Name: a study of the complexation of mercury(ii) with dicysteinyl tetrapeptides by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Uploaded: 2016-01-08T13:00:01
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Study of the Complexation of MercuryII with Dicysteinyl Tetrapeptides by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry at JoVE.com

M.N-S acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation, RUI grant CHE 1011859. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Triad Mass Spectrometry Facility at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for use of the Thermo Fisher Scientific LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer. The authors thank Daniel Todd, Vincent Sica, and Brandie Erhmann at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for helpful suggestions and comments regarding this work.

Note: Please consult all relevant material safety data sheets (MSDS) before use. Mercury chloride is a toxic chemical. Personal protective equipment (gloves, safety goggles, and lab coat) must be worn when handing it and all associated solutions. Dispose of solutions in clearly labeled chemical waste bottles designated for heavy metals.
1. Preparation of 5 mM Degassed Ammonium Formate Buffer, pH 7.5
<ol>
	<li>Dissolve 0.1576 g of ammonium formate buffer in 450 ml of HPLC grade water. Adjust ...

<ol>
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The hydrophobic dicysteinyl tetrapeptide CGGC (C10H18N4O5S2; MW = 338) (Figure 1), forms complexes with mercury(II) as shown in Figure 2 and Table 1. Additionally, it forms peptide dimers and trimers incrementally as the amount of peptide increases in the reaction mixture. As shown by the m/z values of the associated dimers [(2M+H)+ = 677] and trimers [(3M+H)+ = 1015], the thiol groups of CGGC d...

Current clinical drugs prescribed for chelation therapy of mercury poisoning1 contain thiol group(s), which is/are responsible for binding and sequestering mercury ions2,3. However, studies have shown that these small thiol compounds [dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and dimercaptopropane-sulfonic acid (DMPS)] are not optimal for mercury chelation therapy4-6. Therefore, there is a need to understand the association and complex formation tendencies of mercury with thiols to enhance the rational drug design of thiol compounds for mercury chelation. Recently, we reported that n-alkyl and aryl dicysteinyl tripeptides with dithiol groups can serve as effective "double anchors" to accommodate the coordination sites of mercury(II) to form 1:1 mercury(II):peptide and 1:2 mercury(II):(peptide)2 complexes7. Additionally, we studied the effect of increasing cysteinyl residues on complex type formations8. In this study, we investigate the association of mercury(II) with two dicysteinyl tetrapeptides, where the cysteinyl residues are separated by two amino acid residues. In order to evaluate the effect of auxiliary binding groups for mercury, the intervening amino acids are either two glycine (unsubstituted) residues or two glutamic acid (gamma-carboxylated) residues. 
The reaction of cysteinyl peptide with mercury(II) requires conditions that will prevent the oxidation of the cysteinyl thiol groups to form disulfide bonds9. Moreover, the association of mercury(II) with cysteinyl peptides to form various types of mercury-peptide complexes is dependent on the initial ratio of mercury(II): peptide in the reaction mixture7,8. The types of mercury-peptide complexes formed in these reaction mixtures can be analyzed by soft-ionization mass spectroscopy, which is a sensitive analytical tool for determining species interactions between metal ions and peptides10-14. Accordingly, it will provide a profile of the various types of mercuriated peptide adducts that are formed under a specified electrospray ionization condition. Here, we will show how cysteinyl peptides and mercury(II) chloride solutions can be prepared in degassed ammonium formate buffer solution blanketed with argon to minimize oxidation. By reacting varying mole equivalents of mercury(II) with dicysteinyl tetrapeptides, we will show how the initial ratio of mercury(II):peptide has an effect on the types of complexes formed. We will also show how electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry can be used as a characterization tool to provide an accurate stoichiometry of mercury to peptide in the complexes formed. The associated video protocol will demonstrate the experimental conditions for preparing the mercury complexes, the procedure for analyzing the reaction mixtures under specified electrospray ionization conditions, and the characterization of the stoichiometries of mercury(II)-dicysteinyl tetrapeptide complexes, based on the distinct mercury isotope distribution patterns, by using the ChemCal program15. It is intended to assist those who are interested in using ESI orbitrap mass spectrometry to analyze various complexes formed by metal ions that exist in different isotopic forms.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="573">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Mercury(II) chloride</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">429724</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Highly toxic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Ammonium formate</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">516961</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Formic acid</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">F0507</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Ammonium hydroxide</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>A512-P500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">HPLC water</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">W5-4</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">HPLC Acetonitrile</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BP2405-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">HPLC Methanol</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A452-4</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a study of the complexation of mercury(ii) with dicysteinyl tetrapeptides by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

In this study we evaluated a method for the characterization of complexes, formed in different relative ratios of mercury(II) to dicysteinyl tetrapeptide, by electrospray ionization orbitrap mass spectrometry. This strategy is based on previous successful characterization of mercury-dicysteinyl complexes involving tripeptides by utilizing mass spectrometry among other techniques. Mercury(II) chloride and a dicysteinyl tetrapeptide were incubated in a degassed buffered medium at varying stoichiometric ratios. The complexes formed were subsequently analyzed on an electrospray mass spectrometer consisting of a hybrid linear ion- and orbi- trap mass analyzer. The electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) spectra were acquired in the positive mode and the observed peaks were then analyzed for distinct mercury isotopic distribution patterns and associated monoisotopic peak. This work demonstrates that an accurate stoichiometry of mercury and peptide in the complexes formed under specified electrospray ionization conditions can be determined by using high resolution ESI MS based on distinct mercury isotopic distribution patterns.

A study was performed to characterize the possible mercury-peptide complex composition for two tetrapeptides, CGGC and CEEC (Figure 1) by ESI mass spectrometry. Complexes of mercury(II) with CGGC or CEEC were investigated by reacting the mixtures of mercury(II) and peptide solutions at three different molar ratios: 1:0.5, 1:1, and 1:2 (mercury(II): peptide). The concentration of mercury(II) was 7.5 x 10-6 M and the peptide concentration varied accordingly.
...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Study of the Complexation of MercuryII with Dicysteinyl Tetrapeptides by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry at JoVE.com

A Study of the Complexation of MercuryII with Dicysteinyl Tetrapeptides by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The characterization of complexes formed in different relative ratios of mercury(II) to dicysteinyl tetrapeptides by electrospray ionization orbitrap mass spectrometry is presented.

A Study of the Complexation of Mercury(II) with Dicysteinyl Tetrapeptides by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

In this study we evaluated a method for the characterization of complexes, formed in different relative ratios of mercury(II) to dicysteinyl tetrapeptide, ...

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