Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of immobilized duplex DNA probes.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry was used to analyze short DNA duplex probes with one strand immobilized on solid supports (straptavidin-coated magnetic beads or controlled pore glass beads). Only the non-immobilized strand could be detected. Partial denaturation was found when the duplex probes were mixed with 3-hydroxypicolinic acid, ammonium citrate matrix. The strategy has several applications, such as fast DNA sequence analysis and DNA diagnostics.