Peak deconvolution in high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) to characterize macromolecular conformations

Protonated poly(ethylene glycol), produced by electrospray ionization (ESI), with molecular weights ranging from 0.3 to 5 kDa and charge states from 1+ to 7+ were characterized using high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS). Results for all but some of the 3+ and 4+ charge states are consistent with a single gas-phase conformer or family of unresolved conformers for each of these charge states. The FAIMS compensation voltage scans resulted in peaks that could be accurately fit with a single Gaussian for each peak. The peak widths increase linearly with compensation voltage for maximum ion transmission but do not depend on m/z or molecular weight. Fitting parameters obtained from the poly(ethylene glycol) data were used to analyze conformations of oxidized and reduced lysozyme formed from different solutions. For oxidized lysozyme formed from a buffered aqueous solution, a single conformer (or group of unresolved conformers) was observed for the 7+ and 8+ charge states. Two conformers were observed for the 9+ and 10+ charge states formed from more denaturing solutions. Data for the fully reduced form indicate the existence of up to three different conformers for each charge state produced directly by ESI and a general progression from a more extended to a more folded structure with decreasing charge state. These results are consistent with those obtained previously by proton-transfer reactivity and drift tube ion mobility experiments, although more conformers were identified for the fully reduced form of lysozyme using FAIMS.