ABSTRACT
The development of electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has led to a rapid increase in their utilization for mass spectrometry for the study of large biopolymers. Analysis of nucleic acids is a major beneficiary of these new ionization methods [I ,2], for which prior mass spectrometric methods were not especially useful for structural studies above about the tetramer level, substantially lagging in applications as compared to proteins. As applications of ESI mass spectrometry to nucleic acid analysis have been extensively reviewed recently [ l ,2], this account emphasizes practical aspects of ESI-based methodologies, especially sample handling, and provides a brief overview of how they are applied to problems of nucleic acid structure. References are not intended to be comprehensive, but rather are chosen to illustrate the points being made. Further information about nucleic acid structure can be obtained from Saenger's classic account [3]. A recent book covering principles and applications of ESI mass spectrometry [4] is recommended for an overview of the methodology.
