Publication
Title
The flight of macromolecular complexes in a mass spectrometer
Author
Abstract
The discovery that conditions can be found such that noncovalent macromolecular complexes can survive the transition from solution to gas phase and remain intact during their flight in a mass spectrometer is an intriguing observation. While the nature of the interaction between the components, either ionic, hydrophobic or van der Waals, undoubtedly has an effect on the stability of these gas phase species, the role of small molecules in conferring additional stability is often overlooked. Here we review historical aspects of the development of mass spectrometry for macromolecular complexes with particular focus on the role of small molecules in stabilizing gasphase complexes. Moreover, we demonstrate how the dissociation of small molecules from subunits within a macromolecular complex can be used to probe the topological arrangement. Overall, therefore, we show that mass spectrometry used in this way is capable of addressing features of the energy landscape not readily accessed by traditional structural biology approaches.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society : mathematical, physical and engineering sciences. - London, 1996, currens
Publication
London : Royal Society , 2005
ISSN
1364-503X [print]
1471-2962 [online]
DOI
10.1098/RSTA.2004.1498
Volume/pages
363 :1827 (2005) , p. 379-391
ISI
000226839500007
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Publication type
Subject
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 30.06.2011
Last edited 29.01.2023
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