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Kunenkov, E.V.* ; Kononikhin, A.S.* ; Perminova, I.V.* ; Hertkorn, N. ; Gáspár, A. ; Schmitt-Kopplin, P. ; Popov, I.A.* ; Garmash, A.V.* ; Nikolaev, E.N.*

Total mass difference statistics algorithm: A new approach to identification of high-mass building blocks in electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry data of natural organic matter.

Anal. Chem. 81, 10106-10115 (2009)
DOI PMC
Open Access Green as soon as Postprint is submitted to ZB.
The ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrum of natural organic matter (NOM) contains several thousand peaks with dozens of molecules matching the same nominal mass. Such a complexity poses a significant challenge for automatic data interpretation, in which the most difficult task is molecular formula assignment, especially in the case of heavy and/or multielement ions. In this study, a new universal algorithm for automatic treatment of FTICR mass spectra of NOM and humic substances based on total mass difference statistics (TMDS) has been developed and implemented. The algorithm enables a blind search for unknown building blocks (instead of a priori known ones) by revealing repetitive patterns present in spectra. In this respect, it differs from all previously developed approaches. This algorithm was implemented in designing FIRAN-software for fully automated analysis of mass data with high peak density. The specific feature of FIRAN is its ability to assign formulas to heavy and/or multielement molecules using "virtual elements" approach. To verify the approach, it was used for processing mass spectra of sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS, M(w) = 2200 Da) and polymethacrylate (PMA, M(w) = 3290 Da) which produce heavy multielement and multiply-charged ions. Application of TMDS identified unambiguously monomers present in the polymers consistent with their structure: C(8)H(7)SO(3)Na for PSS and C(4)H(6)O(2) for PMA. It also allowed unambiguous formula assignment to all multiply-charged peaks including the heaviest peak in PMA spectrum at mass 4025.6625 with charge state 6- (mass bias -0.33 ppm). Application of the TMDS-algorithm to processing data on the Suwannee River FA has proven its unique capacities in analysis of spectra with high peak density: it has not only identified the known small building blocks in the structure of FA such as CH(2), H(2), C(2)H(2)O, O but the heavier unit at 154.027 amu. The latter was identified for the first time and assigned a formula C(7)H(6)O(4) consistent with the structure of dihydroxyl-benzoic acids. The presence of these compounds in the structure of FA has so far been numerically suggested but never proven directly. It was concluded that application of the TMDS-algorithm opens new horizons in unfolding molecular complexity of NOM and other natural products.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Keywords size-exclusion chromatography; fulvic-acids; structural-characterizuation; humic substances; molecular-weight; resonance; resolution; spectra; fragmentation; component
Language english
Publication Year 2009
HGF-reported in Year 2009
ISSN (print) / ISBN 0003-2700
e-ISSN 1520-6882
Quellenangaben Volume: 81, Issue: 24, Pages: 10106-10115 Article Number: , Supplement: ,
Publisher American Chemical Society (ACS)
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Ecological Chemistry (IOEC)
PSP Element(s) G-505100-007
Scopus ID 72449207022
PubMed ID 19904912
Erfassungsdatum 2009-12-31