This award will provide partial funding for the purchase of a high mass, high performance tandem mass spectrometer. The machine will be used for determination of amino acid sequences, characterization of post-transcriptional modifications of proteins and structural characterization of cross-linked ligand-receptor complexes, synthetic polypeptides and other compounds of biological interest. Among the proteins to be examined are membrane-bound receptors, hormones, enzymes and transcription factors. The remaining funds neccessary for purchase of the instrument will be provided by the university. Mass spectrometry is a technique of increasing utility in the structural characterization of a wide variety of biochemical compounds. Of particular interest is the use of this technique in the sequence analysis of modified proteins, peptidoglycans and other polysaccharides, since this information is often difficult or impossible to obtain by other means. The planned uses for this instrument should result in improved analytical methods as well as providing important new information about particular molecules.
