Protein Subunits Released by Surface Collisions of Noncovalent Complexes: Nativelike Compact Structures Revealed by Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Crash survival: Several noncovalent protein complexes were dissociated by surface collision and studied using ion mobility mass spectrometry. Most of the resulting monomer products and some undissociated precursors maintain the overall size and shape of their native fold after surface impact. This result is in contrast to the unfolding of the structures observed for the commonly used activation involving neutral gas collisions.