Gas-phase bioconjugation of peptides via ion/ion charge inversion: Schiff base formation on the conversion of cations to anions.

The selective covalent modification of singly protonated peptides in the gas-phase via ion/ion charge inversion reactions is demonstrated. Doubly deprotonated 4-formyl-1,3-benzene disulfonic acid serves as a reagent anion for forming a Schiff base via the reaction of a primary amine on the peptide and the aldehyde functionality of the reagent anion. The process is initiated by the formation of an ion/ion complex comprised of the two reactants. Ion trap collisional activation of the complex results in loss of water from the intermediate that gives rise to Schiff base formation. N-terminally acetylated peptides with no lysine residues do not undergo covalent bond formation upon reaction with the reagent anion. Rather, the adduct species simply loses the reagent either as a neutral species or as a deprotonated species. The ability to modify singly protonated peptide ions covalently and selectively opens up new possibilities for the analysis of peptides and, possibly, other analyte species with primary amine functionalities.