Probing conformational changes in proteins by mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry has found wide application for the elucidation of the primary structures of proteins. However, with the exception of topographical studies of membrane-bound proteins, mass spectrometry has not previously been utilized to obtain information concerning in three-dimensional conformation of proteins. In the present communication, the authors describe the first use of mass spectrometry for probing conformational changes in proteins in a manner analogous to that employed in techniques like optical rotary dispersion, circular dichroism, and spectrophotometry.