The authors would like to thank Mr. Michael Connolly and Dr. Ronald Zuckermann (The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) for technique support in peptoid synthesis. We acknowledge the support from the National Science Foundation (CHE-1301505). All mass spectrometry experiments were conducted at the Chemistry Mass Spectrometry Facility at the University of the Pacific.

1. Synthesis of Peptoid
NOTE: The synthesis begins with activating the resin by swelling the resin and removing the protecting group. This is followed by growing the peptoid chain onto the resin through repeating monomer addition cycles. The first monomer coupled to the resin is the C-terminal residue. The peptoid is elongated from the C-terminus to the N-terminus. Once the desired peptoid sequence is achieved, the resin is cleaved off and the peptoid product is purified.
<ol>
	<li>Preparation of reagents 
	NOTE: The liquid reagents are measured using a micropipette and the solid reagents are measured using an analytical balance.
	<ol>
		<li>Mix 6.2 mL of N, N&#39;-diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) and 43.8 mL of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) to prepare a 0.8 M of DIC/DMF solution.</li>
		<li>Dissolve 5.56 g of BMA into 50.0 mL of DMF to prepare a 0.8 M BMA/DMF solution.</li>
		<li>Mix 2 mL of piperidine (Pip) and 8 mL of DMF to achieve 20% Pip/DMF solution.</li>
		<li>Dissolve 1.9 mL of Npe into 13.1 mL of DMF to achieve 1.0 M Npe/DMF.</li>
		<li>Dissolve 1.3 mL of Nme into 13.7 mL DMF to achieve 1.0 M Nme/DMF.</li>
		<li>Dissolve 0.32 mL&#160;of Nae into 2 mL of DMF to achieve 1.0 M Nae/DMF. 
		Caution: Most of the chemicals used in the synthesis are hazardous. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), DIC, Pip, and BMA are hazardous to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. DMF and dichloromethane (DCM) are suspected carcinogens. All reactions should be performed in a fume hood and appropriate personal protective equipment should be used. Please check the material safety data sheet (MSDS) of all chemicals used in the synthesis.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Resin activation
	<ol>
		<li>Measure out 84 mg of Rink amide resin (Resin, 0.047 mmol, loading 0.56 mmol/g) and add it to a 10 mL polypropylene solid-phase reaction vessel. Insert the plunger into the vessel.</li>
		<li>Add 2 mL of DMF to the reaction vessel and cap the vessel with a pressure cap. Place the vessel on a shaker, and agitate the vessel at room temperature at an angle of movement of approximately 12 degrees and 385 oscillations/min for 30 min. Drain the solution to a waste container by removing the cap and pushing the plunger of the reaction vessel.</li>
		<li>Add 2 mL of 20% Pip/DMF solution to the vessel and cap the vessel. Agitate it on the shaker for 2 min, and drain the solution to the waste container.</li>
		<li>Add 2 mL of 20% Pip/DMF solution to the vessel, cap the vessel, and agitate it at room temperature for 12 min. Remove the cap and drain the solution to the waste container.</li>
		<li>Wash the resin by adding 1 mL of DMF, capping the vessel, and agitating the vessel for 1 min. Remove the cap and drain the solution by pushing the plunger. Wash the Resin with DMF for 4 additional times.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Monomer addition and N-terminal acetylation 
	NOTE: Each monomer addition cycle involves two reaction steps, bromoacetylation and displacement.
	<ol>
		<li>Carry out the first monomer addition cycle to form Nme-Resin.</li>
		<li>Perform a bromoacetylation reaction. Mix 1 mL of 0.8 M BMA/DMF solution and 1 mL of 0.8 M DIC/DMF solution in a beaker. Transfer the mixture to a reaction vessel containing Resin and cap the vessel. Place the vessel on the shaker and agitate it at room temperature for 20 min. Remove the cap and drain the solution to the waste container.</li>
		<li>Wash the resin by adding 1 mL of DMF, capping the vessel, agitating it for 1 min, and draining the solution by pushing the plunger. Wash the resin by adding 1 mL of DCM, agitating the vessel for 1 min, and draining the solution. Wash the resin with DCM once more, and then wash it with DMF twice.</li>
		<li>Perform a displacement reaction. Add 1 mL of 1.0 M Nme/DMF solution, cap the vessel, agitate the vessel at room temperature for 60 min. Remove the cap and drain the solution by pushing the plunger.</li>
		<li>Wash the resin by adding 1 mL DMF, agitating the vessel for 1 min, and draining the solution by pushing the plunger. Wash the resin by drawing in 1 mL DCM, agitating for 1 min, and draining the solution. Wash DCM once more, followed by washing with DMF twice.</li>
		<li>Repeat monomer addition cycles from steps 1.3.2 to 1.3.5 to form Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-resin. When repeating the step of displacement reaction (1.3.4), use a specific amine solution according to the peptoid sequence. 
		NOTE: The peptoid chain is elongated from the C-terminus to the N-terminus with the C-terminal residue bound to the Resin.</li>
		<li>Perform N-terminal acetylation to form Ac-Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-resin.</li>
		<li>Mix 92 &#181;L of acetic anhydride, 43.5 &#181;L of N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA), and 2 mL of DMF in a beaker to make about 2 mL of acetylation cocktail.</li>
		<li>Add 2 mL of acetylation cocktail to the vessel containing resin, cap the vessel, and agitate it at room temperature for 60 min. Remove the cap and drain the solution by pushing the plunger.</li>
		<li>Wash the resin by adding 1 mL of DMF, agitating the vessel for 1 min, and draining the solution by pushing the plunger. Wash the resin by adding 1 mL of DCM, agitating the vessel for 1 min, and draining the solution. Repeat washing the resin with DCM once more, then wash with DMF twice more.</li>
		<li>Wash the resin by adding 1 mL of DCM, agitating the vessel for 1 min, and draining the solution by pushing the plunger. Repeat washing with DCM twice. Remove the cap and let the resin air-dry in the reaction vessel for 10 min.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Cleavage and purification
	<ol>
		<li>Mix 3.8 mL of TFA, 100 &#181;L of triisopropylsilane (TIPS), and 100 &#181;L of HPLC-grade H2O in a beaker to make 4 mL of cleavage cocktail.</li>
		<li>Add 4 mL of freshly made cleavage cocktail to the vessel containing resin, cap the vessel, and agitate it at room temperature for 2 h.</li>
		<li>Remove the cap and collect the filtrate solution into a 50 mL polypropylene centrifuge tube. Add 1 mL of TFA to the vessel, cap it, and agitate for 1 min. Collect the filtrate solution into the same centrifuge tube.</li>
		<li>Evaporate TFA by blowing in a stream of nitrogen gas gently until about 1 mL viscous solution is left.</li>
		<li>Add 15 mL of diethyl ether to the remaining solution, cap the centrifuge tube, and incubate it in a -20 &#176;C freezer for 2 h to overnight. The crude peptoid&#160;precipitates as white solid.</li>
		<li>Pellet the solid using a centrifuge at 4,427 x g for 10 min. Remove the cap of the centrifuge tube and decant diethyl ether into a beaker carefully without losing the solid. 
		Caution: Diethyl ether is a flammable organic solvent. Please use a diethyl ether safe centrifuge.</li>
		<li>Wash the solid by adding 10 mL of ice-cold diethyl ether into the centrifuge tube containing the solid, capping the tube, and placing it in the centrifuge. Perform centrifugation at 4,427 x g for 10 min. Remove the centrifuge tube from the centrifuge and decant diethyl ether into a beaker carefully without losing the solid.</li>
		<li>Dry the solid by gently blowing in a stream of nitrogen gas.</li>
		<li>Add 10 mL of HPLC-grade H2O to dissolve the dried solid. Pass the solution through a nylon syringe filter with pore size of 0.45 &#181;m, and collect the filtrate into a pre-weighted 50 mL polypropylene centrifuge tube.</li>
		<li>Shell freeze the solution by placing and rotating the centrifuge tube containing the peptoid solution in a 12-ounce, double-stacked expanded polystyrene cup 1/3 filled with liquid nitrogen. Lyophilize the frozen solution overnight to yield solid peptoid.</li>
		<li>Repeat lyophilization one more time by dissolving the solid peptoid into 10 mL of HPLC-grade H2O, shell freezing in liquid nitrogen, and lyophilizing overnight. The resulting peptoid is sufficiently pure for sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. MS Measurements and Sequence Analysis
NOTE: The MS/MS experiment is carried out in a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. Data collection is controlled by using the data acquisition software accompanied with the instrument. The general procedure includes 1) performing the full scan mass spectrometry experiment and recording the mass spectrum, 2) performing the CID MS/MS experiment and recording the MS/MS spectrum, and 3) comparing the MS/MS spectral data with theoretical fragmentation scheme predicted based on the structural feature of the peptoid.
<ol>
	<li>Preparation of sample solution
	<ol>
		<li>Weigh out 1.0 - 2.0 mg solid peptoid in a 3 - 5 mL glass vial. Add 1 mL mixed solvent of acetonitrile and water (ACN/H2O, 1:1, v/v) to dissolve the peptoid. This gives the stock sample solution with a concentration of about 10-3 M.</li>
		<li>Transfer 20 &#181;L of stock solution into a 1.5 mL centrifuge tube and add 1 mL mixed solvent of ACN/H2O to yield a diluted sample solution of about 10-5 M.</li>
		<li>Remove any possible insoluble particles in the diluted sample solution by performing centrifugation at 4,427 x g for 3 min. Transfer about 700 &#181;L of the top portion of the solution into another 1.5 mL centrifuge tube to make the peptoid MS working solution with concentration of about 10-5 M.</li>
		<li>Adjust the concentration of the MS working solution based on the observed signal intensity during mass spectrometry measurements.</li>
		<li>An alternative way to remove any possible insoluble particles in the diluted sample solution is to pass the sample solution through a 0.20 &#181;m syringe filter and collect the filtrate into a 1.5 mL centrifuge tube to make the peptoid MS working solution of about 10-5 M.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Recording mass spectra
	<ol>
		<li>Run mixed solvent of ACN/H2O (1:1, v/v) through the electrospray ionization (ESI) source and set up the instrument in a standard positive ion, full scan mass spectrometry mode with a mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) range of 100 - 1500. 
		Note: 
		Typical operating parameters: 
		ESI needle voltage, 5 kV 
		Capillary voltage, 40 V 
		Drying gas (nitrogen gas) temperature, 200 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Add approximately 300 &#181;L of peptoid MS working solution (about 10-5 M) into a 500 &#181;L or a 1 mL syringe and connect the syringe to the ESI inlet using capillary polyether ether ketone (PEEK) tubing. Place the syringe onto the syringe pump and set the flow rate at 10 &#181;L/min to infuse the sample solution into the ESI inlet.</li>
		<li>Turn on the ESI needle voltage to activate the ESI process, and then turn on the detector. Set the display in profile mode and the m/z range of 100 - 1,500. View a mass spectrum profile shown in the profile window. The peak at m/z 1,265 (displayed as m/z of 1,264.6) corresponds to the peptoid ion or protonated peptoid.</li>
		<li>Record the MS spectrum for 2 min. In the &#34;Method Window&#34;, use 2 min as the &#34;run time.&#34;&#160;Open the recording window and fill in a proper file name, and start to record the spectrum. 
		NOTE: The resulting mass spectrum is shown in Figure 3.</li>
		<li>Optimize the intensity of the peak at m/z of 1,265. Set the m/z range to 1,150 - 1,350 and adjust the capillary voltage while viewing the peak intensity in mV shown in the profile window. For example, increase the capillary voltage to 50 V or higher and view the change of the peak intensity. The optimal peak intensity is around 150 - 200 mV. 
		NOTE: Adjusting the capillary voltage can significantly change the abundance of certain ions. Increasing the capillary voltage may enhance the intensity of the peptoid ion. However, a high capillary voltage may also induce dissociation of the peptoid ion in the ion source, and decrease the observed intensity. Adjusting the temperature of drying gas may enhance the intensity of the peak at m/z 1,265, but it is less effective than adjusting the capillary voltage. If the peak at m/z 1,265 does not reach the optimal intensity, adjust the sample concentration (or example, double the concentration of the MS working solution).</li>
		<li>Switch the instrument to the MS/MS mode. Set the precursor ion at m/z 1,265 and the MS/MS mass range at m/z of 100 - 1,400. In the &#34;Method Window,&#34;&#160;use m/z 1,265 as the &#34;Q1 First Mass&#34; and leave the &#34;Q1 Last Mass&#34; blank. Use m/z 100 as the &#34;Q3 First Mass&#34; and m/z 1,400 as the &#34;Q3 Last Mass.&#34; 
		NOTE: In the MS/MS mode, the first quadrupole unit (Q1) functions as a mass filter to isolate the peptoid ion as the precursor ion, the second quadrupole unit (Q2) is a collision cell, and the third quadrupole unit (Q3) functions as a mass analyzer.</li>
		<li>Set the collision energy at 40 eV and the collision gas (argon, in this case) pressure at 1.5 mTorr.</li>
		<li>View a mass spectrum profile displayed in the profile window. The peak at m/z of 1,265 corresponds to the peptoid ion, and the peaks with lower m/z values represent the fragments from the peptoid ion.</li>
		<li>Adjust the collision energy to optimize the display of the fragmentation spectrum. For example, increase the collision energy to 45 eV and view the change of the spectrum profile. 
		NOTE: In general, increasing the collision energy will enhance the abundance of the fragment ions and reduce the abundance of the peptoid ion. Increasing the collision gas pressure will also enhance the abundance of the fragment ions. 
		Caution: Do not increase the collision gas pressure beyond 2 mTorr.</li>
		<li>Record the MS/MS spectrum for 2 min. In the &#34;Method Window,&#34;&#160;use 2 min as the &#34;run time.&#34;&#160;Open the recording window and fill in a proper file name, and start to record the spectrum.</li>
		<li>Repeat recording 1 - 2 times.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Peptoid sequence analysis 
	NOTE: Under the CID condition, the peptoid ion would fragment at the amide bonds along the peptoid backbone to produce a series of N-terminal fragments called B-ions, and a series of C-terminal fragments called Y-ions
	<ol>
		<li>Draw out the chemical structure of the acetylated peptoid by placing the N-terminus on the left side and the C-terminus on the right side, and draw a dashed line at each amide bond to generate a fragmentation scheme as shown in Figure 2a. Draw a proton with a dashed circle to indicate the charge carrier. Starting from the left side of the structure, place labels on the dashed lines to indicate the N-terminal fragments as B1, B2, to B8. Starting from the right side, place labels on the dashed lines to indicate the C-terminal fragments as Y1, Y2, to Y8. 
		NOTE: A chemical drawing software can be utilized to draw the peptoid structure.</li>
		<li>Imagine fragmentation at the 4th amide bond from the left side, and draw the structures of the N-terminal fragment and the C-terminal fragment with proper formal charges, as shown in Figure 2b. Place the label of B4 on the N-terminal fragment, and place the label of Y5 on the C-terminal fragment. Calculate the m/z value of B4 by summing up the nominal masses of the elements in the structure to yield a value of 580, and place m/z 580 on the N-terminal fragment. Calculate the m/z value of Y5 and place m/z 685 on the C-terminal fragment.</li>
		<li>Calculate the m/z values for all eight B ions and all eight Y ions, and assemble them in a table, as shown in Table 1. 
		NOTE: The m/z values of the fragments can be calculated using a chemical drawing software.</li>
		<li>Open the recorded MS/MS spectrum of the peptoid using the data review software accompanied with the instrument. Set the Labeling Preferences to &#34;Show Ion Labels&#34; and Label Threshold to 3%. This generates a MS/MS spectrum with m/z values labeled on the peaks.</li>
		<li>Export the MS/MS spectral data as a text file in the CSV format and reconstruct the spectrum using data processing software. Place m/z values on the peaks. The resulting MS/MS spectrum is shown in Figure 4. 
		NOTE: Some mass spectrometers are equipped with data processing software capable for generating the MS/MS spectrum. In this case, exporting the MS/MS spectral data is not necessary.</li>
		<li>Assign the m/z values shown on the MS/MS spectrum to those shown in Table 1 to identify the corresponding B- and Y-ions. For example, the peak at m/z 580 is identified as the B4-ion and m/z 685 is identified as the Y5-ion. Label the peaks with corresponding B and Y symbols on the spectrum, as shown in Figure 4.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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Mass Spectrom. 308 (1), 98-108 (2011).</li><li>Bogdanov, B., Zhao, X., Robinson, D. B., Ren, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electron+Capture+Dissociation+Studies+of+the+Fragmentation+Patterns+of+Doubly+Protonated+and+Mixed+Protonated-Sodiated+Peptoids.">Electron Capture Dissociation Studies of the Fragmentation Patterns of Doubly Protonated and Mixed Protonated-Sodiated Peptoids.</a> J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 25 (7), 1202-1216 (2014).</li><li>Ren, J., Tian, Y., Hossain, E., Connolly, M. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fragmentation+Patterns+and+Mechanisms+of+Singly+and+Doubly+Protonated+Peptoids+Studied+by+Collision+Induced+Dissociation.">Fragmentation Patterns and Mechanisms of Singly and Doubly Protonated Peptoids Studied by Collision Induced Dissociation.</a> J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 27 (4), 646-661 (2016).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

A nonamer peptoid, Ac-Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-NH2, has been synthesized using the protocol presented. The synthesis apparatus involves a syringe-like polypropylene solid-phase reaction vessel and a mechanical shaker. The reaction vessels are commercially available and low cost. A mechanical shaker is a common apparatus in chemistry laboratories. With the use of a syringe-like reaction vessel, solutions can be drawn into and pushed out of the vessel by manually moving the plunger. This technique allows the mo...

Peptoids are a class of sequence-controlled polymers with backbone structures mimicking the structure of peptides. Peptoids can be synthesized from diverse amines, which enables peptoids to exhibit highly tunable properties1,2. Peptoids have been used as molecular models for biophysical research, considered as therapeutic agents, and designed as ligands for proteins3,4,5,6. Peptoids have been developed into a variety of biologically active compounds, such as anti-fouling and antibody-mimetic materials, antimicrobial agents, and enzyme inhibitors7,8,9. With a highly ordered and tunable nature, peptoids have also been thought of as a type of molecular information storage10. The discovery of these diverse applications calls for the development of efficient analytical methods to characterize the sequence and structure of peptoids. Tandem mass spectrometry-based techniques have shown promise as the method of choice for analyzing the sequence properties of sequence-controlled polymers, including peptoids11,12,13,14,15. However, systematic studies correlating the peptoid ion fragmentation patterns resulting from mass spectrometry studies and the structural information of peptoids are very limited.
Peptoids can be readily synthesized using a solid phase method. The well-developed method involves an iteration of a two-step monomer addition cycle16,17. In each addition cycle, a resin-bound amine is acetylated by a haloacetic acid (typically bromoacetic acid, BMA), and this is followed by a displacement reaction with a primary amine. Although automated synthesis protocols have been routinely applied for peptoid synthesis, peptoids can be synthesized manually with excellent yields in a standard chemistry laboratory16,18,19,20.
Our lab has adopted the method of manual peptoid synthesis and simplified the apparatus used in the existing methods. We have previously studied the fragmentation patterns of a series of peptoids using MS/MS techniques21,22,23. Our results show that peptoids produce characteristic fragmentations when they are subjected to collision-induced dissociation (CID)21,23 or electron-capture dissociation (ECD)22 experiments. In this article, we demonstrate how oligo-peptoids can be synthesized in a standard&#160;chemistry laboratory, how to perform the CID experiments using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, and how to analyze the spectral data. The peptoid to be synthesized and characterized is a nonamer with N-terminal acetylation and C-terminal amidation, Ac-Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-NH2. The structure of the peptoid is shown in Figure 1.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>ESI-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, Varian 320L</td>
			<td>Agilent Technologies Inc.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>The mass spectrometer was acquired from Varian, Inc.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Varian MS workstation, Version 6.9.2, a data acquisition and data review software</td>
			<td>Varian Inc.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>The software is a part of the Varian 320L package</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Burrell Scientific Wrist-action shaker, Model 75 DD</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific International Inc.</td>
			<td>14-400-126</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hermle Centrifuge, Model Z 206 A</td>
			<td>Hermle Labortechnik GmbH</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Solid phase reaction vessel, 10 mL</td>
			<td>Torviq</td>
			<td>SF-1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pressure caps for reaction vessels</td>
			<td>Torviq</td>
			<td>PC-SF</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe filters, pore size 0.2 &#956;m</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Inc.</td>
			<td>03-391-3B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe filters, pore size 0.45 &#956;m</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Inc.</td>
			<td>03-391-3A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polypropylene centrifuge tuges, 50 mL</td>
			<td>VWR International, LLC.</td>
			<td>490001-626</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polypropylene centrifuge tuges, 15 mL</td>
			<td>VWR International, LLC.</td>
			<td>490001-620</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ChemBioDraw, Ultra, Version 12.0</td>
			<td>CambridgeSoft Corporation</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>CambridgeSoft is now part of PerkinElmer Inc.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Styrofoam cup, 12 Oz</td>
			<td>Common Supermarket</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rink amide resin</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International, Inc.</td>
			<td>10619</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Piperidine</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International, Inc.</td>
			<td>02351</td>
			<td>Highly toxic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N, N&#8217;-diisopropylcarbodiimide</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International, Inc.</td>
			<td>00110</td>
			<td>Highly toxic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bromoacetic acid</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International, Inc.</td>
			<td>26843</td>
			<td>Highly toxic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2-Phenylethylamine</td>
			<td>VWR International, LLC.</td>
			<td>EM8.07334.0250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2-Methyoxyethylamine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC.</td>
			<td>241067</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N-Boc-ethylenediamine</td>
			<td>VWR International, LLC.</td>
			<td>AAAL19947-06</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetic anhydride</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC.</td>
			<td>252845</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N, N-dimethylformamide</td>
			<td>VWR International, LLC.</td>
			<td>BDH1117-4LG</td>
			<td>Further distillation before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N, N-diisopropylethylamine</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International, Inc.</td>
			<td>00141</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triisopropylsilane</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International, Inc.</td>
			<td>01966</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trifluoroacetic acid</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International, Inc.</td>
			<td>00289</td>
			<td>Highly toxic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Millipore MILLI-Q Academic Water Purification System</td>
			<td>Millipore Corporation</td>
			<td>ZMQP60001</td>
			<td>For generating HPLC grade water</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HPLC-grade Water</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Produced from Millipore MILLI-Q&#174; Academic Water Purification System</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Methanol</td>
			<td>Pharmco-Aaper</td>
			<td>339USP/NF</td>
			<td>HPLC grade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetonitrile</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific International, Inc.</td>
			<td>A998-4</td>
			<td>HPLC grade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Diethyl ether</td>
			<td>VWR International, LLC.</td>
			<td>BDH1121-19L</td>
			<td>Further distillation before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dichloromethane</td>
			<td>VWR International, LLC.</td>
			<td>BDH1113-19L</td>
			<td>Further distillation before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nitrogen gas</td>
			<td>Fresno Oxygen/Barnes Supply</td>
			<td>NIT 50-C-F</td>
			<td>Ultra high purity, 99.9995%</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Argon gas</td>
			<td>Fresno Oxygen/Barnes Supply</td>
			<td>ARG 50-C-F</td>
			<td>Ultra high purity, 99.9995%</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

synthesis and mass spectrometry analysis of oligo-peptoids

Peptoids are sequence-controlled peptide-mimicking oligomers consisting of N-alkylated glycine units. Among many potential applications, peptoids have been thought of as a type of molecular information storage. Mass spectrometry analysis has been considered the method of choice for sequencing peptoids. Peptoids can be synthesized via solid phase chemistry using a repeating two-step reaction cycle. Here we present a method to manually synthesize oligo-peptoids and to analyze the sequence of the peptoids using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) techniques. The sample peptoid is a nonamer consisting of alternating N-(2-methyloxyethyl)glycine (Nme) and N-(2-phenylethyl)glycine (Npe), as well as an N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (Nae) at the N-terminus. The sequence formula of the peptoid is Ac-Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-NH2, where Ac is the acetyl group. The synthesis takes place in a commercially available solid-phase reaction vessel. The rink amide resin is used as the solid support to yield the peptoid with an amide group at the C-terminus. The resulting peptoid product is subjected to sequence analysis using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to an electrospray ionization source. The MS/MS measurement produces a spectrum of fragment ions resulting from the dissociation of charged peptoid. The fragment ions are sorted out based on the values of their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). The m/z values of the fragment ions are compared against the nominal masses of theoretically predicted fragment ions, according to the scheme of peptoid fragmentation. The analysis generates a fragmentation pattern of the charged peptoid. The fragmentation pattern is correlated to the monomer sequence of the neutral peptoid. In this regard, MS analysis reads out the sequence information of the peptoids.

The structure of a 9-mer peptoid with N-terminal acetylation, Ac-Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-NH2, is shown in Figure 1. The peptoid was synthesized manually in a fritted polypropylene reaction vessel via solid phase approach. Rink amide resin (0.047 mmol, 84 mg with loading 0.56 mmol/g) is used as the solid support to yield the peptoid with an amidated C-terminus. The peptoid chain is built by multiple cycles of monomer addition. Each monomer additio...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Synthesis and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Oligo-peptoids at JoVE.com

Synthesis and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Oligo-peptoids

A protocol is described for the manual synthesis of oligo-peptoids followed by sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.

Peptoids are sequence-controlled peptide-mimicking oligomers consisting of N-alkylated glycine units. Among many potential applications, peptoids have ...

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10.6K Views.  University of the Pacific. A protocol is described for the manual synthesis of oligo-peptoids followed by sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.

Video: Synthesis and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Oligo-peptoids

Analyzing Protein Dynamics Using Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry

All cellular processes depend on the functionality of proteins. Although the functionality of a given protein is the direct consequence of its unique amino acid sequence, it is only realized by the folding of the polypeptide chain into a single defined three-dimensional arrangement or more commonly into an ensemble of interconverting conformations. Investigating the connection between protein conformation and its function is therefore essential for a complete understanding of how proteins are able to fulfill their great variety of tasks. One possibility to study conformational changes a protein undergoes while progressing through its functional cycle is hydrogen-1H/2H-exchange in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HX-MS). HX-MS is a versatile and robust method that adds a new dimension to structural information obtained by e.g. crystallography. It is used to study protein folding and unfolding, binding of small molecule ligands, protein-protein interactions, conformational changes linked to enzyme catalysis, and allostery. In addition, HX-MS is often used when the amount of protein is very limited or crystallization of the protein is not feasible. Here we provide a general protocol for studying protein dynamics with HX-MS and describe as an example how to reveal the interaction interface of two proteins in a complex. &#160;&#160;

Protein conformation and dynamics are key to understanding the relationship between protein structure and function. Hydrogen exchange coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry is a versatile method to study the conformational dynamics of proteins as well as characterizing protein-ligand and protein-protein interactions, including contact interfaces and allosteric effects.

All cellular processes depend on the functionality of proteins. Although the functionality of a given protein is the direct consequence of its unique ...

Analysis of Volatile and Oxidation Sensitive Compounds Using a Cold Inlet System and Electron Impact Mass Spectrometry

This video presents a protocol for the mass spectrometrical analysis of volatile and oxidation sensitive compounds using electron impact ionization. The analysis of volatile and oxidation sensitive compounds by mass spectrometry is not easily achieved, as all state-of-the-art mass spectrometric methods require at least one sample preparation step, e.g., dissolution and dilution of the analyte (electrospray ionization), co-crystallization of the analyte with a matrix compound (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization), or transfer of the prepared samples into the ionization source of the mass spectrometer, to be conducted under atmospheric conditions. Here, the use of a sample inlet system is described which enables the analysis of volatile metal organyls, silanes, and phosphanes using a sector field mass spectrometer equipped with an electron impact ionization source. All sample preparation steps and the sample introduction into the ion source of the mass spectrometer take place either under air-free conditions or under vacuum, enabling the analysis of compounds highly susceptible to oxidation. The presented technique is especially of interest for inorganic chemists, working with metal organyls, silanes, or phosphanes, which have to be handled using inert conditions, such as the Schlenk technique. The principle of operation is presented in this video.

This video presents a protocol for the mass spectrometrical analysis of volatile and oxidation sensitive compounds using electron impact ionization. The presented technique is especially of interest for inorganic chemists, working with metal organyls, silanes, or phosphanes which have to be handled using inert conditions, such as the Schlenk technique.

This video presents a protocol for the mass spectrometrical analysis of volatile and oxidation sensitive compounds using electron impact ionization. The ...

Visualization of Ambient Mass Spectrometry with the Use of Schlieren Photography

This manuscript outlines how to visualize mass spectrometry ambient ionization sources using schlieren photography. In order to properly optimize the mass spectrometer, it is necessary to characterize and understand the physical principles of the source. Most commercial ambient ionization sources utilize jets of nitrogen, helium, or atmospheric air to facilitate the ionization of the analyte. As a consequence, schlieren photography can be used to visualize the gas streams by exploiting the differences in refractive index between the streams and ambient air for visualization in real time. The basic setup requires a camera, mirror, flashlight, and razor blade. When properly configured, a real time image of the source is observed by watching its reflection. This allows for insight into the mechanism of action in the source, and pathways to its optimization can be elucidated. Light is shed on an otherwise invisible situation.

This paper presents a protocol for the visualization of gaseous streams of an ambient ionization source using schlieren photography and mass spectrometry.

This manuscript outlines how to visualize mass spectrometry ambient ionization sources using schlieren photography. In order to properly optimize the mass ...

Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

We demonstrate that direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry can be used to produce mass spectral profiles of botanical material, and that these chemical fingerprints can be used for plant species identification. The mass spectral data can be acquired rapidly and in a high throughput manner without the need for sample extraction, derivatization or pH adjustment steps. The use of this technique bypasses challenges presented by more conventional techniques including lengthy chromatography analysis times and resource intensive methods. The high throughput capabilities of the direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry protocol, coupled with multivariate statistical analysis processing of the data, provide not only class characterization of plants, but also yield species and varietal information. Here, the technique is demonstrated with two psychoactive plant products, Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) and Datura (Jimsonweed), which were subjected to direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry followed by statistical analysis processing of the mass spectral data. The application of these tools in tandem enabled the plant materials to be rapidly identified at the level of variety and species.

A method for species identification of botanical material by direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis is presented.

We demonstrate that direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry can be used to produce mass spectral profiles of botanical material, ...

Real-time Breath Analysis by Using Secondary Nanoelectrospray Ionization Coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have aroused considerable interest, since they can serve as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and environmental exposure in a non-invasive manner. In this work, we present a protocol to characterize the exhaled VOCs in real time by using secondary nanoelectrospray ionization coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (Sec-nanoESI-HRMS). The homemade Sec-nanoESI source was readily set up based on a commercial nanoESI source. Hundreds of peaks were observed in the background-subtracted mass spectra of exhaled breath, and the mass accuracy values are -4.0-13.5 ppm and -20.3-1.3 ppm in the positive and negative ion detection modes, respectively. The peaks were assigned with accurate elemental composition according to the accurate mass and isotopic pattern. Less than 30 s is used for one exhalation measurement, and it takes approximately 7 min for six replicated measurements.

A protocol for characterizing chemical composition of exhaled breath in real time by using secondary nanoelectrospray ionization coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry is demonstrated.

Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have aroused considerable interest, since they can serve as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and environmental ...

Analyzing Protein Architectures and Protein-Ligand Complexes by Integrative Structural Mass Spectrometry

Proteins are an important class of biological macromolecules that play many key roles in cellular functions including gene expression, catalyzing metabolic reactions, DNA repair and replication. Therefore, a detailed understanding of these processes provides critical information on how cells function. Integrative structural MS methods offer structural and dynamical information on protein complex assembly, complex connectivity, subunit stoichiometry, protein oligomerization and ligand binding. Recent advances in integrative structural MS have allowed for the characterization of challenging biological systems including large DNA binding proteins and membrane proteins. This protocol describes how to integrate diverse MS data such as native MS and ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) with molecular dynamics simulations to gain insights into a helicase-nuclease DNA repair protein complex. The resulting approach provides a framework for detailed studies of ligand binding to other protein complexes involved in important biological processes.

Mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as an important tool for the investigation of structure and dynamics of macromolecular assemblies. Here, we integrate MS-based approaches to interrogate protein complex formation and ligand binding.

Proteins are an important class of biological macromolecules that play many key roles in cellular functions including gene expression, catalyzing ...

Integrated Cell Manipulation Platform Coupled with the Single-probe for Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Drugs and Metabolites in Single Suspension Cells

Single cell mass spectrometry (SCMS) enables sensitive detection and accurate analysis of broad ranges of cellular species on the individual-cell level. The single-probe, a microscale sampling and ionization device, can be coupled with a mass spectrometer for on-line, rapid SCMS analysis of cellular constituents under ambient conditions. Previously, the single-probe SCMS technique was primarily used to measure cells immobilized onto a substrate, limiting the types of cells for studies. In the current study, the single-probe SCMS technology has been integrated with a cell manipulation system, typically used for in vitro fertilization. This integrated cell manipulation and analysis platform uses a cell-selection probe to capture identified individual floating cells and transfer the cells to the single-probe tip for microscale lysis, followed by immediate mass spectrometry analysis. This capture and transfer process removes the cells from the surrounding solution prior to analysis, minimizing the introduction of matrix molecules in the mass spectrometry analysis. This integrated setup is capable of SCMS analysis of targeted patient-isolated cells present in body fluids samples (e.g., urine, blood, saliva, etc.), allowing for potential applications of SCMS analysis to human medicine and disease biology.

An integrated cell manipulation platform is developed for use in conjunction with a single-probe mass spectrometry setup for the on-line analysis of individual suspension cells under ambient conditions.

Single cell mass spectrometry (SCMS) enables sensitive detection and accurate analysis of broad ranges of cellular species on the individual-cell level. ...

Analysis of Complex Molecules and Their Reactions on Surfaces by Means of Cluster-Induced Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Desorption/Ionization Induced by Neutral SO2 Clusters (DINeC) is employed as a very soft and efficient desorption/ionization technique for mass spectrometry (MS) of complex molecules and their reactions on surfaces. DINeC is based on a beam of SO2 clusters impacting on the sample surface at low cluster energy. During cluster-surface impact, some of the surface molecules are desorbed and ionized via dissolvation in the impacting cluster; as a result of this dissolvation-mediated desorption mechanism, low cluster energy is sufficient and the desorption process is extremely soft. Both surface adsorbates and molecules of which the surface is composed of can be analyzed. Clear and fragmentation-free spectra from complex molecules such as peptides and proteins are obtained. DINeC does not require any special sample preparation, in particular no matrix has to be applied. The method yields quantitative information on the composition of the samples; molecules at a surface coverage as low as 0.1 % of a monolayer can be detected. Surface reactions such as H/D exchange or thermal decomposition can be observed in real-time and the kinetics of the reactions can be deduced. Using a pulsed nozzle for cluster beam generation, DINeC can be efficiently combined with ion trap mass spectrometry. The matrix-free and soft nature of the DINeC process in combination with the MSn capabilities of the ion trap allows for very detailed and unambiguous analysis of the chemical composition of complex organic samples and organic adsorbates on surfaces.

Neutral SO2 clusters of low kinetic energy (&#60; 0.8 eV/constituent) are used to desorb complex surface molecules such as peptides or lipids for further analysis by means of mass spectrometry using an ion trap mass spectrometer. No special sample preparation is required, and real-time observation of reactions is possible.

Desorption/Ionization Induced by Neutral SO2 Clusters (DINeC) is employed as a very soft and efficient desorption/ionization technique for mass ...

Capillary Electrophoresis-based Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange for Conformational Characterization of Proteins with Top-down Mass Spectrometry

Resolving conformational heterogeneity of multiple protein states that coexist in solution remains one of the main obstacles in the characterization of protein therapeutics and the determination of the conformational transition pathways critical for biological functions, ranging from molecular recognition to enzymatic catalysis. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) reaction coupled with top-down mass spectrometric (MS) analysis provides a means to characterize protein higher-order structures and dynamics in a conformer-specific manner. The conformational resolving power of this technique is highly dependent on the efficiencies of separating protein states at the intact protein level and minimizing the residual non-deuterated protic content during the HDX reactions. 
Here we describe a capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based variant of the HDX MS approach that aims to improve the conformational resolution. In this approach, proteins undergo HDX reactions while migrating through a deuterated background electrolyte solution (BGE) during the capillary electrophoretic separation. Different protein states or proteoforms that coexist in solution can be efficiently separated based on their differing charge-to-size ratios. The difference in electrophoretic mobility between proteins and protic solvent molecules minimizes the residual non-deuterated solvent, resulting in a nearly complete deuterating environment during the HDX process. The flow-through microvial CE-MS interface allows efficient electrospray ionization of the eluted protein species following a rapid mixing with the quenching and denaturing modifier solution at the outlet of the sprayer. The online top-down MS analysis measures the global deuteration level of the eluted intact protein species, and subsequently, the deuteration of their gas-phase fragments. This paper demonstrates this approach in differential HDX for systems, including the natural protein variants coexisting in milk.

Presented here is a protocol for a capillary electrophoresis-based hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) approach coupled with top-down mass spectrometry. This approach characterizes the difference in higher-order structures between different protein species, including proteins in different states and different proteoforms, by conducting concurrent differential HDX and electrophoretic separation.

Resolving conformational heterogeneity of multiple protein states that coexist in solution remains one of the main obstacles in the characterization of ...

Characterizing RNA Modifications in Single Neurons Using Mass Spectrometry

Post-transcriptional modifications (PTMs) of RNA represent an understudied mechanism involved in the regulation of translation in the central nervous system (CNS). Recent evidence has linked specific neuronal RNA modifications to learning and memory paradigms. Unfortunately, conventional methods for the detection of these epitranscriptomic features are only capable of characterizing highly abundant RNA modifications in bulk tissues, precluding the assessment of unique PTM profiles that may exist for individual neurons within the activated behavioral circuits. In this protocol, an approach is described&#8212;single-neuron RNA modification analysis by mass spectrometry (SNRMA-MS)&#8212;to simultaneously detect and quantify numerous modified ribonucleosides in single neurons. The approach is validated using individual neurons of the marine mollusk, Aplysia californica, beginning with surgical isolation and enzymatic treatment of major CNS ganglia to expose neuron cell bodies, followed by manual single-neuron isolation using sharp needles and a micropipette. Next, mechanical and thermal treatment of the sample in a small volume of buffer is done to liberate RNA from an individual cell for subsequent RNA digestion. Modified nucleosides are then identified and quantified using an optimized liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. SNRMA-MS is employed to establish RNA modification patterns for single, identified neurons from A. californica that have known morphologies and functions. Examples of qualitative and quantitative SNRMA-MS are presented that highlight the heterogeneous distribution of RNA modifications across individual neurons in neuronal networks.

Post-transcriptional modifications of RNA represent an understudied layer of translation regulation that has recently been linked to central nervous system plasticity. Here, sample preparation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach is described for simultaneous characterization of numerous RNA modifications in single neurons.

Post-transcriptional modifications (PTMs) of RNA represent an understudied mechanism involved in the regulation of translation in the central nervous ...