We have revisited the direct analysis experiments reported by Tomer and co-workers in the MALDI-TOFMS analysis of phosphopeptide-loaded immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) beads (Zhou, W.; Merrick, B. A.; Khaledi, M. G.; Tomer, K. B. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2000, 11, 273-282). The results described herein provide no evidence to support a laser-induced direct desorption of phosphopeptides chelated on IMAC beads. However, we have established that solubilization of mono-phosphopeptides from their immobilized Fe 3ϩ -NTA chelates does occur effectively in solutions containing certain MALDI matrices. Particularly effective is 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHB), which apparently forms a stronger chelation complex with Fe 3ϩ -NTA than mono-phosphopeptides. With regard to the disparity observed between the low pH value of MALDI matrices (saturated 2,5-DHB aq ϳ pH 2) and the high pH values of conventional IMAC eluents (typically above pH 7), we have also investigated the influence of eluent pH on the recovery of phosphopeptides from IMAC media. Finally, we have confirmed the importance of employing ammonium dihydrogen phosphate as buffer to achieve effective liberation of mono-and all poly-phosphopeptide species from I mmobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) has been used for a number of years for the selective enrichment of phosphopeptides from proteolytic digest mixtures containing both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated components [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. The established methods have largely relied upon the use of high-pH elution buffers to disrupt the interaction of phosphopeptides remaining bound to the metal ioncontaining IMAC media after separation of all other peptides [2][3][4][5].In addition to the usual conditions documented above for solubilization of peptides bound in their immobilized, chelated form attached to the resin, evidence has been presented which suggests that monophosphopeptides may be released directly from the resin during the MALDI process [7,9]. It was recognized that the ferric IMAC resin must bind multiple phosphorylated components as well, but that laser irradiation does not easily dissociate these components from the agarose IMAC beads [7].While it was suggested that laser desorption directly from IMAC beads occurs particularly for mono-phosphorylated peptide components, in these reports it was also questioned whether or not the IMAC analytes are still bound to the beads through their affinity interaction immediately prior to laser desorption [9,10]. Therefore, the possibility exists that "elution" from the beads into the MALDI matrix solution/crystals has in fact taken place prior to MALDI desorption and mass analysis.Of course, there would be clear advantages in having a protocol that permits the direct analysis of phosphopeptides from IMAC beads, particularly if the analyte species thus detected could be qualitatively and quantitatively representative of the components bound to the resin. However, if phosphopeptide desorption takes place directly fro...