MILLISECOND TIME SCALE HEAT INDUCED DENATURATION OF PROTEINS

我们以前使用ESI-MS来探测 蛋白质在平衡溶液中的构象状态。 的 这一探测的基础是观察到的电荷状态， 气相中的电喷雾蛋白质取决于构象 蛋白质在溶液中的状态 我们现在扩展我们早期的研究 研究构象状态的快速（毫秒）变化 蛋白质在加热的电喷雾液滴中。 这项研究表明 需要特殊的条件来诱导构象变化 在蛋白质中的毫秒级时间尺度。 相反，因为 蛋白质的构象变化通常发生在时间尺度上， 与电喷雾液滴的寿命相比， 可以推断出有关构象变化的信息， 喷A稿前电喷雾溶液中的蛋白质 描述我们的结果的文献已经发表（Mirza和Chait，Int. J. Mass Spectrometry and Ion Processes 162，（1997）173-181）。

We have previously used ESI-MS to probe changes in the conformational states of proteins in well-equilibrated solutions. The basis for this probe was the observation that the charge states of electrosprayed proteins in the gas phase depend on the conformational states of the protein in solution. We now extend our earlier studies to investigate rapid (millisec) changes in the conformational states of proteins in heated electrospray droplets. This study demonstrates that special conditions are required to induce conformational changes in proteins on the millisecond time scale. Conversely, because conformational changes in proteins often occur on time-scales that are slow compared with the life-time of electrospray droplets, it proves feasible to deduce information concerning conformational changes of proteins in the electrospray solution prior to spraying A manuscript describing our results was published (Mirza and Chait, Int. J. Mass Spectrometry and Ion Processes 162, (1997) 173-181).