Studying non-covalent interactions using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

• Author / Creator

  Fan, Xuxin

• This thesis describes the application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to investigate non-covalent This thesis describes the application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to investigate non-covalent interactions. The first research chapter focuses on the protein-carbohydrate interaction. The binding affinities (Ka) were measured for a library of thirty human oligosaccharides and recombinant sub-fragments of TcdA (TcdA-A2) and TcdB (TcdB-B3) using the direct ESI-MS assay. Affinity measurements were also carried on a series of Lewis X analogues that were previously identified as ligands for TcdA. The second research chapter focuses on the peptide-membrane interaction. ESI-MS was employed to investigate peptide-membrane interaction using antimicrobial peptide melittin and phospholipid nanodisc as the model system. The ESI-MS study revealed melittin interact with phospholipid bilayer specifically. This result opens up further investigation on the development of the optimal instrument conditions to study peptide-membrane interaction.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Clostridium difficile
  • Peptide membrane interaction
  • Non-covalent interactions
  • Protein carbohydrate interaction
  • Nanodisc
  • Melittin

• Graduation date

  Fall 2015

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3R78637B

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.