Analysis of recombinant glycoproteins by mass spectrometry

The advent of new technologies for analysis of biopolymers by mass spectrometry has revolutionised strategies for recombinant protein characterization. The principal recent developments have been matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Using these tools, accurate molecular mass determinations can now be obtained routinely - often using minute (picomole - femtomole) quantities of protein or protein fragments. These techniques have proved indispensible for detailed characterization of the post-translational modifications of recombinant proteins produced by eukaryotic systems. Glycosylation is arguably the most important and complex of these modifications and has prompted widespread use of these new techniques. In this mini-review article I describe recent advances in the use of mass spectrometry for analysis of recombinant glycoproteins.