No abstract

Ion mobility and mass spectrometry techniques are coupled with a temperature-controlled electrospray ionization source to follow the structural transitions of ubiquitin in aqueous solution (pH = 3) at elevated solution temperatures (T = 26-96 °C). Changes in the charge state distribution are consistent with a two-state, cooperative unfolding transition having a melting temperature of T = 71 ± 2 °C, in agreement with prior measurements [ Wintrode , P. L. ; Makhatadze , G. I. ; Privalov , P. L. Proteins , 1994 , 18 , 246 - 253 ]. However, analysis of ion mobility distributions reveals the two-state transition is a composite of transitions involving at least nine unique species: three native or native-like structures; two that appear to be equilibrium intermediates (i.e., populations of new conformers that form at elevated temperatures but subsequently disappear at higher temperatures); and four products observed at high temperatures, including the well-characterized ubiquitin A state, and two solution species that are differentiated based on a cis- or trans-configured Glu-Pro peptide bond. These nine states vary in abundances by factors as large as ∼10 over the range of solution temperatures. Although experimental melting transitions are conceived as a loss of well-defined structure leading to a random distribution of unstructured, denatured forms, the results provide evidence for new conformers having at least some well-defined structural elements are stabilized as temperature is increased.

Following translation of the SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA genome into two viral polypeptides, the main protease M pro cleaves at eleven sites to release non‐structural proteins required for viral replication. M Pro is an attractive target for antiviral therapies to combat the coronavirus‐2019 disease (COVID‐19). Here, we have used native mass spectrometry (MS) to characterize the functional unit of M pro . Analysis of the monomer‐dimer equilibria reveals a dissociation constant of K d = 0.14 ± 0.03 µM, revealing M Pro has a strong preference to dimerize in solution. Developing an MS‐based kinetic assay we then characterized substrate turnover rates by following temporal changes in the enzyme‐substrate complexes, which are effectively “flash‐frozen” as they transition from solution to the gas phase. We screened small molecules, that bind distant from the active site, for their ability to modulate activity. These compounds, including one proposed to disrupt the catalytically active dimer, slow the rate of substrate processing by ~35%. This information was readily obtained and, together with analysis of the x‐ray crystal structures of these enzyme‐small molecule complexes, provides a starting point for the development of more potent molecules that allosterically regulate M Pro activity.

In the field of mass spectrometry, producing intact, highly-charged protein ions from surfaces is a conundrum with significant potential payoff in application areas ranging from biomedical to clinical research. Here, we report on the ability to form intact, highly-charged protein ions on high vacuum time-of-flight mass spectrometers in the linear and reflectron modes achievable using experimental conditions that allow effective matrix removal from both the sample surfaces and from the charged clusters formed by the laser ablation event. The charge states are the highest reported on high vacuum mass spectrometers, yet they remain at only around a third of the highest charge obtained using laser ablation with a suitable matrix at atmospheric pressure. Other than physical instrument modifications, the key to forming abundant and stable highly-charged ions appears to be the volatility of the matrix used. Cumulative results suggest mechanistic links between the ionization process reported here and traditional ionization methods of electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization.

The heterogeneity associated with glycosylation of the 66 N-glycan sites on the protein trimer making up the spike (S) region of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been assessed by charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS). CDMS allows simultaneous measurement of the mass-to-charge ratio and charge of individual ions, so that mass distributions can be determined for highly heterogeneous proteins such as the heavily glycosylated S protein trimer. The CDMS results are compared to recent glycoproteomics studies of the structure and abundance of glycans at specific sites. Interestingly, average glycan masses determined by “top-down” CDMS measurements are 35–47% larger than those obtained from the “bottom-up” glycoproteomics studies, suggesting that the glycoproteomic measurements underestimated the abundances of larger, more-complex glycans. Moreover, the distribution of glycan masses determined by CDMS is much broader than the distribution expected from the glycoproteomics studies, assuming that glycan processing on each trimer is not correlated. The breadth of the glycan mass distribution therefore indicates heterogeneity in the extent of glycan processing of the S protein trimers, with some trimers being much more heavily processed than others. This heterogeneity may have evolved as a way of further confounding the host’s immune system.