Tandem mass spectrometry for characterization of unsaturated disaccharides from chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate and hyaluronan.

Fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry has been used in the characterization of non-, mono-, di- and trisulfated disaccharides from chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate and hyaluronan. The positional isomers of the sulfate group of mono- and disulfated disaccharides were distinguished from each other by both positive- and negative-ion fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectra, which gave sufficient information characteristic of the isomers. The anomeric isomers of nonsulfated disaccharides were characterized by the technique in the positive-ion mode. This fast atom bombardment collision induced dissociation mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry technique was also applied successfully to the characterization of trisulfated disaccharide.