Tandem-trapped ion mobility spectrometry/mass spectrometry (t TIMS/MS): a promising analytical method for investigating heterogenous samples

Analyst. 2022 May 30;147(11):2317-2337. doi: 10.1039/d2an00335j.

Abstract

Ion mobility spectrometry/mass spectrometry (IMS/MS) is widely used to study various levels of protein structure. Here, we review the current state of affairs in tandem-trapped ion mobility spectrometry/mass spectrometry (tTIMS/MS). Two different tTIMS/MS instruments are discussed in detail: the first tTIMS/MS instrument, constructed from coaxially aligning two TIMS devices; and an orthogonal tTIMS/MS configuration that comprises an ion trap for irradiation of ions with UV photons. We discuss the various workflows the two tTIMS/MS setups offer and how these can be used to study primary, tertiary, and quaternary structures of protein systems. We also discuss, from a more fundamental perspective, the processes that lead to denaturation of protein systems in tTIMS/MS and how to soften the measurement so that biologically meaningful structures can be characterised with tTIMS/MS. We emphasize the concepts underlying tTIMS/MS to underscore the opportunities tandem-ion mobility spectrometry methods offer for investigating heterogeneous samples.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Ion Mobility Spectrometry* / methods
  • Ions / chemistry
  • Proteins
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry* / methods

Substances

  • Ions
  • Proteins