[M + H + 16]+ ions were observed in the electrospray ionization mass spectra of several synthetic and naturally occurring peptides. Initial results have shown that the appearance of the modification is dependent on the field strength at the electrospray needle and the flow rate of the solution passing through the capillary. Mass spectrometric experiments on peptides showing the + 16 Da modification attributed the change to the selective oxidation of either a methionyl, tryptophanyl, or tyrosyl residue present in the peptide. These results were further confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry experiments on peptides with a methionyl residue at either the N- or C-terminus, or within the peptide chain. This effect can occur under normal operating conditions and therefore care must be taken in the analysis of samples containing these oxidizable residues. Conversely, the selectivity of the oxidative process may be used to enhance the information obtained from the mass spectrometric analysis. For example, we show results for the analysis of a tryptic digest of the protein myoglobin where the occurrence of the [M + H + 16]+ ion is used, along with the molecular weight data, to correctly identify the trypic fragment.

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A diverse set of 320 compounds from the Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals organic compound repository was prepared as 20-mM DMSO solutions and stored at 4°C under argon in pressurized canisters to simulate a low-humidity environment. The plates were subjected to 25 freeze/thaw cycles while being exposed to ambient atmospheric conditions after each thaw to simulate the time and manner by which compound plates are exposed to the atmosphere during typical liquid-handling and high-throughput screening processes. High-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry with evaporative light-scattering detection was used to quantitate the amount of compound remaining after every 5th freeze/thaw cycle. Control plates were stored either at room temperature under argon or at 4°C under argon without freeze/thaw cycling and were evaluated at the midpoint and the endpoint of the study. The study was conducted over a short time period (i.e., 7 weeks) to minimize the effect of compound degradation over time due to the exposure of the compounds to DMSO.The results from this study will be used to determine the maximum number of freeze/thaw cycles that can be achieved while maintaining acceptable compound integrity.(Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2003:210-215)

The stability of approximately 7200 compounds stored as 20-mM DMSO solutions under ambient conditions was monitored for 1 year. Compound integrity was measured by flow injection analysis using positive and negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Each sample was assessed at the beginning of the study, after 12 months of storage, and at a randomized time point between the initial and final time points of the study. The relationship between length of storage and the probability of observing the compound was described by a repeated-measures logistic regression model. The probability of observing the compound was 92% after 3 months of storage at room temperature, 83% after 6 months, and 52% after 1 year in DMSO. An acceptable limit for compound loss and corresponding maximum storage time for samples in DMSO can be determined based on these results.( Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2003:205-209)

High-throughput screening of combinatorial libraries has evolved from studying large diverse libraries to analyzing small, structurally similar, focused libraries. This paradigm shift has generated a need for rapid screening technologies to screen both diverse and focused libraries in a simple, efficient, and inexpensive manner. We have proactively addressed these needs by developing a high-throughput, solution-based method combining size exclusion (SEC), two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2-D LC), and mass spectrometry (MS) for determining the relative binding of drug candidates in small, focused medicinal libraries against human serum albumin (HSA). Two types of libraries were used to evaluate the performance of the system. The first consisted of five diverse ligands with a wide range of hydrophobicities and whose association constants to HSA cover 3 orders of magnitude. A beta-lactam library composed of structurally similar compounds was used to further confirm the validity of the methodology. The ability to distinguish site-specific interactions of drugs competing for individual domains of the HSA receptor is also demonstrated. Comparison of chromatographic profiles of the library components before and after incubation with the receptor using multiple reaction monitoring allowed a ranking of the ligands according to their relative binding affinities. The observed rankings correlate closely with literature values of the association constants between the respective ligands and HSA. This simple, rugged methodology can screen a wide spectrum of chemical entities from combinatorial mixtures in less than 6 min.