Challenges and Approaches of Handling Local HX-MS Data

Because these important drawbacks cannot be overlooked, it is critical to find alternative ways that are more capable of accurately displaying and making use of the entire HX-MS data set in a way that can be quickly, simply, and easily interpreted for comparabOity studies. In conducting an HX-MS comparison (or difference measurement), where one sample functions as a control or reference state that is then compared to some experimental state(s) of the same protein, it is important to consider the following in terms of data analysis and display  

The amount of deuterium incorporation over time (HX rate or kinetic information)  

The maximum number of exchangeable backbone amide hydrogen atoms per peptide (which is strongly correlated to the length of the peptide)  

The location of deuterium incorporation in terms of the protein s linear sequence (spatial information derived from the protein sequence) and 

The need to display all acquired data in order to maximize the rehahOity of the data and the conclusion reached from its interpretation. 

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