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Mass-resolved electronic circular dichroism ion spectroscopy

Overview of Daly S et al.

AuthorsDaly S  Rosu F  Gabelica V  
AffiliationUniversité de Bordeaux   Inserm & CNRS   Laboratoire Acides Nucléiques: Régulations Naturelle et Artificielle (ARNA   U1212   UMR5320)   IECB   33607 Pessac   France. v.gabelica@iecb.u-bordeaux.fr.  
JournalScience
Year 2020

Abstract


DNA and proteins are chiral: Their three-dimensional structures cannot be superimposed with their mirror images. Circular dichroism spectroscopy is widely used to characterize chiral compounds, but data interpretation is difficult in the case of mixtures. We recorded the electronic circular dichroism spectra of DNA helices separated in a mass spectrometer. We studied guanine-rich strands having various secondary structures, electrosprayed them as negative ions, irradiated them with an ultraviolet nanosecond optical parametric oscillator laser, and measured the difference in electron photodetachment efficiency between left and right circularly polarized light. The reconstructed circular dichroism ion spectra resembled those of their solution-phase counterparts, thereby allowing us to assign the DNA helical topology. The ability to measure circular dichroism directly on biomolecular ions expands the capabilities of mass spectrometry for structural analysis.