This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under 1764436, NSF REU program (CHE-1659852), NSF instrument support (MRI-0821247), Physics and Astronomy Scholarship for Success (PASS) NSF project (1643567), Welch Foundation (T-0014), and computing resources from the Department of Energy (TX-W-20090427-0004-50) and L3 Communications. The authors thank Kent M. Ervin (University of Nevada - Reno) and Peter B. Armentrout (University of Utah) for sharing the CRUNCH program and for advice on fitting from PBA. The authors thank Michael T. Bower&#39;s group at the University of California - Santa Barbara for sharing the Sigma program.

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Critical steps 
ES-IM-MS threshold collision-induced dissociation (TCID) analyses. The TCID used the transfer T-wave cell in the presence of argon as the collision cell. Prior to dissociation, the precursor ions are thermalized by low-energy collisions with nitrogen gas as they pass through the ion mobility (IM) cell. This results in a more reproducible energy-resolved TCID than is achieved by using the trap as the collision cell6,<sup class="xref"...

This study describes a new technique using a commercially available ion mobility-mass spectrometer that allows the determination of the relative thermochemistry for the dissociation of an alternative metal binding (amb) ternary metal complex [amb+M(II)+NTA], where M = Zn or Ni and NTA = nitrilotriacetic acid (Figure 1). These reactions model the dissociation of the amb-tagged recombinant protein attached to the NTA-immobilized metal during immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC)1,2. As an example, this method is described using the amb heptapeptide tags of amb&#160;A and H (Figure 2) (chosen from the previous studies3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) that exhibit Zn(II) and Ni(II)-binding properties and, thus, have potential applications as purification tags. However, the described process can be used to evaluate thermochemical energies in any organometallic system. These amb peptides have metal-binding sites in the Aa1-Aa2 and Aa6-Aa7 positions&#160;that compete with the carboxylate and amine sites of the NTA. The three central amb amino acids provide a spacer (Gly3), the hinge for the two arms (Pro4), and a long-distance &#960;-metal cation interaction (Tyr5).
The overall 1&#8722; charge state of the [amb+M(II)+NTA]- complexes is determined by the protonation state of their potential binding sites. Since there is Ni(II) or Zn(II) with the 2+ oxidation state, there must be a net of three deprotonated negatively-charged sites. The molecular modeling of the [amb+M(II)+NTA]- complexes predicts that these are two protons from the NTA and one proton from the amb (i.e., [amb-H+M(II)+NTA-2H]-). The product channels contain an ionic species and a neutral species (i.e., [NTA-3H+M(II)]- + amb or [amb-3H+M(II)]- + NTA). In the manuscript, &#34;-3H&#34; is excluded in the names of the complexes, but the reader should know that the -3H is implied. The instrument measures the relative intensities of the two ionic mass-to-charge (m/z) species. A major attribute of ES-IM-MS analyses is that it allows the examination of the reactivity of a specific m/z species, as utilized here and in previous amb studies3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12.
Acquiring thermochemical data for large complexes using collision-induced dissociation&#160;is a subject of significant interest13,14. Methodologies including the kinetic method are not conducive to fitting data over a range of energies, nor do they account for multi-collision environments15,16,17,18. Here, the threshold CID (TCID) method, developed using guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry by Armentrout, Ervin, and Rodgers is applied19 to a new ES-IM-MS instrument platform utilizing traveling-wave ion guides. The TCID method allows for relative thermochemical analysis of the dissociation of the ternary complexes into their two product channels and includes a threshold law describing the transfer of collision energy between the translational energy of the reactant (ternary complex in this research) and an inert target gas (argon in this case). The method includes integration over the reactant&#39;s internal energy distribution20, the translational energy distributions between the reactant and target gas21, and the total angular momentum distributions22,23. A dissociation probability and statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) correction of the kinetic shifts resulting from the limited time window for observation of the products are included24. For two independent product channels, the competitive TCID method allows for the simultaneous fitting of the two competing product channels. Dissociation of the complex is through an orbiting transition state, which has the properties of the products but is held together by a locked-dipole25. The TCID method is incorporated into the CRUNCH program26, and the operation of the user interface is described here to evaluate the thermochemistry of the two dissociation channels of the ternary [amb+M(II)+NTA]- complexes. The CRUNCH program is available upon request from the developers26.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetonitrile HPLC-grade</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific (www.Fishersci.com)</td>
			<td>A998SK-4</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alternative metal binding (amb) peptides</td>
			<td>PepmicCo (www.pepmic.com)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>designed peptides were synthized by order</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium acetate (ultrapure)</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>97061-014</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium hydroxide (trace metal grade)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific (www.Fishersci.com)</td>
			<td>A512-P500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Driftscope 2.1 software program</td>
			<td>Waters (www.waters.com)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>software analysis program</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gaussian 09</td>
			<td>Gaussian</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Electronic Structure Modeling Software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GaussView</td>
			<td>Gaussian</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Graphical Interface to Visualize Computations</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glacial acetic acid (Optima grade)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific (www.Fishersci.com)</td>
			<td>A465-250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ion-scaled Lennard-Jones (LJ) method</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Michael T. Bowers&#8217; group of University of California at Santa Barbara</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MassLynx 4.1</td>
			<td>Waters (www.waters.com)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>software analysis program</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcentrifuge Tubes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>87003-294</td>
			<td>1.7 mL, polypropylene</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcentrifuge Tubes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>87003-298</td>
			<td>2.0 mL, polypropylene</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ni(II) nitrate hexahydrate (99% purity)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich (www.sigmaaldrich.com)</td>
			<td>A15540</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Poly-DL-alanine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich (www.sigmaaldrich.com)</td>
			<td>P9003-25MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Waters Synapt G1 HDMS</td>
			<td>Waters (www.waters.com)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#160;quadrupole - ion mobility- time-of-flight mass spectrometer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zn(II) nitrate hexahydrate (99%+ purity)</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar (www.alfa.com)</td>
			<td>12313</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

thermochemical studies of ni(ii) and zn(ii) ternary complexes using ion mobility-mass spectrometry

This article describes an experimental protocol using electrospray-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (ES-IM-MS) and energy-resolved threshold collision-induced dissociation (TCID) to measure the thermochemistry of the dissociation of negatively-charged [amb+M(II)+NTA]- ternary complexes into two product channels: [amb+M(II)] + NTA or [NTA+M(II)]-&#160;+ amb, where M = Zn or Ni and NTA is nitrilotriacetic acid. The complexes contain one of the alternative metal binding (amb) heptapeptides with the primary structures acetyl-His1-Cys2-Gly3-Pro4-Tyr5-His6-Cys7 or acetyl-Asp1-Cys2-Gly3-Pro4-Tyr5-His6-Cys7, where the amino acids&#39; Aa1,2,6,7 positions are the potential metal-binding sites. Geometry-optimized stationary states of the ternary complexes and their products were selected from quantum chemistry calculations (presently the PM6 semi-empirical Hamiltonian) by comparing their electronic energies and their collision cross-sections (CCS) to those measured by ES-IM-MS. From the PM6 frequency calculations, the molecular parameters of the ternary complex and its products model the energy-dependent intensities of the two product channels using a competitive TCID method to determine the threshold energies of the reactions that relate to the 0 K enthalpies of dissociation (&#916;H0). Statistical mechanics thermal and entropy corrections using the PM6 rotational and vibrational frequencies provide the 298 K enthalpies of dissociation (&#916;H298). These methods describe an EI-IM-MS routine that can determine thermochemistry and equilibrium constants for a range of ternary metal ion complexes.

The competitive collision-induced dissociation of the [amb+M(II)+NTA]- ternary complexes of A and H into [amb+M(II)]- + NTA or [NTA+M(II)]-&#160;+ amb,&#160;are shown in Figure 3. The amb is shown as either A or H and the M = Zn or Ni. The [A+Zn(II)+NTA]- ternary complex (Figure 3A) exhibits apparent thresholds of about 0.7 eV collision energy (CE) to ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry at JoVE.com

Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

This article describes an experimental protocol using electrospray-ion mobility-mass spectrometry, semi-empirical quantum calculations, and energy-resolved threshold collision-induced dissociation to measure the relative thermochemistry of the dissociation of related ternary metal complexes.

Thermochemical Studies of Ni(II) and Zn(II) Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

This article describes an experimental protocol using electrospray-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (ES-IM-MS) and energy-resolved threshold ...

thermochemical-studies-ni-ii-zn-ii-ternary-complexes-using-ion

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2.1K Views.  Texas A&M University-Commerce. This article describes an experimental protocol using electrospray-ion mobility-mass spectrometry, semi-empirical quantum calculations, and energy-resolved threshold collision-induced dissociation to measure the relative thermochemistry of the dissociation of related ternary metal complexes.

Video: Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

Preparation and Use of Samarium Diiodide (SmI2) in Organic Synthesis: The Mechanistic Role of HMPA and Ni(II) Salts in the Samarium Barbier Reaction

Although initially considered an esoteric reagent, SmI2 has become a common tool for synthetic organic chemists. SmI2 is generated through the addition of molecular iodine to samarium metal in THF.1,2-3 It is a mild and selective single electron reductant and its versatility is a result of its ability to initiate a wide range of reductions including C-C bond-forming and cascade or sequential reactions. SmI2 can reduce a variety of functional groups including sulfoxides and sulfones, phosphine oxides, epoxides, alkyl and aryl halides, carbonyls, and conjugated double bonds.2-12 One of the fascinating features of SmI-2-mediated reactions is the ability to manipulate the outcome of reactions through the selective use of cosolvents or additives. In most instances, additives are essential in controlling the rate of reduction and the chemo- or stereoselectivity of reactions.13-14 Additives commonly utilized to fine tune the reactivity of SmI2 can be classified into three major groups: (1) Lewis bases (HMPA, other electron-donor ligands, chelating ethers, etc.), (2) proton sources (alcohols, water etc.), and (3) inorganic additives (Ni(acac)2, FeCl3, etc).3
Understanding the mechanism of SmI2 reactions and the role of the additives enables utilization of the full potential of the reagent in organic synthesis. The Sm-Barbier reaction is chosen to illustrate the synthetic importance and mechanistic role of two common additives: HMPA and Ni(II) in this reaction. The Sm-Barbier reaction is similar to the traditional Grignard reaction with the only difference being that the alkyl halide, carbonyl, and Sm reductant are mixed simultaneously in one pot.1,15 Examples of Sm-mediated Barbier reactions with a range of coupling partners have been reported,1,3,7,10,12 and have been utilized in key steps of the synthesis of large natural products.16,17 Previous studies on the effect of additives on SmI2 reactions have shown that HMPA enhances the reduction potential of SmI2 by coordinating to the samarium metal center, producing a more powerful,13-14,18 sterically encumbered reductant19-21 and in some cases playing an integral role in post electron-transfer steps facilitating subsequent bond-forming events.22 In the Sm-Barbier reaction, HMPA has been shown to additionally activate the alkyl halide by forming a complex in a pre-equilibrium step.23
Ni(II) salts are a catalytic additive used frequently in Sm-mediated transformations.24-27 Though critical for success, the mechanistic role of Ni(II) was not known in these reactions. Recently it has been shown that SmI2 reduces Ni(II) to Ni(0), and the reaction is then carried out through organometallic Ni(0) chemistry.28
These mechanistic studies highlight that although the same Barbier product is obtained, the use of different additives in the SmI2 reaction drastically alters the mechanistic pathway of the reaction. The protocol for running these SmI2-initiated reactions is described.

Preparation and Use of Samarium Diiodide SmI2 in Organic Synthesis: The Mechanistic Role of HMPA and NiII Salts in the Samarium Barbier Reaction

A straightforward procedure for the preparation of samarium diiodide (SmI2) in THF is described. The role of two main additives namely hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) and Ni(acac)2 in Sm mediated reactions is demonstrated in the Sm-Barbier reaction.

Although initially considered an esoteric reagent, SmI2 has become a common tool for synthetic organic chemists. SmI2 is generated through the addition of ...

Production of Disulfide-stabilized Transmembrane Peptide Complexes for Structural Studies

Physical interactions among the lipid-embedded alpha-helical domains of membrane proteins play a crucial role in folding and assembly of membrane protein complexes and in dynamic processes such as transmembrane (TM) signaling and regulation of cell-surface protein levels. Understanding the structural features driving the association of particular sequences requires sophisticated biophysical and biochemical analyses of TM peptide complexes. However, the extreme hydrophobicity of TM domains makes them very difficult to manipulate using standard peptide chemistry techniques, and production of suitable study material often proves prohibitively challenging. Identifying conditions under which peptides can adopt stable helical conformations and form complexes spontaneously adds a further level of difficulty. Here we present a procedure for the production of homo- or hetero-dimeric TM peptide complexes from materials that are expressed in E. coli, thus allowing incorporation of stable isotope labels for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or non-natural amino acids for other applications relatively inexpensively. The key innovation in this method is that TM complexes are produced and purified as covalently associated (disulfide-crosslinked) assemblies that can form stable, stoichiometric and homogeneous structures when reconstituted into detergent, lipid or other membrane-mimetic materials. We also present carefully optimized procedures for expression and purification that are equally applicable whether producing single TM domains or crosslinked complexes and provide advice for adapting these methods to new TM sequences.

Biophysical and biochemical studies of interactions among membrane-embedded protein domains face many technical challenges, the first of which is obtaining appropriate study material. This article describes a protocol for producing and purifying disulfide-stabilized transmembrane peptide complexes that are suitable for structural analysis by solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and other analytical applications.

Physical  interactions among the lipid-embedded alpha-helical domains of membrane  proteins play a crucial role in folding and assembly of membrane ...

Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR

Copper (I) binding by metallochaperone transport proteins prevents copper oxidation and release of the toxic ions that may participate in harmful redox reactions. The Cu (I) complex of the peptide model of a Cu (I) binding metallochaperone protein, which includes the sequence MTCSGCSRPG (underlined is conserved), was determined in solution under inert conditions by NMR spectroscopy.
NMR is a widely accepted technique for the determination of solution structures of proteins and peptides. Due to difficulty in crystallization to provide single crystals suitable for X-ray crystallography, the NMR technique is extremely valuable, especially as it provides information on the solution state rather than the solid state. Herein we describe all steps that are required for full three-dimensional structure determinations by NMR. The protocol includes sample preparation in an NMR tube, 1D and 2D data collection and processing, peak assignment and integration, molecular mechanics calculations, and structure analysis. Importantly, the analysis was first conducted without any preset metal-ligand bonds, to assure a reliable structure determination in an unbiased manner.

Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR

The NMR-solution structure of a metallochaperone model peptide with Cu (I) was determined, and a detailed protocol from sample preparation and 1D and 2D data collection to a three-dimensional structure is described.

Copper (I) binding by metallochaperone transport proteins prevents copper oxidation and release of the toxic ions that may participate in harmful redox ...

Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates

Functions of clusters in nano or sub-nano scale significantly depend on not only kinds of their components but also arrangements, or symmetry, of their components. Therefore, the arrangements in the clusters have been precisely characterized, especially for metal complexes. Contrary to this, characterizations of molecular arrangements in supramolecular clusters composed of organic molecules are limited to a few cases. This is because construction of the supramolecular clusters, especially obtaining a series of the supramolecular clusters, is difficult due to low stability of non-covalent bonds compare to covalent bonds. From this viewpoint, utilization of organic salts is one of the most useful strategies. A series of the supramolecules could be constructed by combinations of a specific organic molecule with various counter ions. Especially, primary ammonium carboxylates are suitable as typical examples of supramolecules because various kinds of carboxylic acids and primary amines are commercially available, and it is easy to change their combinations. Previously, it was demonstrated that primary ammonium triphenylacetates using various kinds of primary amines specifically construct supramolecular clusters, which are composed of four ammoniums and four triphenylacetates assembled by charge-assisted hydrogen bonds, in crystals obtained from non-polar solvents. This study demonstrates an application of the specific construction of the supramolecular clusters as a strategy to conduct systematical symmetric study for clarification of correlations between molecular arrangements in supramolecules and kinds and numbers of their components. In the same way with binary salts composed of triphenylacetates and one kind of primary ammoniums, ternary organic salts composed of triphenylacetates and two kinds of ammoniums construct the supramolecular clusters, affording a series of the supramolecular clusters with various kinds and numbers of the components.

This article describes construction of a series of hydrogen-bonding supramolecular clusters in crystals using primary ammonium triphenylacetates, which are recrystallized from non-polar solvents. This selective construction of the supramolecular clusters leads to effective systematical symmetric studies about a correlation between the supramolecular clusters and their components.

Functions of clusters in nano or sub-nano scale significantly depend on not only kinds of their components but also arrangements, or symmetry, of their ...

Site Directed Spin Labeling and EPR Spectroscopic Studies of Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

Ion channel gating is a stimulus-driven orchestration of protein motions that leads to transitions between closed, open, and desensitized states. Fundamental to these transitions is the intrinsic flexibility of the protein, which is critically modulated by membrane lipid-composition. To better understand the structural basis of channel function, it is necessary to study protein dynamics in a physiological membrane environment. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is an important tool to characterize conformational transitions between functional states. In comparison to NMR and X-ray crystallography, the information obtained from EPR is intrinsically of lower resolution. However, unlike in other techniques, in EPR there is no upper-limit to the molecular weight of the protein, the sample requirements are significantly lower, and more importantly the protein is not constrained by the crystal lattice forces. Therefore, EPR is uniquely suited for studying large protein complexes and proteins in reconstituted systems. In this article, we will discuss general protocols for site-directed spin labeling and membrane reconstitution using a prokaryotic proton-gated pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channel (pLGIC) from Gloeobacter violaceus (GLIC) as an example. A combination of steady-state Continuous Wave (CW) and Pulsed (Double Electron Electron Resonance-DEER) EPR approaches will be described that will enable a complete quantitative characterization of channel dynamics.

This article describes methods for site-directed spin labeling and reconstitution of pentameric ligand-gated channels for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance studies. This protocol can be adapted for any membrane protein. The reconstitution method described here can also be used for patch-clamp measurements of macroscopic and single-channel currents in a defined lipid system.

Ion channel gating is a stimulus-driven orchestration of protein motions that leads to transitions between closed, open, and desensitized states. ...

Analyzing the Photo-oxidation of 2-propanol at Indoor Air Level Concentrations Using Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry

We demonstrate a versatile protocol to be used for determining the effectiveness of photocatalysts in degrading indoor air concentration (ppb) volatile organic carbons (VOCs), illustrating this with a titanium dioxide based catalyst, and the VOC 2-propanol. The protocol takes advantage of field asymmetric ion mobility spectroscopy (FAIMS), an analysis tool that is capable of continuously identifying and monitoring the concentration of VOCs such as 2-propanol and acetone at the ppb level. The continuous nature of FAIMS allows detailed kinetic analysis, and long-term reactions, offering a significant advantage over gas chromatography, a batch process traditionally used in air purification characterization. The use of FAIMS in photocatalytic air purification has only recently been used for the first time, and with the protocol illustrated here, the flexibility in allowing alternative VOCs and photocatalysts to be tested using comparable protocols offers a unique system to elucidate photocatalytic air purification reactions at low concentrations.

A protocol for determining the effectiveness of photocatalysts in degrading indoor air concentration (ppb) model volatile organic carbons such as 2-propanol is described.

We demonstrate a versatile protocol to be used for determining the effectiveness of photocatalysts in degrading indoor air concentration (ppb) volatile ...

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 ...

Imaging Corrosion at the Metal-Paint Interface Using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Corrosion developed at the paint and aluminum (Al) metal-paint interface of an aluminum alloy is analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), illustrating that SIMS is a suitable technique to study the chemical distribution at a metal-paint interface. The painted Al alloy coupons are immersed in a salt solution or exposed to air only. SIMS provides chemical mapping and 2D molecular imaging of the interface, allowing direct visualization of the morphology of the corrosion products formed at the metal-paint interface and mapping of the chemical after corrosion occurs. The experimental procedure of this method is presented to provide technical details to facilitate similar research and highlight pitfalls that may be encountered during such experiments.

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry is applied to demonstrate the chemical mapping and corrosion morphology at the metal-paint interface of an aluminum alloy after being exposed to a salt solution compared with a specimen exposed to air.

Corrosion developed at the paint and aluminum (Al) metal-paint interface of an aluminum alloy is analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass ...

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can transfer an aqueous-phase peptide or peptide complex to the gas-phase while conserving its mass, overall charge, metal-binding interactions, and conformational shape. Coupling ESI with ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) provides an instrumental technique that allows for simultaneous measurement of a peptide&#8217;s mass-to-charge (m/z) and collision cross section (CCS) that relate to its stoichiometry, protonation state, and conformational shape. The overall charge of a peptide complex is controlled by the protonation of 1) the peptide&#8217;s acidic and basic sites and 2) the oxidation state of the metal ion(s). Therefore, the overall charge state of a complex is a function of the pH of the solution that affects the peptides metal ion binding affinity. For ESI-IM-MS analyses, peptide and metal ions solutions are prepared from aqueous-only solutions, with the pH adjusted with dilute aqueous acetic acid or ammonium hydroxide. This allows for pH dependence and metal ion selectivity to be determined for a specific peptide. Furthermore, the m/z and CCS of a peptide complex can be used with B3LYP/LanL2DZ molecular modeling to discern binding sites of the metal ion coordination and tertiary structure of the complex. The results show how ESI-IM-MS can characterize the selective chelating performance of a set of alternative methanobactin peptides and compare them to the copper-binding peptide methanobactin.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry and molecular modeling techniques can characterize the selective metal chelating performance of designed metal-binding peptides and the copper-binding peptide methanobactin. Developing new classes of metal chelating peptides will help lead to therapeutics for diseases associated with metal ion misbalance.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can transfer an aqueous-phase peptide or peptide complex to the gas-phase while conserving its mass, overall charge, ...

Preparation of Binary and Ternary Deep Eutectic Systems

The preparation of deep eutectic systems (DES) is a priori a simple procedure. By definition, two or more components are mixed together at a given molar ratio to form a DES. However, from our experience in the laboratory, there is a need to standardize the procedure to prepare, characterize and report the methodologies followed by different researchers, so that the results published can be reproduced. In this work, we test different approaches reported in the literature to prepare eutectic systems and evaluated the importance of water in the successful preparation of liquid systems at room temperature. These published eutectic systems were composed of citric acid, glucose, sucrose, malic acid, &#946;-alanine, L-tartaric acid and betaine and not all of preparation methods described could be reproduced. However, in some cases, it was possible to reproduce the systems described, with the inclusion of water as a third component of the eutectic mixture.

This protocol aims to standardize the preparation of deep eutectic systems throughout the scientific community so that these systems can be reproduced.

The preparation of deep eutectic systems (DES) is a priori a simple procedure. By definition, two or more components are mixed together at a given molar ...