Ion-pair Reversed-phase High-performance Liquid Research Articles

Detection and separation of the S-adenosylmethionine-decarboxylase inhibitor SAM486A in human plasma and urine by reversed-phase ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography

A reversed-phase ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography method for the detection and separation of SAM486A in human plasma and urine is described. Precipitation of proteins was used for plasma sample preparation. Enrichment of SAM486A on a 5 μ C18 column using 0.05 M NaH 2PO 4 and 0.005 M pentan-sulfonic acid (pH 3.0) as eluent was followed by isocratic elution onto a 5 μ C18 analytical column using 0.01 M NaH 2PO 4 and 0.005 M pentan-sulfonic acid (pH 3.0) as eluent. Analysis time was 23.0 ± 0.1 min. The separation parameters were: capacacity factor = 6.21; plates/m = 15,002; peak tailing = 2.076. The method is linear between 5 ng/ml (detection limit) and 1000 ng/ml.

Complete and rapid scanning of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (D-HPLC): major implications for genetic counselling.

More than 900 mutations and more than 200 different polymorphisms have now been reported in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Ten years after the cloning of the CFTR gene, the complete scanning of the 27 exons to identify known and novel mutations remains challenging. Rapid accurate identification of mutated alleles is important for prenatal diagnosis, for cascade screening in families at risk of cystic fibrosis (CF) and for understanding the correlation between genotype and phenotype. In this study, we report the successful use of denaturing ion-pair reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (D-HPLC) to analyse rapidly the complete coding sequence of the CFTR gene. With 27 pairs of polymerase chain reaction primers, we optimised the temperature conditions required for the analysis of each amplicon and validated thetest conditions on samples from a panel of 1552 CF patients who came from France and other European countries and who had mutations and polymorphisms located in the various melting domains of the gene. D-HPLC identified 415 mutated alleles previously characterised by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing, plus 74 novel mutations reported here. This new technique for screening DNA for sequence variation was extremely accurate (it identified 100% of the CFTR alleles tested so far) and rapid (the complete CFTR gene could be analysed in less than a week). Our approach should reduce the number of untyped CF alleles in populations and thus decrease the residual risk in couples at risk of CF. This technique may be important not only for CF,but also for many other genes with a high frequency of point mutations at a variety of sites.

Rapid and simultaneous determination of mycophenolic acid and its glucuronide conjugate in human plasma by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using isocratic elution

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its glucuronide conjugate (MPAG) in human plasma. The method involves protein precipitation with acetonitrile, followed by ion-pair reversed-phase chromatography on C 18 column, with a 40 m M tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (TBA)–acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) mobile phase. A 20-μl volume of clear supernatant was injected after centrifugation, and the eluent was monitored at 304 nm. No interference was found either with endogenous substances or with many concurrently used drugs, indicating a good selectivity for the procedure. Calibration curves were linear over a concentration range of 0.5–20.0 μg/ml for MPA and 5–200 μg/ml for MPAG. The accuracy of the method is good, that is, the relative error is below 5%. The intra- and inter-day reproducibility of the analytical method is adequate with relative statistical deviations of 6% or below. The limits of quantification for MPA and MPAG were lower than 0.5 and 5.0 μg/ml, respectively, using 50 μl of plasma. The method was used to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of MPA and MPAG following oral administration in a patient with renal transplantation.

A novel assay for determination of diadenosine polyphosphates in human platelets: studies in normotensive subjects and in patients with essential hypertension.

Diadenosine polyphosphates (APnAs, n = 3-6) are a family of endogenous vasoactive purine dinucleotides which have been isolated from thrombocytes. Diadenosine pentaphosphate (AP5A) and diadenosine hexaphosphate (AP6A) are more potent than diadenosine tetraphosphate (AP4A) and diadenosine triphosphate (AP3A) and cause skeletal muscle vasoconstriction in rats. Little is known about their physiological and pathophysiological significance in humans. The aims of the present study were to compare thrombocyte APnA concentrations in patients with essential hypertension (HYP) and in healthy normotensive humans (CON) using a novel quantitative assay and to assess a possible relationship between thrombocyte APnA concentrations and skeletal muscle vascular resistance. We describe a novel assay for quantification of APnAs in human platelets, involving platelet isolation from human blood, a solid-phase extracting procedure with a derivatized resin, desalting and quantitative determination of the substances with an ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. The structural integrity of the isolated APnAs was confirmed by mixed assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) measurements and co-elution with added standards. The detection threshold for all four APnAs was 1 pmol/l and the inter-assay coefficients of variation were < 11% (n = 12). After venous blood sampling, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and forearm blood flow (FBF, using venous occlusion plethysmography) were measured in HYP and CON. Forearm vascular resistance (FVR) was calculated as MAP/FBF. significantly differ in platelet AP3A and AP4A content, but HYP had significantly higher thrombocyte concentrations of AP5A (56 +/- 7 versus 32 +/- 3 ng/microg beta-thromboglobulin, P = 0.003) and AP6A (10 +/- 1 versus 6 +/- 1 ng/microg beta-thromboglobulin, P = 0.015) than CON. HYP had significantly elevated FVR (50 +/- 6 versus 33 +/- 2 arbitrary units, P = 0.01) compared to CON. Significant correlations were found between AP5A and FVR (p = 0.38, P = 0.04) as well as between AP6A and FVR (p = 0.42, P = 0.02). In contrast, there were no significant correlations between APnAs and MAP. The study shows that thrombocyte concentrations of AP5A and AP6A are elevated in patients with essential hypertension. Vasoconstriction caused by release of AP5A and AP6A from thrombocytes may contribute to the increase of vascular resistance in hypertensive patients.

Determination of a new thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor, TPI, in dog and rat plasma by reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of a new thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor, TPI, in dog and rat plasma is described. TPI was isolated from biological samples by solid-phase extraction on Bond Elut PRS columns. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C 18 column using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile–10 m M acetate buffer (pH 4.3) including hexanesulfonate, with UV detection at 276 nm. This method has been validated across the range of 50–50 000 ng/ml using a 0.1-ml plasma volume. The mean recoveries from spiked plasma were 93% for dog and 94% for rat, respectively. The accuracy, precision and specificity of the method were demonstrated to be acceptable, and it was applied to the toxicokinetic study of TPI in rats.

RNA analysis by ion-pair reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography.

Ion-pair reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (IP RP HPLC) is presented as a new, superior method for the analysis of RNA. IP RP HPLC provides a fast and reliable alternative to classical methods of RNA analysis, including separation of different RNA species, quantification and purification. RNA is stable under the analysis conditions used; degradation of RNA during the analyses was not observed. The versatility of IP RP HPLC for RNA analysis is demonstrated. Components of an RNA ladder, ranging in size from 155 to 1770 nt, were resolved. RNA transcripts of up to 5219 nt were analyzed, their integrity determined and they were quantified and purified. Purification of mRNA from total RNA is described, separating mouse rRNA from poly(A)(+) mRNA. IP RP HPLC is also suitable for the separation and purification of DIG-labeled from unlabeled RNA. RNA purified by IP RP HPLC exhibits improved stability.

Technical Advance: a novel technique for the sensitive quantification of acyl CoA esters from plant tissues.

We report a novel, highly sensitive and selective method for the extraction and quantification of acyl CoA esters from plant tissues. The method detects acyl CoA esters with acyl chain lengths from C4 to C20 down to concentrations as low as 6 fmol in extracts. Acyl CoA esters from standard solutions or plant extracts were derived to their fluorescent acyl etheno CoA esters in the presence of chloroacetaldehyde, separated by ion-paired reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and detected fluorometrically. This derivitization procedure circumvents the selectivity problems associated with previously published enzymatic methods, and methods that rely on acyl chain or thiol group modification for acyl CoA ester detection. The formation of acyl etheno CoA esters was verified by mass spectrometry, which was also used to identify unknown peaks from chromatograms of plant extracts. Using this method, we report the composition and concentration of the acyl CoA pool during lipid synthesis in maturing Brassica napus seeds and during storage lipid breakdown in 2-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. The concentrations measured were in the 3--6 microM range for both tissue types. We also demonstrate the utility of acyl CoA profiling in a transgenic B. napus line that has high levels of lauric acid. To our knowledge, this is the first time that reliable estimates of acyl CoA ester concentrations have been made for higher plants, and the ability to profile these metabolites provides a valuable new tool for the investigation of gene function.

Mutation detection by capillary denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography using monolithic columns

The high resolving power of the chromatographic separation of single- and double-stranded nucleic acids in 200 μm i.d. monolithic poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) capillary columns was utilized for mutation screening in polymerase chain reaction amplified polymorphic loci. Recognition of mutations is based on the separation of homo- and heteroduplex species by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-RP-HPLC) under partially denaturing conditions, resulting in characteristic peak patterns both for homozygous and heterozygous samples. Six different single nucleotide substitutions and combinations thereof were confidently identified in 413 bp amplicons from six heterozygous individuals each of which yielded a different unique chromatographic profile. Alternatively, mutations were identified in short, 62 bp PCR products upon their complete on-line denaturation at 75°C taking advantage of the ability of IP-RP-HPLC to resolve single-stranded nucleic acids of identical length that differ in a single nucleotide. Separations in monolithic capillary columns can be readily hyphenated to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and promise increased sample throughput by operating in arrays similar to those already used in capillary electrophoresis.

Analysis and purification of nucleic acids by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Sizing of DNA fragments is a routine analysis traditionally performed on agarose or polyacrylamide gels. Electrophoretic analysis is labor-intensive with only limited potential for automation. Recovery of DNA fragments from gels is cumbersome. We present data on automated, size-based separation of DNA fragments by ion-pair reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (IP RP HPLC) — DNA chromatography — on the WAVE ® DNA Fragment Analysis System with the DNASep ® cartridge. This system is suitable for accurate and rapid sizing of double-stranded (ds) DNA fragments from 50 to ca. 2000 base pairs (bp). Fluorescently labeled DNA fragments are compatible with the technology. Length-dependent separation of dsDNA fragments is sequence independent and retention times are highly reproducible. The resolving capabilities of DNA chromatography are illustrated by the analysis of multiple DNA size markers. Resolved dsDNA fragments are easily collected and are suitable for downstream applications such as sequencing and cloning. DNA chromatography under denaturing conditions with fluorescently labeled DNA fragments offers a means for the separation and purification of individual strands of dsDNA. Analysis of DNA fragments on the WAVE System is highly automated and requires minimal manual intervention. DNA chromatography offers a reliable and automated alternative to gel electrophoresis for the analysis of DNA fragments.

Separation and identification of the regioisomers of verdoheme by reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography, and characterization of their complexes with heme oxygenase

We report an HPLC method for separating the four regioisomers of verdoheme formed in the coupled oxidation of hemin with oxygen and ascorbate in aqueous pyridine. The reversed-phase ion-pair system uses hexafluoroacetone and pyridine as ion-pair agents. The regiochemistry of the separated isomers was established both by HPLC of the corresponding biliverdin IX derivatives and by 1H NMR of each isomer. Optical spectra of the pyridine verdohemochrome isomers were similar to each other, but showed differences in the absorption maxima in the red region, which appear at 680, 663, 648 and 660 nm for the α, β, γ, and δ-isomers, respectively. Each of the four isomers was incorporated anaerobically into heme oxygenase-1, yielding the corresponding verdoheme–enzyme complex. The ferrous forms had absorption maxima at 690, 667, 655, and 663 nm, and their CO-bound forms had maxima at 638, 624, 616, and 626 nm for α, β, γ, and δ-isomer, respectively. Addition of ferricyanide to the α-verdoheme–heme oxygenase complex brought about a ferric low-spin heme-like signal, which is identical with the ferric α-verdoheme complexed with the heme oxygenase that was observed in the heme oxygenase reaction.

Influence of heating conditions in continuous-flow microwave or tubular heat exchange systems on the vitamin B1 and B2 content of milk

The effect of continuous-flow microwave heating of milk on the stability of vitamins B 1 and B 2 was determined by ion-pair reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Results were compared with those obtained using a conventional process having the same heating, holding and cooling phases. When milk was heated in a continuous microwave heating system, at 90 °C without a holding phase, no vitamin B 1 and vitamin B 2 losses were observed. However, when the hold- ing time was raised to 30 s or 60 s, while the content of vitamin B 2 was not modified, the content of vitamin B 1 was lowered (3% and 5%, respectively). Analogous results were obtained when the milk was submitted to a similar heating process using a conventional system. These results indicate that continuous-flow microwave heating of milk at high temperature does not offer any advantage with respect to the vitamin B 1 and B 2 retention compared with a conventional heating process having the same heating, holding and cooling times. vitamin B 1 / vitamin B 2 / milk / microwave heating

Preparation and evaluation of packed capillary columns for the separation of nucleic acids by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Oligonucleotides and double stranded DNA fragments were separated in 200 μm I.D. capillary columns packed with micropellicular, octadecylated, 2.1 μm poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) particles by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-RP-HPLC). Both the length and the diameter of the connecting capillaries (150×0.020 mm I.D.) as well as the detection volume (3 nl) had to be kept to a minimum in order to maintain the high efficiency of this chromatographic separation system with peak widths at half height in the range of a few seconds. Three different types of frits, namely sintered silica particles, sintered octadecylsilica particles, and monolithic poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) (PS–DVB) frits were evaluated with respect to their influence on chromatographic performance. Best performance for the separation of oligonucleotides and long DNA fragments was observed with the PS–DVB frits, whereas the short DNA fragments were optimally resolved in columns terminated by octadecylsilica frits. The maximum loading capacity of 60×0.20 mm I.D. columns ranged from 20 fmol (7.7 ng) for a 587 base pair DNA fragment to 500 fmol (2.4 ng) for a 16-mer oligonucleotide. Lower mass- and concentration detection limits in the low femtomol and low nanomol per liter range, respectively, make capillary IP-RP-HPLC with UV absorbance detection highly attractive for the separation and characterization of minute amounts of synthetic oligonucleotides, DNA restriction fragments, and short tandem repeat sequences amplified by polymerase chain reaction.

High-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of single- and double-stranded nucleic acids using monolithic capillary columns.

Monolithic capillary columns were prepared by copolymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene inside a 200-microm i.d. fused silica capillary using a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and decanol as porogen. With gradients of acetonitrile in 100 mM triethylammonium acetate, the synthesized columns allowed the rapid and highly efficient separation of single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides and double-stranded DNA fragments by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-RP-HPLC). Compared with capillary columns packed with micropellicular, octadecylated poly-(styrene/divinylbenzene) particles, an improvement in column performance of approximately 40% was obtained, enabling the analysis of an 18-mer oligodeoxynucleotide with a column efficiency of more than 190000 plates per meter. The chromatographic separation system was on-line-coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). To improve the mass spectrometric detectabilities, 25 mM triethylammonium bicarbonate was utilized as an ion-pair reagent at the cost of only little reduction in separation performance and acetonitrile was added postcolumn as the sheath liquid through the triaxial electrospray probe. High-quality mass spectra of femtomole amounts of 3-mer to 80-mer oligodeoxynucleotides were recorded showing very little cation adduction. Double-stranded DNA fragments ranging in size from 51 to 587 base pairs were separated and detected by IP-RP-HPLC-ESI-MS. Accurate mass determination by deconvolution of the mass spectra was feasible for DNA fragments up to the 267-mer with a molecular mass of 165 019, whereas the spectra of longer fragments were too complex for deconvolution because of incomplete separation due to overloading of the column. Finally, on-line IP-RP-HPLC tandem MS was applied to the sequencing of short oligodeoxynucleotides.

Allelic discrimination by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography

Ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on alkylated non-porous poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) particles allows the resolution of single-stranded DNA molecules of identical size (<100 nucleotides) that differ in a single base. Allelic discrimination is obtained by injecting short DNA amplicons containing the genetic variants of interest into an adequately preheated mobile phase that results in the instantaneous complete denaturation of the PCR products. All possible transitions and transversions other than C→G can be typed accurately. The method complements the discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms by means of HPLC based heteroduplex detection under partially denaturing conditions and allows their rapid genotyping without the need of adding a reference chromosome.

Sheath liquid effects in capillary high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry of oligonucleotides

Fused-silica capillary columns of 200 μm inner diameter were packed with micropellicular, octadecylated, 2.3 μm poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) particles and applied to the separation of oligonucleotides by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Oligonucleotides were eluted at 50°C with gradients of 3–13% acetonitrile in 50 m M triethylammonium bicarbonate. Addition of sheath liquid to the column effluent allowed the detection of oligonucleotides by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using full-scan data acquisition with a detectability comparable to that obtained with UV detection. The signal-to-noise ratios with different sheath liquids increased in the order isopropanol<methanol<acetonitrile. The incorporation of volatile acids or bases such as triethylamine or hexafluoroisopropanol into the sheath liquid was found to influence the charge state distribution of oligonucleotides longer than 20 nucleotide units whereas no significant effect was observed with shorter oligonucleotides. Organic acids and bases in the sheath liquid generally deteriorated the signal-to-noise ratios in the chromatograms and mass spectra mainly because of increased background noise. Only a few charge states were observed in the mass spectra of oligonucleotides because of charge state reduction due to the presence of carbonic acid in the eluent. With triethylammonium hydrogencarbonate as chromatographic eluent and acetonitrile as sheath liquid, very few cation adducts of oligonucleotides were observed in the mass spectra. However, the presence of small amounts of monopotassium adducts enabled the calculation of the charge state of multiply charged ions. With acetonitrile as sheath liquid, 710 amol of a 16-mer oligonucleotide were detected using selected ion monitoring data acquisition with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1. Finally, capillary ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was applied to the separation and characterization of heterooligonucleotide primers.

Simultaneous separation of angiotensin and endothelin peptide families by high-performance liquid chromatography: application to the specific radioimmunoassay measurement of angiotensin II or endothelin-1 from tissue

Currently available measurements of endogenous angiotensin II (ANG II) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentrations by radioimmunoassay (RIA) lack specificity to ANG II or ET-1. ANG II and ET-1 antibodies cross-react with immuno-reactive angiotensin and endothelin family members, respectively. We have therefore developed an ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for simultaneously separating angiotensin and endothelin peptides and enhancing RIA specificity in the measurement of ANG II and ET-1. The developed HPLC separation was applied to canine myocardium extracts; ANG II or ET-1 fractions were collected and quantified by RIA. Elution times for both peptide families, ANG I, ANG II, ANG III, ANG IV, ANG II(4–8), bET-1, ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3 were within 25 min. In normal canine myocardium from the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle, ANG II concentrations were 39±11, 28±21, 31±11 and 21±8 fmol/g and ET-1 concentrations were 43±16, 42±19, 55±21 and 57±34 fmol/g (mean±SD, N=7), respectively. The combination of HPLC with RIA renders the measurement of ANG II or ET-1 specific and convenient, and saves time. This HPLC separation may be applied to the specific measurement of other immuno-reactive angiotensin and endothelin peptides.

Development of Improved High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Conditions for Nonisotopic Detection of Isoaspartic Acid to Determine the Extent of Protein Deamidation

A rapid and accurate ion-pairing reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-RP-HPLC) procedure has been developed for nonisotopic detection of isoaspartic acid residues in protein or peptides resulting from deamidation of asparagine residues. The IP-RP-HPLC procedure specifically detects and quantifies S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). SAH is a by-product of the reaction between protein isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), and isoaspartic acid residues. The HPLC conditions described in this paper have been demonstrated to offer significantly better reproducibility compared to earlier studies. The HPLC method allows determination of the extent of protein deamidation without the use of radioisotopes and therefore offers significant advantages for biopharmaceutical development laboratories.

DNA microsatellite analysis using ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Genotyping based on short tandem repeat (STR) regions is used in human identification and parentage testing, gene mapping studies, cancer diagnostics, and diagnosis of hereditary diseases. Analysis of STR systems using slab gel electrophoresis requires lengthy and labor-intensive procedures. Therefore, alternative methods such as capillary electrophoresis or ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (IPRP HPLC) have been used to analyze DNA. IPRP HPLC offers an attractive substitute to gel electrophoresis for STR analysis because of the reduced analysis time, and there is no need for the waste disposal associated with radioisotopic, enzyme-linked, or fluorescence detection systems. We evaluated the use of IPRP HPLC for the sizing and typing of STR alleles from the HUMTHO1 locus. The IPRP HPLC conditions (column temperature, flow rate, percent organic modifier per minute) were optimized for the separation of PCR products. Using the optimized separation conditions, the alleles of the HUMTHO1 system were sized in their native state (double standard) with the use of internal markers. The typing results correlated 100% to accepted methods of DNA typing. The analysis time for the HUMTHO1 locus was less than 14 min, and the alleles could be peak captured for further examination following such as sequencing.

Use of high-performance liquid chromatographic fractionation of large RNA molecules in the assay of group I intron ribozyme activity

Ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which has previously been used to fractionate double-stranded DNA molecules, can be applied to single-stranded RNA molecules in the size range of 200–1000 nucleotides. This procedure permits RNA molecules to be separated and recovered rapidly in liquid medium, thereby facilitating recovery. We have used this system to separate an in vitro transcription product containing a group I intron ribozyme from the intermediates and products of the splicing reaction, permitting rapid assay of ribozyme activity without the use of radioactivity.

Comparison of direct infusion and on-line liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the analysis of nucleic acids

The applicability of ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (IP-RP-HPLC/ESI-MS) and direct infusion/ESI-MS to the characterization of nucleic acid mixtures was evaluated by the analysis of the reaction products obtained from solid-phase synthesis of a 39-mer oligonucleotide. IP-RP-HPLC/ESI-MS was performed using 200 microm i.d. capillary columns packed with octadecylated, micropellicular poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) particles and applying gradients of acetonitrile in 50 mM triethylammonium bicarbonate (TEAB). Three different solvent systems were utilized for direct infusion/ESI-MS with removal of metal cations by on-line cation exchange: (1) 10 mM triethylamine (TEA) in 50% aqueous acetonitrile, (2) 2.2 mM TEA, 400 mM hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) in 20% aqueous methanol and (3) 50 mM TEAB in 10% aqueous acetonitrile. Owing to its separation capability, the highest selectivity and specificity were achieved with IP-RP-HPLC/ESI-MS, which, apart form the 39-mer target sequence, allowed the identification of two isobutyryl-protected target sequences and a 10-mer and 20-mer failure sequence. Direct infusion/ESI-MS with TEA-acetonitrile or TEA-HFIP-methanol as solvent revealed signals for the 39-mer in the m/z range 700-1600. The presence of derivatives containing one, two, three and four isobutyryl groups indicated that the hydrolysis of the protecting groups after solid-phase synthesis was not complete. Failure sequences could not be identified by direct infusion/ESI-MS under conditions favoring multiple charging of the analytes owing to the high chemical background and coincidental overlapping of m/z signals. However, efficient charge state reduction upon addition of carbonic acid to the electrosprayed solvent shifted the signals of the 39-mer and derivatives to m/z values >2400 and allowed the detection of seven different failure sequences, ranging from the 8-mer to the 23-mer, in the mixture.