Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in enzymology: uncovering the mechanisms of two-substrate reactions

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to draw attention to the use of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for monitoring the course of enzyme–substrate interactions, in the particular case of complex systems in which two substrates participate. The determination and characterization of intra-molecular reactions, especially those that occur in the enzyme active site, is not a trivial task in chemical kinetics, typically requiring long measurement times and relatively expensive techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray crystallography or electron microscopy (EM). However, nowadays almost all laboratories are equipped with or else have access to the ESI-MS technique. The aim of this review is to focus on the possibilities of employing even quite simple MS equipment to tackle different applications in studies of complex enzymatic systems.