In the Intact Mass Analysis workflow, after processing your experiment, you can add deconvoluted spectra to the Library and compare them in a mirror plot on the Spectra Comparison page. You can enlarge the mirror plot to note differences and similarities in the structures and relative abundances of the masses (components) in the two spectra. You can then use peptide mapping or top-down analyses to determine the exact source of any spectral differences.

For more information, see the following topics:

Figure Spectra Comparison page showing the Deconvoluted Spectra Library table
Spectra Comparison page showing the Deconvoluted Spectra Library table

NOTE

The mirror plot does not explicitly display any modification information. However, major differences in the structures and/or relative abundances of the masses (components) in your spectra can indicate that a target sequence has been modified by post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation or glycosylation.

You can compare:

  • Spectra generated from two different LC/MS runs or two averaged spectra from the same LC/MS run.
  • Two spectra generated by the same or different deconvolution algorithms (ReSpect or Xtract).
  • Two spectra generated in the same or different processing modes (Automatic or Manual).
  • Spectra from the same or different experiments.

For each spectrum you add to the Library, the application displays the following information in the Deconvoluted Spectra Library table:

  • The name and file path of the original raw data file used to produce the spectrum
  • The source spectra (deconvolution) method and deconvolution algorithm used to process the spectrum
  • The scan range and retention time range from which the spectrum was derived
  • The mass of the most abundant component and the total number of components in the spectrum
  • The creation time (time when you add to the library) and description of the spectrum