Laser-induced desorption of proteins.

Laser-induced desorption mass spectrometry has been applied to a number of proteins in the mass range 5000-150,000 u. The beam from an excimer-laser-pumped dye-laser at 266 nm has been focused to a spot of about 50 microns in diameter with irradiances in the 10(7) W/cm2 region. A linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been used for mass spectrometric measurements, where positive and negative secondary ions of large proteins have been studied. The effect of different experimental parameters on the protein ion-signal intensities are discussed.