Application of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to structural problems in organic chemistry

Used in conjunction with powerful separation techniques (GLC and HPLC), and micro-chemical manipulations, fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry is a powerful method of structure elucidation. This point is illustrated by the recent solution of two structural problems: (i) the determination of the structure of a toxic octapeptide from the larvae of a sawfly, Lophyrotoma interrupta, as PhCO-D-Ala-D-Phe-L-Val-L-Ile-D-Asp-L-Asp-D-Glu-L-Gln and (ii) the determination of the structure of a peptide toxin isolated from the blue-green algae, Microcystis aeruginosa.