Multiplexed Conformationally-Selective, Localized Gas-Phase Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange of Protein Ions Enabled by Transmission-Mode Electron Capture Dissociation

In this article, we present an approach for conformationally multiplexed localized hydrogen deuterium exchange (HDX) of gas-phase protein ions facilitated by ion mobility (IM) followed by electron capture dissociation (ECD). A quadrupole-ion mobility-time of flight instrument previously modified to enable ECD in transmission mode (without ion trapping) immediately following a mobility separation was further modified to allow for deuterated ammonia (ND3) to be leaked in after m/z selection. Collisional activation was minimized to prevent deuterium scrambling from giving structurally irrelevant results. This arrangement was demonstrated with the extensively studied protein folding models ubiquitin and cytochrome c. Ubiquitin was ionized from conditions that stabilize the native state and conditions that stabilize the partially-folded A-state. IM of deuterated ubiquitin 6+ ions allowed the separation of more compact conformers from more extended conformers. ECD of the separated subpopulations revealed that the more extended (later arriving) conformers had significant, localized differences in the amount of HDX observed. The 5+ charge state showed greater protection against HDX than the compact 6+ conformer, and the 11+ charge state, ionized from conditions that stabilize the A-state, showed much greater deuterium incorporation. The 7+ ions of cytochrome c ionized from aqueous conditions showed greater HDX with exterior and more unstructured regions of the protein, while interior, structured regions, especially those involved in heme binding, were more protected against exchange. These results, as well as potential future methods and experiments, are discussed herein.