Direct observation of a DNA quadruplex by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

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Abstract
In 10 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.6, containing 0.1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ions corresponding to the non-covalent, four-stranded oligonucleotide, d(CGCG4GCG)4, were detected by negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry at a low nozzle-skimmer (ΔNS) bias (−150 V), but not at a higher ΔNS bias (> −250 V). In contrast, when the sample was desalted and analyzed by ESI mass spectrometry at a low ΔNS bias only ions for the single-stranded d(CGCG4GCG) species were observed. These data agree with spectroscopic evidence which showed that oligonucleotides with the sequence motif 5′d(CGCGnGCG)3′, where n = 2–5, formed stable four-stranded complexes in the presence of monatomic cations, like K+, Ca2+, Na+ and Li+, but not in their absence.