Proteomic analysis typically requires microgram to nanogram amounts of material; the study of much smaller samples requires technology with dramatically improved sensitivity. We have combined capillary zone electrophoresis with a modified electrokinetically-pumped nanoelectrospray interface.1 We used this interface with an accurate mass and time tag strategy to identify 61 proteins and 154 peptides from 400 fg of an E. coli digest. Peptide detection limits (3s) from the digest were 1 zeptomole = 1 x 10-21mol = 600 copies injected onto the capillary. These results are an order of magnitude improvement in peptide detection limit, an order of magnitude improvement in protien identifications from a subpicogram digest, and two orders of magnitude improvment in trace-level bottom-up proteomics.?1?'Ultrasensitive and fast bottom-up analysis of femtogram amounts of complex proteome digests' Sun L, Zhu G, Zhao Y, Yan X, Mou S, Dovichi NJ. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2013; 52: 13661-4.

Low zeptomole detection limits with capillary electrophoresis coupled to an improved nanospray

248th National Meeting (2014)

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