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Ambient Lipidomic Analysis of Brain Tissue Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) Mass Spectrometry

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Book cover Lipidomics

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 125))

Abstract

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is a spray-based ambient ionization method for mass spectrometry (MS) which generates ions in native atmospheric conditions (e.g., pressure and temperature). Ambient ionization allows in situ analysis of unmodified biological samples by eliminating analyte extraction and separation steps before MS analysis. DESI-MS has been extensively used to analyze organ tissues both in humans and in vertebrate animals, focusing on the detection of small molecules (e.g., oncometabolites, xenobiotic drugs, hormones, etc.) and lipids.

DESI-MS lipidomic analysis workflow involves (1) detection of lipids from intact biological material, (2) detection and identification of lipids in complex mixtures, and (3) discrimination between similar lipids, e.g., isomeric lipids. DESI-MS can provide lipid profiles using a relatively fast and simple workflow in which low-resolution single-stage mass spectra are recorded during 2D or 3D image analysis (i.e., mapping the distribution of lipids within the sample). Such DESI-MS lipid profiles include many classes of lipids, such as phosphatidylcholines (PC), triacylglycerols (TGs), free fatty acids (FFAs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), phosphatidylinositols (PIs), phosphatidylserines (PSs), diacylglycerols (DGs), ubiquinone, and cholesterol derivatives (e.g., cholesterol sulfate and cholesterol esters). Depending on the mass spectrometer used, there is the additional possibility of obtaining structural information of lipids via MSn, and molecular formulae via high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Focusing on the analysis of human brain, here we summarize the DESI-MS experimental workflow for tissue analysis, data collection, and processing using low and high-resolution mass spectrometers, emphasizing the strategies for structural identification of lipids.

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Acknowledgments

CRF was supported from the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research Small Grants and from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). VP gladly acknowledges the American Society for Mass Spectrometry for providing financial support (ASMS Postdoctoral Award 2015). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Valentina Pirro, Christina R. Ferreira & R. Graham Cooks

  2. Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

    Alan K. Jarmusch

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  1. Valentina Pirro
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  2. Alan K. Jarmusch
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  3. Christina R. Ferreira
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  4. R. Graham Cooks
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Correspondence to Valentina Pirro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Metabolomics Unit, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA

    Paul Wood

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Pirro, V., Jarmusch, A.K., Ferreira, C.R., Cooks, R.G. (2017). Ambient Lipidomic Analysis of Brain Tissue Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) Mass Spectrometry. In: Wood, P. (eds) Lipidomics. Neuromethods, vol 125. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6946-3_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6946-3_14

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