PA-tagged maltopentaose showed a 100-fold improvement over the native one with DHBA as a matrix, while the oligesaccharide derivatized with ABEE and TMAPA gave 30- and 10-fold increases in sensitivity over the underivatized one. To obtain structural information from these derivatized oligosaccharides, postsource decay (PSD) during flight in the field-free drift in MALDI-TOFMS was measured. Predictable and reproducible fragmentation patterns could be obtained in all cases. Furthermore, we found matrix-dependence fragmentation with the PA-labeled oligosaccharide. With CHCA, a simple spectrum ascribable to Y series ions was obtained. On the other hand, both B and Y series ions were clearly observed in the DHBA case. The results demonstrate the usefulness of derivatives for sensitive analysis of oligosaccharides with MALDI.