Electrospray ionization mass spectral characteristics and fragmentation mechanisms of Angiotensin II and its analogues

The characteristic fragmentation pathways of Angiotensin II and eight analogues were investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The main fragmentations involve the cleavages of the CCO and CONH bonds with the loss of water, ammonia or carbon monoxide and rearrangements involving hydrogen atoms, and the MS/MS spectra give significant sequence information of these octapeptides. In addition, the two members of the analogues with the same mass and different elemental composition can be distinguished by the MS/MS spectra of [M + H]+ and fragment ions. These results show that ESI tandem mass spectrometry is an excellent tool for the structural identification of Angiotensin II and its analogues.