Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometric resolution, identification, and screening of non-covalent complexes of Hck Src homology 2 domain receptor and ligands from a 324-member peptide combinatorial library

The preferred ligands for the Hck Src homology 2 domain among a combinatorial library containing 324 different peptides were determined in a single experiment involving Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry (MS), electrospray ionization (ESI), stored-waveform inverse Fourier transformation (SWIFT), and infrared multiphoton laser disassociation (IRMPD). These were compared with the results obtained by conventional screening of the peptide library in solution using affinity chromatography. The results reported here show that by combining ESI, FT-ICR MS, SWIFT, and IRMPD, ligands likely to bind under physiological conditions are rapidly and efficiently identified, even from complex library mixtures. In the gas phase some discrimination against hydrophobic ligands could be observed. However, the illustrated feasibility of identifying high affinity ligand via gas-phase screening of complex library mixtures should lead to broad applications in the development of ligands for proteins with interesting biological activity, the first step that must be taken to develop a therapeutic agent.