Application of plama desorption mass spectrometry to molecular weight determination of structural protein from insect cuticle

Abstract

During sequence determination of a structural protein from the cuticle of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, a discrepancy was found between the molecular weight calculated from the sequence data (15 323) and that estimated by SDS-gel electrophoresis (21 600). The protein contains several repeated sequences, and the discrepancy might indicate that part of the sequence was missing or that the protein contained a large prosthetic group. The molecular weight of the protein was determined by 127I-plasma desorption mass spectrometry to be 15 329±50 which confirms the sequence data and shows the molecular weight determination based on SDS-electrophoresis to be too high.