Identification of phosphorylation sites in phosphopeptides by positive and negative mode electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

A series of synthetic mono- and diphosphorylated peptides has been analyzed by positive and negative mode electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The synthetic peptides are serine- and threonine-phosphorylated analogs of proteolytic fragments from the C-terminal region of rhodopsin. Use of positive and negative modes of electrospray ionization to produce ions for tandem mass spectrometry via low energy collision-induced dissociation was explored. For some of the peptides, the complementary use of experimental results allowed determination of the phosphorylation sites when either mode alone gave incomplete information. Other peptides, however, gave negative ion spectra not interpretable in terms of backbone cleavages. However, use of positive ion tandem mass spectrometry of different charge state precursor ions gave sufficient information in most cases to assign sites of phosphorylation. These results illustrate the utility of obtaining complementary information by tandem mass spectrometry by using precursor ions of different charge polarity or number.