Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization/Time of Flight/Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF)

A procedure for separation of DNA fragments mixed with a carrier that is painted subsequently on the surface of a solid face target. Laser desorbs and ionizes the fragments and acceleration in a mass spectrometer is used to determine fragment length. The MALDI-TOF procedure may detect as small as a nucleotide change in the length of a DNA sequence (ca. 100 perhaps 1,000 bp) or changes in the microsatellite numbers. This technique can be utilized in DNA sequencing, discrimination among mutations of a gene, for identification of STS. It may eventually be used also for clinical and diagnostic procedures. laser, mass spectrum, laser desorption mass spectrum, microsatellite, SNIPS, proteomics, STS, TOFMS, MALDI-TOF; Shahgholi M et al 2001 Nucleic Acids Res 29:E91; Chu J et al 2001 Clin Chim Acta 311:95; Nordhoff E et al 2001 Electrophoresis 22:2844.