Polypeptide sequencing by a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer computer system: II—characterization of complex mixtures of oligopeptides as trimethylsilylated polyamino alcohols

Complex mixtures of O-trimethylsilylated polyamino alcohols, which have been generated by either acid or enzymatic hydrolysis of polypeptides and subsequent derivatization, are completely characterized by a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer computer system. These peptide derivatives possess excellent gas chromatographic properties; a wide range of derivatives from di- to hexapeptides may be separated in a single chromatographic experiment. The identification of these compounds, either manually or with the assistance of the computer, is based on three sets of data which are automatically generated after the g.c.m.s. computer experiment: (1) mass spectra, which exhibit sequence-determining ions of high abundance; (2) selected ion records, which allow efficient location of peptide derivatives in the gas chromatogram as well as resolution of incompletely separated fractions; (3) retention indices, which can be calculated from values which have been assigned to each amino acid residue.