U.S. patent application number 12/306232 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-13 for narrow bore layer open tube capillary column and uses thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Northeastern University. Invention is credited to Barry L. Karger, Jian Zhang.
Application Number | 20090203146 12/306232 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38834105 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090203146 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Karger; Barry L. ; et
al. |
August 13, 2009 |
NARROW BORE LAYER OPEN TUBE CAPILLARY COLUMN AND USES THEREOF
Abstract
A polymer-based PLOT column prepared by in situ copolymerization
of a functional monomer, which usually contains the retentive
chemistries, and a crosslinking monomer, which enhances the
strength of the polymer matrix, is disclosed. Styrenic based
monomers such as styrene and divinylbenzene or meth/acrylic based
monomers such as butyl or stearyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol
dimethacrylate, are preferred. Columns of the invention can be
prepared in a robust fashion with a very narrow i.d., e.g., 5-15
.mu.m. Thus, they are suitable for commercial use in ultratrace
LC/MS proteomic analysis. Columns according to the invention are
characterized by high resolving power, high column-to-column
reproducibility and relatively high loading capacity. When these
columns are coupled on-line with, e.g., ESI-MS detection, the
resulting systems provide high sensitivity for analysis of complex
proteomic samples, even down to the low attomole to sub-attomole
level.
Inventors: |
Karger; Barry L.; (Newton,
MA) ; Zhang; Jian; (Plainsboro, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WEINGARTEN, SCHURGIN, GAGNEBIN & LEBOVICI LLP
TEN POST OFFICE SQUARE
BOSTON
MA
02109
US
|
Assignee: |
Northeastern University
Boston
MA
|
Family ID: |
38834105 |
Appl. No.: |
12/306232 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
June 20, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US07/14398 |
371 Date: |
December 22, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60815314 |
Jun 21, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
436/43 ; 204/451;
204/601; 427/244 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01J 20/3282 20130101;
G01N 30/60 20130101; G01N 30/7266 20130101; B01J 20/28085 20130101;
G01N 30/6073 20130101; Y10T 436/11 20150115; B01J 20/327 20130101;
Y10T 436/117497 20150115; B01J 20/285 20130101; B01J 2220/86
20130101; B01J 2220/84 20130101; G01N 2030/528 20130101; B01J
20/289 20130101; B01J 2220/54 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
436/43 ; 427/244;
204/601; 204/451 |
International
Class: |
G01N 27/26 20060101
G01N027/26; B05D 5/00 20060101 B05D005/00; G01N 35/00 20060101
G01N035/00; G01N 27/06 20060101 G01N027/06 |
Goverment Interests
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Part of the work leading to this invention was carried out
with United States Government support provided under a grant from
the National Institutes of Health, Grant No. GM-15847. Therefore,
the U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention.
Claims
1. A porous layer open tube capillary column, or channel in a
microfabricated device, said column or channel comprising: a
capillary column or channel having an i.d. of 15 .mu.m or less; and
a rigid porous layer separation medium comprising a highly
crosslinked, macroporous, organic polymeric stationary phase layer
attached covalently to the inner wall surface of said column or
channel, wherein said organic polymeric stationary phase layer
comprises styrenic, methacrylic or acrylic monomeric units, or
combinations thereof; wherein said organic polymeric stationary
phase layer is from 0.5-3 .mu.m in thickness; wherein said organic
polymeric stationary phase layer is thermally stable to 250.degree.
C.; and wherein the reproducibility of retention time on comparable
said columns or channels during use varies less than 10%.
2. A capillary column or channel according to claim 1, wherein the
reproducibility of retention time on comparable said columns or
channels during use varies less than 5%.
3. A capillary column or channel according to claim 1, wherein,
further, said column or channel during use has a flow rate at 6000
psi or less of 5-50 nL/min.
4. A capillary column or channel according to claim 1, wherein said
column or channel has an i.d. of 10 .mu.m or less.
5. A capillary column according to claim 1, wherein said column has
a length of greater than or equal to one meter.
6. A capillary column according to claim 1, wherein said column has
a length of greater than or equal to three meters.
7. A capillary column or channel according to claim 1, wherein said
organic polymeric stationary phase layer is
poly(styrene-divinylbenzene).
8. A capillary column or channel according to claim 1, wherein said
organic polymeric stationary phase layer comprises (C4-C18) alkyl
methacrylate monomer units.
9. A method of preparing a separation capillary column or channel
in a microfabricated device, said column or channel comprising a
porous layer open tube separation medium comprising a macroporous,
organic polymeric stationary phase layer, said method comprising
the steps of: providing an unfilled capillary column, or channel in
a microfabricated device, said column or channel open at both ends
thereof and having an i.d. of 15 .mu.m or less, the inner wall
surface of said column or channel comprising a bifunctional
anchoring or coupling agent suitable for covalent attachment of a
macroporous, organic polymeric stationary phase layer as a porous
layer open tube separation medium; adding to said column or channel
a mixture comprising a functional monomer selected from the group
consisting of styrenic, methacrylic and acrylic monomers, and
combinations thereof; a crosslinker compatible with said functional
monomer, said crosslinker being capable of providing extensive
crosslinking; a polar porogenic solvent; and an initiator for
thermal or UV induced polymerization; and polymerizing said mixture
in said column to form said macroporous, organic polymeric
stationary phase layer as said porous layer open tube separation
medium attached to the inner surface of said column or channel.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the inner wall surface of said
column or channel is silica and wherein said bifunctional anchoring
or coupling agent contains at one end a functional group reactive
with silica and at the other end a functional group reactive with
said functional monomer.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said bifunctional anchoring or
coupling agent is 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein said functional monomer in said
polymerization mixture is styrene.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said crosslinking agent is
divinylbenzene.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein said functional monomer in said
polymerization mixture is methacrylate.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said functional monomer is
(C4-C18) alkyl methacrylate.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said functional monomer is
butyl or stearyl methacrylate.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein said crosslinking agent is
ethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
18. The method of claim 12 or claim 14, wherein said porogenic
solvent is C.sub.nH.sub.2n+1OH, wherein 1.ltoreq.n.ltoreq.4).
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said porogenic solvent is
ethanol.
20. The method of claim 12 or claim 14, wherein said porogenic
solvent is acetonitrile.
21. The method of claim 9, wherein, in said polymerization mixture,
the ratio of total monomer (functional monomer plus crosslinking
monomer) to total porogenic solvent varies between 10-40%
(V/V).
22. The method of claim 9, wherein, in said polymerization mixture,
the ratio of functional monomer to crosslinking monomer varies
between 1:1 to 1:3.
23. A process of carrying out a chemical analysis method comprising
the steps of: providing the separation capillary column, or channel
in a microfabricated device, according to claim 1; coupling said
column or channel to a concentration sensitive detector; and
carrying out said chemical analysis method.
24. A process of carrying out a chemical analysis method comprising
the steps of: providing a separation capillary column, or channel
in a microfabricated device, prepared according to the method of
claim 9; coupling said column or channel prepared by said method to
a concentration sensitive detector; and carrying out said chemical
analysis method.
25. A system for carrying out a chemical analysis method
comprising: a porous layer open tube, separation capillary column
or channel in a microfabricated device, said separation column or
channel comprising: a column or channel having an i.d. of 15 .mu.m
or less, an entrance end and an exit end; and a rigid porous layer
separation medium comprising a highly crosslinked, macroporous,
organic polymeric stationary phase layer attached covalently to the
inner wall surface of said column or channel, wherein said organic
polymeric stationary phase layer comprises styrenic, methacrylic or
acrylic monomeric units, or combinations thereof; wherein said
organic polymeric stationary phase layer is from 0.5-3 .mu.m in
thickness; wherein said organic polymeric stationary phase layer is
thermally stable to 250.degree. C.; and wherein the reproducibility
of retention time on comparable said columns during use varies less
than 10%; and a concentration sensitive detector coupled with an
interface to the exit end of said separation column or channel.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein said concentration sensitive
detector is a mass spectrometer, a fluorescence detector, an
electro-chemiluminescence detector or a nuclear magnetic resonance
detector.
27. The system of claim 25, wherein said interface is an
electrospray ionization (ESI) interface or a matrix assisted laser
desorption ionization (MALDI) interface.
28. The system of claim 25, wherein said organic polymeric
stationary phase layer attached to the inner wall surface of said
column or channel comprises styrene and divinylbenzene monomer
units.
29. The system of claim 25, wherein said organic polymeric
stationary phase layer attached to the inner wall surface of said
column or channel comprises (C4-C18) alkyl methacrylate monomer
units.
30. The system of claim 25, wherein said column or channel has an
i.d. of 10 .mu.m or less.
31. The system of claim 25, wherein the reproducibility of
retention time on comparable said columns or channels during use
varies less than 5%.
32. The system of claim 25, wherein, further, said column or
channel during use has a flow rate at 6000 psi or less of 5-20
nL/min.
33. The system of claim 25, wherein said column has a length of
greater than or equal to one meter.
34. The system of claim 25, wherein said column has a length of
greater than or equal to three meters.
35. The system of claim 25, said system further comprising a
preparatory precolumn coupled to the entrance end of said
separation column or channel.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/815,314, filed
on Jun. 21, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated by
reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has
become a routine tool in proteomic studies, primarily due to its
high sensitivity, broad dynamic range, and versatility for online
coupling with capillary high performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC).sup.1-3. High-resolution separation prior to MS detection
allows complex mixtures to be characterized by extending both the
dynamic range and detection level achievable in the analysis.
Capillary LC, using 75-150 .mu.m i.d. reversed-phase columns,
offers the advantages of high resolving power, high mass
sensitivity, and low sample and mobile phase consumption, and hence
are widely used today. However, even with such columns, LC-MS
analysis of very low quantity samples (e.g., cells from small
tissue samples obtained using laser capture microdissection.sup.4)
can still be problematic. More sensitive proteomic analysis methods
are necessary to tackle many challenging biological problems.
[0004] For a given injected sample amount, narrow-bore columns
result in reduced chromatographic band dilution, the analytes being
eluted in a smaller volume at a higher concentration. In addition,
the volumetric flow rate is an important parameter influencing ESI
sensitivity.sup.5-10. Low flow rates resulting from the narrow bore
columns lead to smaller electrospray droplet sizes, thus enhancing
analyte ionization efficiency and reducing the effect of ion
suppression, all leading to higher sensitivity. Additionally, the
electrospray emitter attached to such a low flow rate column can be
placed nearer to the MS inlet than in comparable configurations,
which improves the sampling efficiency at low flow rates. NanoESI,
at flow rates of <30 nL/min, will, thus, significantly increase
the MS response compared to conventional flow rates (>300
nL/min).sup.5,6,11. On the other hand, packing narrow-bore (<20
.mu.m i.d.) columns with conventional microparticles can be
technically difficult because the decreased ratio of column i.d. to
particle size induces more frequent column clogging, and packing
microparticles into narrow-bore (<20 .mu.m i.d.) columns
requires ultrahigh packing pressure (usually >10,000 psi) and
special instrumentation. Generally, the ratio of column i.d. to
particle size should be greater than 10 to pack dense columns
reproducibly. Recently, the preparation of 10 .mu.m i.d. columns
packed with 1.0 .mu.m non-porous particles at extremely high
pressure has been reported.sup.12. The back pressure of a 30 cm
long column can reach as high as 100,000 psi at the optimum linear
velocity of 0.4 cm/s. Monolithic capillary columns are increasingly
considered as a viable alternative to microparticle-packed columns
because of their moderate back pressure and high resolving
power.sup.6,8,13-16. It was recently demonstrated that low-attomole
sensitivity can be achieved at a flow rate of 20 nL/min using a 20
.mu.m i.d. PS-DVB monolithic column.sup.6. Even more recently,
others have reported on the preparation of 20 and 30 .mu.m i.d.
silica-based monolithic columns.sup.8,16, demonstrating sensitive
and quantitative proteomic analyses at the very low flow rate of 10
nL/min 6. However, in all these cases, preparation of the
monolithic columns was difficult, in part due to the increased
surface area to column i.d. ratio.
[0005] Given the excellent performance of open tubular capillary
gas chromatography (GC), researchers have for many years tried to
implement such columns for LC. It was recognized early on.sup.49
that very narrow bore columns of 5-10 .mu.m i.d. were necessary for
open tubular LC, in order to overcome band broadening due to the
laminar flow in the capillary tube. Approaches of coating the
capillary tubing using silicone.sup.17 or chemical modification of
etched surfaces.sup.18 were first developed to prepare open tubular
capillary LC columns. However, such columns provided low retention
and low sample loading capacity even for small molecules, let alone
for complex biological samples.
[0006] Porous layer open tube (PLOT) columns were introduced in
1960s to increase the sample loading capacity of the GC
columns.sup.19. Although efforts have been made in the last 20
years to prepare PLOT capillary LC columns.sup.20-23, success has
been limited due in part to the following: 1) lack of a sensitive,
universal, small dead volume detector.sup.24; 2) lack of ability to
generate effective gradient elution at very low flow rates; and 3)
difficulties in the preparation of capillary columns with a uniform
stationary layer reproducibly. ESI-MS has proven to be an ideal
sensitive detector with zero dead volume, and current HPLC pumps
can provide stable flow rate at low nL/min level after accurate
splitting. The remaining problem is to prepare and implement high
efficiency LC PLOT columns, a major challenge being to cast a
suitably uniform porous layer on the column to provide sufficient
retention and sample loading capacity. Several methods have been
developed to realize a retentive layer suitable for increasing the
surface area and phase ratio, e.g., static.sup.25,
dynamic.sup.26,27, and precipitation coating.sup.28. To simplify
the preparation process, a method of laying down a porous siliceous
layer in a single step via a sol-gel process was described.sup.29.
Methods of preparing gold nanoparticle-coated PLOT columns have
also been described.sup.30,31. However, these and other
attempts.sup.32-36 have not been sufficiently successful to permit
commercial level development of PLOT capillary LC columns and their
use, e.g., in ESI-MS.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A new polymer-based PLOT column prepared by in situ
copolymerization of a functional monomer, which usually contains
the retentive chemistries, and a crosslinking monomer, which
enhances the strength of the polymer matrix, is disclosed herein.
For example, styrenic based monomers such as styrene and
divinylbenzene or meth/acrylic based monomers such as butyl or
stearyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, are
employed. Columns of the invention can be prepared in a robust
fashion with a very narrow i.d., e.g., 5-15 .mu.m. Thus, they are
suitable for commercial use in ultratrace LC/MS proteomic analysis.
Columns according to the invention are characterized by high
resolving power, high column-to-column reproducibility and
relatively high loading capacity. When coupled on-line with, e.g.,
ESI-MS detection, these columns, in systems according to the
invention, provide high sensitivity for analysis of complex
proteomic samples, even down to the low attomole to sub-attomole
level. The power of methods using columns of the invention is
demonstrated in particular by coupling such columns to the new mass
spectrometers, such as the hybrid linear ion-trap/FT mass
spectrometer (LTQ/FT-MS, ThermoElectron, San Jose, Calif.), for
bioanalyses. The high resolution and sensitivity of these columns
opens up major possibilities for the diagnosis of biopsy samples as
well as the determination of specific biomarkers that can provide
molecular phenotyping of individual samples. Such developments are
of clear clinical importance and therapeutic significance in that
tissue samples of a highly limited quantity can be successfully
analyzed for proteomic content using the columns and methods of the
invention. Also, columns according to the invention can be online
coupled to other sensitive detectors such as fluorescence,
electro/chemiluminence or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for,
e.g., detection of trace chemical or biological agents in chemical
or biological defense applications.
[0008] Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a porous
layer open tube capillary column, or channel in a microfabricated
device, the column or channel including a capillary column or
channel having an i.d. of 15 .mu.m or less (preferably 10 .mu.m or
less); and a rigid porous layer separation medium comprising a
highly crosslinked, macroporous, organic polymeric stationary phase
layer attached covalently to the inner wall surface of the column
or channel, wherein the organic polymeric stationary phase layer
includes styrenic, methacrylic or acrylic monomeric units, or
combinations thereof; wherein the organic polymeric stationary
phase layer is from 0.5-3 .mu.m in thickness; wherein the organic
polymeric stationary phase layer is thermally stable to 250.degree.
C.; and wherein the reproducibility of retention time on comparable
columns or channels during use varies less than 10%, and,
preferably less than 5%. A preferred capillary column according to
the invention has a length of greater than or equal to one meter,
and preferably greater than or equal to three meters. In preferred
embodiments of the capillary column or channel, the organic
polymeric stationary phase layer is poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) or
has (C4-C18) alkyl methacrylate monomer units, and the column or
channel during use has a flow rate at 6000 psi or less of 5-50
nL/min.
[0009] In another aspect, the invention is directed to method of
preparing a separation capillary column or channel in a
microfabricated device, the column or channel comprising a porous
layer open tube separation medium including a macroporous, organic
polymeric stationary phase layer, said method including the steps
of (1) providing an unfilled capillary column, or channel in a
microfabricated device, the column or channel being open at both
ends thereof and having an i.d. of 15 .mu.m or less, the inner wall
surface of the column or channel including a bifunctional anchoring
or coupling agent suitable for covalent attachment of a
macroporous, organic polymeric stationary phase layer as a porous
layer open tube separation medium; (2) adding to the column or
channel a mixture including a functional monomer selected from the
group consisting of styrenic, methacrylic and acrylic monomers, and
combinations thereof; a crosslinker compatible with the functional
monomer, the crosslinker being capable of providing extensive
crosslinking; a polar porogenic solvent; and an initiator for
thermal or UV induced polymerization; and (3) polymerizing the
mixture in the column to form the macroporous, organic polymeric
stationary phase layer as the porous layer open tube separation
medium attached to the inner surface of the column or channel. In
preferred embodiments of the method of the invention, the inner
wall surface of the column or channel is silica and the
bifunctional anchoring or coupling agent contains at one end a
functional group reactive with silica and at the other end a
functional group reactive with said functional monomer (an
exemplary bifunctional anchoring or coupling agent being
3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate); the functional monomer in
the polymerization mixture is styrene and the crosslinking agent is
divinylbenzene. In other preferred embodiments of the method, the
functional monomer in said polymerization mixture is methacrylate
(e.g., (C4-C18) alkyl methacrylate, in particular, butyl or stearyl
methacrylate), and the preferred crosslinking agent is ethylene
glycol dimethacrylate. Preferred porogenic solvents include
C.sub.nH.sub.2n+1OH, wherein 1.ltoreq.n.ltoreq.4), wherein ethanol
is particularly preferred, or acetonitrile. In other preferred
embodiments of the method, the ratio of total monomer (functional
monomer plus crosslinking monomer) to porogenic solvent in the
polymerization mixture varies between 10-40% (V/V) while the ratio
of functional monomer to crosslinking monomer varies between 1:1 to
1:3.
[0010] In another aspect, the invention is directed to a process of
carrying out a chemical analysis method including the steps of
providing the separation capillary column or channel of the
invention; coupling the column or channel to a concentration
sensitive detector; and carrying out the chemical analysis
method.
[0011] In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a system
for carrying out a chemical analysis method, the system including
the separation capillary column or channel of the invention and a
concentration sensitive detector coupled with an interface to the
exit end of the separation column or channel. Exemplary
concentration sensitive detectors include a mass spectrometer, a
fluorescence detector, an electro-chemiluminescence detector and a
nuclear magnetic resonance detector. A preferred interface is an
electrospray ionization (ESI) interface or a matrix assisted laser
desorption ionization (MALDI) interface. In a preferred embodiment,
the system of the invention further includes a preparatory
precolumn coupled to the entrance end of the separation column or
channel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following description of the preferred
embodiments thereof and from the claims, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of
a 10 .mu.m i.d. poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) PLOT column according
to the invention in a microSPE/nanoLC/ESI-MS system according to
the invention;
[0014] FIGS. 2A and 2B are scanning electron micrographs of the
middle section (A) of the PLOT column of FIG. 1 and of an end
section (B) of the PLOT column. The end sections constitute roughly
5% of the approx. 5 m long capillary;
[0015] FIGS. 3A-3D are MS/MS spectra from four peptides of a BSA
tryptic digest with 10 attomole injected directly onto the PLOT
column;
[0016] FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate comprehensive analysis of a Lys-C
digest of EGRF. (A) Base peak chromatogram from nanoLC-ESI-MS
analysis of 25 fmol of a Lys-C digest of EGFR injected on the 4.2
m.times.10 .mu.m i.d. PS-DVB PLOT column according to the
invention; selected MS/MS spectra are shown for long (B),
phosphorylated (C), and glycosylated (D, E) peptides of EGFR. The
peptide sequences and the extracted ion chromatograms are shown in
the insert. The phosphothreonine is indicated as T*. The
glycosylation site is labeled N*. In the Man8 structure, the
triangle (.tangle-solidup.) and circle (.cndot.) represent mannose
and N-acetyl glucosamine, respectively. The sequential loss of
terminal mannoses from the Man8 structure resulted in Man7, Man6,
etc. In the glycan structures, SA represents sialic acid and the
square (.box-solid.) represents galactose; and
[0017] FIGS. 5a and 5B are chromatograms providing for the
calculation of peak capacity for the column according to FIG. 1.
FIG. 5A is the base peak chromatogram from the
microSPE-nanoLC-ESI-MS analysis of a 4 ng tryptic in-gel digest of
a single SDS-PAGE cut of M. Acetivorans and FIG. 5B showns
extracted ion chromatograms of six high intensity peaks used to
calculate the peak capacity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] According to the invention, high-efficiency, narrow, e.g.,
10 .mu.m i.d., PLOT columns (e.g., poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) can
be repeatedly prepared in a single copolymerization step. The
polymer layer is covalently attached to the walls of the capillary,
and there is thus no need for column frits. Column-to-column
retention time reproducibility is .about.3. RSD, and, in terms of
relative retention time, .about.2% RSD. The high permeability of
the open structure allows long columns to be used at moderate
pressure, which aids sample loading capacities. The concentrated
analyte that elutes from a PLOT column according to the invention,
combined with decreased ion suppression and enhanced ion collection
efficiency at a flow rate of, e.g., 20 nL/min, significantly
improves ESI-MS sensitivity. Due to its open porous layer
structure, the PLOT column of the invention demonstrates high
efficiency for the separation of large peptides, as well as
peptides with phosphorylated and glycosylated modifications. The
columns are well suited to extended range proteomic analysis. The
high resolution capabilities of the column have been demonstrated
in an exemplary system described herein employing micro-solid phase
extraction, nano-liquid chromatography, electrospray interface,
mass spectrometry (microSPE-nanoLC-ESI-MS) analysis of a complex
proteome sample using a 4.2 m.times.10 .mu.m i.d. PS-DVB PLOT
column coupled with a 50 .mu.m i.d. PS-DVB monolithic
precolumn.
[0019] Preferred embodiments of the columns according to the
invention use different retentive chemistry functionalities
compared to the prior art and a very high degree of crosslinking to
prepare the inside wall layer (stationary phase) so that the
stationary phase is essentially rigid. This means that there is
essentially no swelling of the stationary phase, and, consequently,
no change in volume, in the presence of the mobile phase, which
usually contains organic solvent. These changes have led to
dramatic improvements in the resolution and reproducibility of
analyses carried out using columns according to the invention
because, without swelling of the stationary phase, the kinetics of
diffusion of the separating components in and out of the stationary
phase is more favorable, that is, mass transfer resistance is
minimized, and, thus, high performance is achieved as well as good
reproducibility.
[0020] With a 10-15 .mu.m i.d. capillary, a PLOT column having an
inside wall layer thickness of .about.1-3 .mu.m will reduce the
open tube i.d. to roughly 7-8 .mu.m. This column diameter has
previously been shown to be sufficient to minimize radial band
broadening, leading to high performance separations. In addition,
commercial HPLC pumps will be able to deliver sufficient flow by
virtue of the open tube structure. One point of significance for
such a column when coupled to ESI/MS is that the flow rate will be
in the range of 5-50 nL/.mu.m, more than an order of magnitude
lower than results with 75 .mu.m i.d. columns. From the early days
of nano-ESI, it has been recognized that such low flows lead to a
significant reduction in ESI droplet size such that only one ion is
encapsulated in one droplet. In this case, the significant problem
of ion suppression is minimized or eliminated, a feature
particularly favorable to peptides with post-translational
modifications, such as carbohydrates or phosphates.
[0021] The reversed phase PLOT column according to the invention,
e.g., 10 .mu.m i.d., yields robust high resolution separation with
minimal ion suppression. Use of such columns would significantly
impact peptide quantitation and, therefore, yield more
comprehensive and accurate results for, e.g., biomarker
studies.
[0022] The invention is directed to a procedure to reproducibly
prepare ultra-narrow bore (i.d. <15 .mu.m) porous layer open
tube (PLOT) capillary columns for liquid chromatography coupled
with mass spectrometry or other sensitive detection techniques such
as fluorescence, electro/chemiluminence or NMR detection. The
invention is also directed to the resulting columns and to their
uses. In columns according to the invention, the retentive
stationary phase is a porous polymer formed by, e.g., temperature
induced or UV light induced solution polymerization.
[0023] Exemplary uses of PLOT columns according to the invention
include high-sensitive, high-efficiency gradient and isocratic
single or multi-dimensional nano-LC analysis of limited amounts of
biological or medical samples by coupling the columns at low flow
rates to mass flow-sensitive detectors (i.e., ESI-MS). Single,
parallel or sequential sample separation experiments using PLOT
columns according to the invention can be coupled to electrospray
ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) or matrix assisted laser
desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS).
[0024] One embodiment of the method according to the invention is
characterized in that the inner surface of the bare fused-silica
capillary is pre-functionalized before polymerization with, e.g.,
an anchoring silane, which contains acryl or methacryl groups,
enabling the reaction of the anchoring silane with monomers and
crosslinkers thereafter.
[0025] In another embodiment of this method, the polymerization
solution is composed of a functional monomer, such as styrene or
alkyl methacrylate; a crosslinker that provides a high degree of
crosslinking, such as divinylbenzene or ethylene glycol
dimethacrylate, at a typical quantity ratio of monomer/crosslinker
of 1:1; and a polar porogenic solvent (or porogen), such as
ethanol, methanol, propanol or acetonitrile. The porogen chosen is
one that has a negligible swelling effect on the resulting polymer
formed and not one that would be a good solvent for the resulting
polymer, such as the non-polar solvents toluene, chloroform,
tetrahydrofuran or heptane. The polymerization solution has a low
viscosity; thus, it can be introduced into the pre-functionalized
fused-silica capillary under low pressure, such as 100-psi or
lower, for a capillary tubing length of several meters. The
retentive layer thus formed using the monomers and crosslinkers
described above is ready for chromatographic separation without
additional surface functionalization steps.
[0026] Another embodiment of this method is characterized in that
the polymeric retentive layer, e.g., 0.5-3 .mu.m thick, formed
after polymerization is integrated to the fused silica capillary
inner wall. The layer's structure is rigid and characterized by a
rugulose inner surface, which enhances surface area and, thus,
loading capacity.
[0027] Another embodiment of the method according to the invention
is characterized in that no evaporation of the porogenic solution
is needed after polymerization, in contrast to other methods. The
porogen is simply flushed out of the column after polymerization.
Avoiding the use of a swelling porogen, such as toluene,
chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, etc., which may remain in the network
after polymerization and thus necessitate an evaporation step,
diminishes the problem of clogging during the evaporation step,
thus simplifying preparation and improving reproducibility.
[0028] In future developments, long columns up to 10 m in length
are envisioned, which can be used to improve the resolving power of
the system further, still using a conventional LC pumping system.
Furthermore, short PLOT columns run at high temperature will be
useful for fast separation and analysis. Although, the retentive
layer described above can be used for chromatography separation
without additional surface functionalization steps (as this
retentive layer contains no reactive groups, being devoid of
charged functionalities such as sulfonic, carboxylic, primary,
secondary, tertiary and quaternary amines), PLOT columns with
different surface chemistries for various separation modes can be
easily prepared using specific monomers. For example, a more
hydrophobic column could be prepared by using stearyl methacrylate
instead of styrene, or 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic
acid for ion exchange chromatography. Other retentive groups, if
desired, could include alkyl chains, hydrophilic groups or affinity
functions.
[0029] An exemplary column according to the invention is a long,
high-efficiency polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB), 10 .mu.m i.d.
porous layer open tube (PLOT) capillary column. Repeatable PLOT
capillaries according to the invention (.about.3% RSD
column-to-column), with high permeability, were easily prepared by
in-situ polymerization. Relatively high loading capacities,
.about.100 fmol for angiotensin I and .about.50 fmol for insulin
were obtained with a 4.2 m.times.10 .mu.m i.d. PLOT column. Low
detection levels (attomole to sub-attomole) were achieved when the
column was coupled on-line with a linear ion trap MS (LTQ).
Analysis of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a large
trans-membrane tyrosine kinase receptor with heterogeneous
phosphorylation and glycosylation structures, was obtained at the
25 fmol level. The PLOT column yielded a peak capacity of
.about.400 for the separation of a 4 ng complex tryptic digest
mixture when the sample preparation included a 50 .mu.m i.d. PS-DVB
monolithic precolumn and ESI-MS detection. As an example of the
power of the column, 3046 unique peptides covering 566 distinct
Methanosarcina acetivorans proteins were identified from a 50 ng
in-gel tryptic digest sample combining five cuts in a single
LC/MS/MS analysis using the LTQ. The results demonstrate the
potential of the PLOT column according to the invention for high
resolution LC/MS at the ultratrace level.
[0030] The following examples are presented to illustrate the
advantages of the present invention and to assist one of ordinary
skill in making and using the same. These examples are not intended
in any way otherwise to limit the scope of the disclosure.
Materials
[0031] Fused silica capillary tubing with a polyimide outer coating
was purchased from Polymicro Technologies (Phoenix, Ariz.).
Styrene, divinylbenzene (DVB), ethanol, formic acid (HPLC grade),
3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate,
2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)
anhydrous, and 2,2'-azobisoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) were obtained
from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, Mo.). Acetonitrile (HPLC grade) and
deionized water (HPLC grade) were purchased from Fisher Scientific
(Fair Lawn, N.J.). A standard tryptic digest of bovine serum
albumin (BSA) was from Michrom Bioresources, Inc. (Auburn, Calif.).
Angiotensin I, insulin from bovine pancreas, HPLC standard protein
mixture (ribonuclease A (13700 Da), cytochrome C (12327 Da),
apomyoglobin (17600 Da), holo-transferrin (>70000)),
.beta.-casein from milk and human epidermal growth factor receptor
(EGFR) from an A431 cancer cell line were purchased from
Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, Mo.). Achromobacter protease I (Lys-C)
was obtained from Waco Chemical Co. (Osaka, Japan), and trypsin
(sequencing grade) was from Promega (Madison, Wis.).
Example I
Preparation and Characterization of a PLOT Column According to the
Invention
[0032] Fused-silica capillary tubing with a 10 .mu.m i.d. (.about.5
meters) was first flushed overnight with 1.0 mol/L NaOH at
.about.1000 psi, washed with water and flushed with 1.0 mol/L
hydrochloric acid, and then washed again with water and
acetonitrile. The capillary was dried with nitrogen at .about.1000
psi to remove residue water and acetonitrile. 30% (v/v)
3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate and 0.5% (wt/v)
2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in N,N-dimethylformamide
anhydrous (DMF) was freshly prepared and filled into the 10 .mu.m
i.d. pretreated capillary. Both ends of the capillary were sealed
with a septum, and the capillary was placed in an oven at
110.degree. C. for 6-10 h. The capillary was washed with
acetonitrile and blown dry with nitrogen at 1000 psi. A
polymerization solution was prepared containing of 5 mg of AIBN,
200 .mu.L styrene, 200 .mu.L DVB, and 600 .mu.L ethanol. The
solution was degassed by ultrasonication for 5 min and then filled
into the silanized capillary. Both ends of the capillary were
sealed with septa, and the capillary was heated at 74.degree. C.
for .about.16 h in a water bath. The column was then washed with
acetonitrile and was ready for use. In addition, 50 .mu.m i.d.
PS-DVB monolithic precolumns were prepared using protocols
described previously.sup.14.
[0033] HPLC separations were performed using a Surveyor pump
(ThermoElectron, San Jose, Calif.). Mobile phase A (0.1% (v/v)
formic acid in water) and mobile phase B (0.1% (v/v) formic acid,
110% (v/v) water in acetonitrile) were used for the gradient
separation. Samples were either bomb loaded onto the PLOT column or
onto a 4 cm.times.50 .mu.m i.d. PS-DVB monolithic precolumn. A
microSPE/nanoLC/ESI-MS system using a 10 .mu.m i.d. PLOT column is
shown in FIG. 1. Referring now to FIG. 1, in one embodiment,
samples are first loaded manually off-line onto a precolumn 10,
which is then inverted and butt-to-butt connected to a 10 .mu.m i.d
PLOT column 12 using a Picoclear.TM. fluoropolymer core, clear
elastomeric insert connector 14 (New Objective, Woburn, Mass.). The
sample is back-flushed from precolumn 10 onto PLOT column 12. A
PEEK tee (Upchurch Scientific Inc., Oak Harbor, WA) is used as a
splitter 16, and the precolumn 10/PLOT column 12 assembly is
attached to arm 18 of the splitter. Gradient flow from an HPLC pump
24 is applied through in-line arm 20 of the splitter, and a portion
of the gradient flow goes through the 90.degree. splitting arm 22,
where a 50 .mu.m i.d. fused silica capillary can be connected to
adjust the mobile phase flow through the microSPE-LC assembly. Flow
rates of the PLOT column were measured by connecting 50 .mu.m i.d.
open fused-silica capillary tubing to the exit end of the PLOT
column, and then the volume of mobile phase that flowed for a given
period of time was determined.
[0034] NanoESI-MS was performed on an LCQ Deca XP or an LTQ ion
trap mass spectrometer (ThermoElectron). Referring again to FIG. 1,
PLOT column 12 was carefully butt-to-butt connected to a coated ESI
spray tip 26 (360 .mu.m o.d., 20 .mu.m i.d. fused silica with 5
.mu.m i.d. tip, 2-3 cm in length, New Objective) using a
Picoclear.TM. connector 14. Electrospray voltage 28 was applied
directly on the spray tip 26 to direct droplets of generated sample
ions to the MS inlet orifice 30. The data generated from LC/MS
experiments were analyzed using standard database searching
algorithms (SEQUEST). Peptides were assigned based upon a Peptide
Prophet probability greater than 0.95, a .DELTA.Cn greater than
0.10, and Xcorr greater than 1.8, 2.5 and 3.5 for singly, doubly
and triply charged ions, respectively.
[0035] In addition to a tryptic digest sample of BSA, Lys-C digests
of .beta.-casein and EGFR and an in-gel tryptic digest of
Methanosarcina acetivorans were used as test mixtures to evaluate
the performance of the nanoLC-ESI-MS. Lys-C digestion of
.beta.-casein was performed as follows: Lys-C was spiked into the
.beta.-casein (at 10 pmole) in a 1:40 (w/w) ratio and incubated for
4 h at 37.degree. C. (pH 8.5). For Lys-C digestion of EGFR, 10
.mu.g lyophilized powder of EGFR was dissolved in 100 .mu.L of 6 M
guanidine hydrochloride and 0.1 M ammonium bicarbonate in water.
Reduction was conducted with 40 mM dithiothreitol for 30 min at
37.degree. C., followed by alkylation with 80 mM of iodoacetamide
for 1.5 h in the dark at room temperature. The buffer was
subsequently exchanged to 0.1 M ammonium bicarbonate buffer, pH
8.5, to remove additional salts and reagents. Lys-C (1:20 w/w) was
added to digest the protein for 4 h at 37.degree. C. (pH 8.5). The
mixture was acidified with 1% formic acid to quench the digestion,
followed by storage at -20.degree. C.
[0036] M. acetivorans cells, grown in methanol, were cultured as
previously described.sup.37. Protein extraction, SDS-polyacrylamide
gel electrophoresis (PAGE) fractionation and in-gel digestion were
performed using protocols reported previously.sup.37. The
concentration of the whole-cell protein extracts, determined by the
Bradford assay (Bio-Rad, Hercules, Calif.), was 3.0 mg/mL. Roughly
45 .mu.g of total protein was loaded on the gel, and after
electrophoresis, the gel lanes were cut into 5 fractions. The
in-gel tryptic digest of a fraction of M. acetivorans proteins
(M>70 kDa) was used to evaluate the performance of the PLOT
column. In addition, all 5 in-gel digested fractions were combined
together to represent a global proteomic analysis for
characterization of the PLOT column.
[0037] Compared to silica-based stationary phases, organic
polymeric stationary phases provide several advantages, e.g.,
improved chemical stability over an extended pH range and the
absence of silanol groups that can cause irreversible adsorption of
peptides and proteins. The exemplary PS-DVB porous layer was
prepared and attached to the silanized capillary wall in a single
in situ copolymerization step. Selection of a suitable solvent for
the copolymerization step is key to successful preparation of
repeatable, high efficiency PLOT columns. The polymer should
precipitate from solution at an early stage of the polymerization
process, forming a thin porous layer at the capillary wall, while
leaving open the main section of the capillary tube. A porogenic
solvent in which the resulting polymer, e.g., PS-DVB, is not very
soluble is, therefore, desirable for the preparation of the PLOT
column.
[0038] Several organic solvents, including methanol, ethanol,
propanol, tetrahydrofuran, and acetonitrile, were examined for
their ability to prepare repeatable PLOT columns. From this group,
the non-polar solvent ethanol was selected for further study since
successful columns were routinely made using this solvent. The
effect of the ratio of ethanol to monomer concentration on the
preparation of the PLOT column was then investigated. In these
studies, more than 50% monomer in the polymerization mixture was
observed to lead to column blockage. At 60% ethanol/40% monomer,
repeatable, high performance PLOT columns were obtained.
[0039] The surface layer of a PLOT column, prepared from .about.5
meter of 10 .mu.m i.d. fused silica capillary tubing using 60%
ethanol, was then examined at different sections of the column
using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Referring to FIG. 2A, it
can be seen that the porous layer was observed to be uniform
throughout most of the capillary. Portions at the ends of the
capillary (.about.5% from each end) contained relatively large
globules, as shown in FIG. 2B. These ends are cut to produce a
column of length .about.4.2 meters. From the SEM picture, the
thickness of the surface inner layer of the PLOT column was
estimated to be between 0.5 and 1 .mu.m. Since there may be some
globules interspersed at low density throughout the column, the
average thickness may be somewhat higher. Earlier experiments had
suggested that the layer thickness should be in the range 0.3-2
.mu.m for a coated open tubular column, depending on the mass
transfer coefficients of the solutes between the mobile and
stationary phases.sup.40.
Example II
Characterization of Column Performance
[0040] A variety of chromatographic studies were conducted to
characterize a 4.2 m.times.10 .mu.m i.d. PLOT column according to
the invention. The long column provided a flow rate of .about.20
nL/min at pressures of only .about.2900 psi. on the basis of these
conditions, Darcy's law.sup.41 was used to calculate the column
permeability as 1.3.times.10.sup.-2 m.sup.2. It is interesting to
note that this value is roughly 4-fold lower than an equivalent
open tube capillary of 10 .mu.m i.d. without a porous layer. The
lower permeability and higher pressure drop of the PLOT column
according to the invention is undoubtedly due to the porous layer
reducing the open tube diameter. On the other hand, the
permeability is 15-fold higher than a recently introduced 10 .mu.m
i.d. silica monolithic column.sup.16. Thus, the column according to
the invention is characterized by relatively high permeability in
comparison to a similarly sized packed column. Hence, very long
columns according to the invention, e.g., of 4 m or greater, can be
operated successfully with commercially available HPLC pumping
systems that have a pressure limit of 6000 psi.
[0041] Use of a detection system and associated connections that
make only a minimal contribution to extra column dead volume is the
key to achieve high efficiency separation of narrow bore PLOT
column at such low flow rates.sup.42. In this study, a PicoClear
union was used to connect the PLOT column and the ESI emitter.
Through visual inspection, the straight cut PLOT column outlet was
observed to be closely connected to the coated ESI emitter, which
had a 5 .mu.m i.d. spray tip, 2-3 cm long. The emitter could be
easily replaced if the tip became clogged. Stable electrospray was
readily generated from the emitter at flow rates of .about.20
nL/min.
[0042] Since the columns of the invention are made in a single step
after silanization of the capillary wall, a simple procedure for
column production can be established. Reproducibility of retention
from column to column was tested in the gradient elution separation
of a 1:1 mixture of a BSA tryptic digest and a .beta.-casein Lys-C
digest. An 800-attomole amount of the mixture was bomb loaded on
the PLOT column. High-performance separation was carried out with
direct loading and use of a microSPE column. Gradient: mobile phase
A (0.1e (v/v) formic acid in water) to 40' B (0.1% (v/v) formic
acid, 10% (v/v) water in acetonitrile) in 45 min with data
collection initiated at the start of the gradient. Flow rate:
.about.20 nL/min at an inlet pressure of .about.2900 psi. The
run-to-run retention time reproducibility was established from
three independent analyses. The consecutive run-to-run
reproducibility was found to be better than 1.2% RSD. Three,
separate PLOT columns were then prepared, and the reproducibility
of retention from column-to-column is presented in Table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 PLOT Column-to-Column Reproducibility.sup.a
Retention time (min) m/z Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 RSD, % RSD*,
%.sup.b 655 33.84 34.83 36.11 3.26 1.97 480 34.21 35.10 36.41 3.14
1.81 582 34.97 35.86 37.27 3.21 1.83 813 35.50 36.35 37.48 2.73
1.56 628 37.62 38.26 39.55 2.55 1.22 741 39.01 39.62 40.96 2.51
1.15 879 41.57 41.93 43.36 2.24 0.77 843 42.05 42.74 44.12 2.45
1.16 785 43.20 43.85 45.52 2.71 1.22 832 47.46 47.55 49.42 2.30
0.50 1340 50.62 50.13 52.11 2.02 0.18 1330 52.05 51.43 53.38 1.91
0.34 1241 52.79 52.47 54.46 2.01 -- .sup.aMixture of BSA tryptic
digest and .beta.-casein Lys-C digest was used to test the
column-to-column reproducibility of three 4.2 m .times. 10 .mu.m
i.d. PS-DVB PLOT columns. .sup.bRSD* represents the RSD of relative
retention time normalized to the ion of m/z = 1241.
[0043] It can be seen that the reproducibility for the three
columns was better than 3% RSD, and if the retention was normalized
to the ion with m/z=1241, the RSD drops to less than 2%. The
results in Table 1 are very promising given that the tube diameter
was only 10 .mu.m i.d. A likely source of the larger
column-to-column % RSD relative to that for the run-to-run
retention reproducibility is minor differences in flow rate
resulting from small variations in column permeability. The average
peak width for six high-intensity m/z peaks on the three columns
was also determined. The peak width at half-height was 6.+-.0.5 s
on the three PLOT columns, again indicating good reproducibility.
Finally, the PLOT columns showed good stability. The retention and
peak widths remained unchanged over 3 months, with hundreds of
sample injections.
[0044] The loading capacities of the PLOT column were determined by
measuring peak width at half-height (w.sub.1/2) as a function of
injected amounts of angiotensin I (1296.5 Da) and insulin (5733.5
Da). The maximum loading capacity is defined as the amount of
sample injected when the corresponding w.sub.1/2 is increased by
10% over the peak width at low sample amounts. Using a fixed sample
volume of 2 nL, the sample solution at various concentrations was
bomb loaded on the PLOT column. NanoLC-ESI-MS was conducted with a
20 min gradient, and the w.sub.1/2 for each analysis was determined
from the corresponding extracted ion chromatogram. The loading
capacities of the PLOT column, prepared using 60% of solvent, were
.about.100 fmol for angiotensin I and .about.50 fmol for insulin.
Given that 10 .mu.m i.d. columns were used, these values represent
relatively high loading capacity.
[0045] It is useful to compare these results to the loading
capacity of a 6 cm.times.200-.mu.m-i.d. PS-DVB monolithic column
(column volume of .about.1.9 .mu.L) of .about.1 .mu.mol, previously
reported for a small peptide.sup.42. The column volume of the 4.2
m.times.10-.mu.m-i.d. PLOT column was .about.0.33 .mu.L, or roughly
20% that of the above monolithic column. Thus, on a column volume
basis, the loading capacity of the PLOT column differed from the
200 .mu.m i.d. monolithic column by only a factor of 2 as a result
of the long column length. The loading capacities of the PLOT
column prepared using 70% ethanol decreased to .about.50 fmol for
angiotensin I and .about.20 fmol for insulin. The higher percentage
of ethanol resulted in the PS-DVB polymer phase separation
occurring at an earlier stage of polymerization, likely leading to
less polymer coated on the tubing wall and thus a lower loading
capacity.
[0046] The ultimate goal of narrow bore LC-ESI-MS is to achieve low
detection limits without sacrificing separation performance. The
detection level achievable with the PLOT column of the invention
was evaluated using a tryptic digest of bovine serum albumin (BSA).
Ten attomoles of a BSA tryptic digest was bomb loaded directly onto
the 10 .mu.m i.d. PLOT column and detected by the linear ion trap
MS. Four peptides that provided good MS/MS fragmentation and high
SEQUEST scores were confidently identified, as shown in FIGS.
3A-3D. The extracted ion chromatogram of the peptide (YICDNQDTISSK)
with the highest MS response (signal-to-noise ratio .about.210) is
shown in the insert to FIG. 3B, indicating that the detection limit
for this peptide can, in principle, be in the hundreds of zmole
range.
Example III
Comprehensive Analysis of Large Complex Peptide Fragments of
EGFR
[0047] High sequence coverage proteomic analysis and comprehensive
characterization of post-translational modifications at the trace
level are particularly important to help to address a variety of
problems of biological interest. Often, one is faced with a limited
amount of sample and, yet it can be important to determine and
quantitate individual protein isoforms. An intermediate approach
between top down and bottom up proteomics, extended range proteomic
analysis (ERPA), was recently introduced for comprehensive
characterization of complex proteins.sup.44. Lys-C was used as the
proteolytic enzyme instead of trypsin, since the former enzyme is a
less frequent cutter. Thus, the complexity of the sample was
reduced (.about.2-3 fold lower number of peptide fragments than for
trypsin). The Lys-C digest, on average, led to longer peptides than
that for the tryptic digest. In addition, extra arginines were
frequently included in the digest fragment, leading to enhanced
signal for post-translationally modified peptides. Using this
approach, greater than 95% sequence coverage was demonstrated in
the analysis of a phosphorylated and glycosylated tyrosine kinase
receptor, EGFR, at the 75-fmole level using a 50-.mu.m monolithic
column.sup.45.
[0048] Due to its open porous structure and high sensitivity
features, PLOT columns according to the invention can also be
effective for the analysis of large post-translationally modified
peptides, such as found with the ERPA approach. As a comparison
with the earlier work, FIG. 4A shows the base peak separation of
.about.25 fmol Lys-C digest of EGFR on the 4.2 m.times.10 .mu.m
i.d. PLOT column. On the basis of MS/MS analysis and to manually
match previously identified peptides.sup.44, >70% sequence
coverage, including post-translational modifications, was obtained.
As an example, FIG. 4B illustrates the MS/MS spectra of a large
peptide, as well as phosphorylated and glycosylated peptides and
their extracted ion chromatograms. As seen in the figure, using a
45 min. linear gradient, symmetrical and narrow peaks were observed
for the large peptide (w.sub.1/2, 7 s) (FIG. 4), phosphopeptide
(w.sub.1/2, 9 s) (FIG. 4C), and glycopeptides (w.sub.1/2, .about.10
s) (FIGS. 4D and 4E). The PLOT column demonstrated high efficiency
for the separation of all Lys-C digest peptides of EGFR. The PLOT
columns according to the invention should be effective for even
larger fragments, including intact proteins.
Example IV
MicroSPE/nanoLC/ESI-MS Analyses
[0049] Successful practical operation of the PLOT column according
to the invention requires the ability to handle samples of at least
of few microliters volume. Since direct injection of such sample
volumes on the PLOT column would take a long time, if successful at
all, precolumn enrichment is an important procedure for sample
handling. In addition, use of a precolumn would allow successful
removal of salts and other species in the sample solution that are
deleterious to ESI-MS. Following established procedure.sup.46, the
sample was pressure loaded manually on a 4 cm.times.50 .mu.m i.d.
PS-DVB monolithic precolumn. Flows of .about.0.5 .mu.L/min at a
pressure of .about.1000 psi were used for loading on the precolumn,
such flow rates being .about.25.times. greater than that for direct
loading on the PLOT column. After loading, the precolumn was then
inverted and butt-to-butt connected to the PLOT column using a
PicoClear union. An important feature of the union is that it can
hold pressure up to 5000 psi. The sample, loaded on the precolumn,
was then back-flushed onto the PLOT column. Automated loading of a
precolumn and sample injection are also within the invention.
[0050] The resolving power of the microSPE-nanoLC-ESI-MS system was
evaluated using an in-gel tryptic digest of a proteomic sample of
the archaeon, M. acetivorans. First, a 1 .mu.L sample was loaded
onto a 4 cm.times.50 .mu.m i.d. PS-DVB monolithic precolumn using a
pressure bomb at a flow rate of 0.5 .mu.L/min. FIG. 5A shows a
3.5-h gradient separation of only 4 ng of an in-gel tryptic digest
sample of a gel fraction (>70 kDa) of M. acetivorans on the 4.2
m.times.10 .mu.m i.d. PLOT column. The base peak chromatogram in
FIG. 5A illustrates both the complexity of the sample and the high
resolving power of the system, with symmetrical peaks being
observed throughout the entire separation. The peak capacity of the
gradient separation using the PLOT column was estimated by
examining the extracted ion chromatograms of individual components
throughout the separation window (FIG. 5B).sup.47. The 2.sigma.
values of six high intensity peaks over the wide gradient range are
between 0.21 and 0.30 s, leading to an estimation of peak capacity
of .about.400. Even higher peak capacities are anticipated with
full system optimization. A total of 689 unique peptides and 238
proteins (single-hit peptides excluded) were identified from this
very small sample. The peptides and proteins were identified by
automated searching of MS/MS spectra of the M. acetivorans
database. The number of identified peptides and proteins increased
significantly, from 689 and 238 to 1793 and 512, respectively, as
the injection amount was increased from 4 ng to 50 ng. Given that
the sample was prepared by in-gel digest.sup.47, 50 ng is still a
relatively limited amount of material.
[0051] Finally, as a test the system of the invention, the five
in-gel digested fractions were combined together to simulate a
global proteomic sample. For three repeat gradient runs from 150 ng
of the combined in-gel digest of M. acetivorans, a total of 4409
unique peptides and 715 different proteins (single hits excluded)
were identified. These results demonstrate the potential of the
system of the invention for high resolution analysis with a limited
sample amount.
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[0101] While the present invention has been described in
conjunction with a preferred embodiment, one of ordinary skill,
after reading the foregoing specification, will be able to effect
various changes, substitutions of equivalents, and other
alterations to the compositions and methods set forth herein. It is
therefore intended that the protection granted by Letters Patent
hereon be limited only by the definitions contained in the appended
claims and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *