High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography-Densitometry-Tandem ESI-MS to Evaluate Phospholipid Content in Exosomes of Cancer Cells.

The question of whether exosome lipids can be considered as potential cancer biomarkers faces our current limited knowledge of their composition. This is due to the difficulty in isolating pure exosomes, the variability of the biological sources from which they are extracted, and the uncertainty of the methods for lipid characterization. Here, we present a procedure to isolate exosomes and obtain a deep, repeatable, and rapid phospholipid (PL) composition of their lipid extracts, from embryonic murine fibroblasts (NIH-3T3 cell line) and none (B16-F1) and high (B16-F10) metastatic murine skin melanoma cells. The analytical method is based on High Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography with Ultraviolet and fluorescence densitometry and coupled to Electrospray (ESI)-tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS). Under the conditions described in this work, separation and determination of PL classes, (sphingomyelins, SM; phosphatidylcholines, PC; phosphatidylserines, PS; and phosphatidylethanolamines, PE) were achieved, expressed as µg PL/100 µg exosome protein, obtained by bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA). A detailed structural characterization of molecular species of each PL class was performed by simultaneous positive and negative ESI-MS and MS/MS directly from the chromatographic plate, thanks to an elution-based interface.

Transcriptomic and lipidomic analysis of the differential pathway contribution to the incorporation of erucic acid to triacylglycerol during Pennycress seed maturation.

Thlaspi arvense (Pennycress) is an emerging feedstock for biofuel production because of its high seed oil content enriched in erucic acid. A transcriptomic and a lipidomic study were performed to analyze the dynamics of gene expression, glycerolipid content and acyl-group distribution during seed maturation. Genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis were expressed at the early stages of seed maturation. Genes encoding enzymes of the Kennedy pathway like diacylglycerol acyltransferase1 (TaDGAT1), lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (TaLPAT) or glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase (TaGPAT) increased their expression with maturation, coinciding with the increase in triacylglycerol species containing 22:1. Positional analysis showed that the most abundant triacylglycerol species contained 18:2 at sn-2 position in all maturation stages, suggesting no specificity of the lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase for very long chain fatty acids. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase2 (TaDGAT2) mRNA was more abundant at the initial maturation stages, coincident with the rapid incorporation of 22:1 to triacylglycerol, suggesting a coordination between Diacylglycerol acyltransferase enzymes for triacylglycerol biosynthesis. Genes encoding the phospholipid-diacylglycerol acyltransferase (TaPDAT1), lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (TaLPCAT) or phosphatidylcholine diacylglycerolcholine phosphotransferase (TaPDCT), involved in acyl-editing or phosphatidyl-choline (PC)-derived diacylglycerol (DAG) biosynthesis showed also higher expression at the early maturation stages, coinciding with a higher proportion of triacylglycerol containing C18 fatty acids. These results suggested a higher contribution of these two pathways at the early stages of seed maturation. Lipidomic analysis of the content and acyl-group distribution of diacylglycerol and phosphatidyl-choline pools was compatible with the acyl content in triacylglycerol at the different maturation stages. Our data point to a model in which a strong temporal coordination between pathways and isoforms in each pathway, both at the expression and acyl-group incorporation, contribute to high erucic triacylglycerol accumulation in Pennycress.

Changes in fluorescent emission due to non-covalent interactions as a general detection procedure for thin-layer chromatography.

Changes in fluorescence emission due to non-covalent analyte-fluorophore interactions in silica gel plates are studied and used as a general detection procedure for thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The presence of the analyte modifies the microenvironment of the fluorophore and thus changes the balance between radiative (k(r)) and non-radiative (k(nr)) emission constants. A model is proposed for analyte-fluorophore induced electrostatic interactions, which depend on analyte polarizability and are responsible for fluorescence enhancements. As consequence of these induced interactions, the analyte creates an apolar environment that prevents non-fluorescent decay mechanisms, decreasing k(nr). On the other hand, the effect of an increase in refractive index on k(r) is investigated, as it contributes to some extent to fluorescence enhancements in silica gel medium. Changes in fluorescence emission should be regarded as a general property of fluorophores in the presence of analytes, and criteria that fluorophores should meet to be used as sensitive TLC probes are discussed here.

Globotriaosylceramide-related biomarkers of fabry disease identified in plasma by high-performance thin-layer chromatography - densitometry- mass spectrometry.

Identification of 19 molecular species of globotriaosylceramides (Gb3) in extracts from a Fabry's plasma patient and a healthy control was performed by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC)-densitometry and online coupling to Mass Spectrometry (MS). Separation was carried out on LiChrospher plates using Automated Multiple Development (AMD). Densitometry was performed on twin plates by combining detection in the visible at 550 nm, through previous on-plate orcinol derivatization, and by Ultraviolet 190 nm, using a non-impregnated plate. The latter was directly coupled to an ion-trap mass spectrometer through an automated elution-based interface. Gb3 molecular species, which were identified by HPTLC- Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (+)-MS and confirmed by MS/MS or HPTLC-Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (+)-MS, are: five isoforms of saturated Gb3; seven isoforms of methylated Gb3; and seven species with two additional double bonds. Twelve of these species were previously reported as biomarkers of Fabry's lysosomal disorder using a Liquid Chromatography-MS-based method, and the other seven are structurally similar, closely related to them. Saturated Gb3 isoforms migrated on LiChrospher plate in one of the separated peaks corresponding to the migration zone of ceramide trihexosides standard. Instead, methylated and unsaturated Gb3 species co-migrated with sphingomyelin species. Ion intensity ESI-MS profiles show that saturated Gb3 species in Fabry's plasma were in higher concentration than in control sample. Before applying the Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC)-MS interface on HPTLC separated peaks, its positioning precision was first studied using ceramide tri-hexosides as model compound. This provided information on Gb3 peak broadening and splitting during its migration.

High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Identifying Neutral Lipids and Sphingolipids in Complex Samples.

High-performance thin-layer chromatography was directly combined with electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for structural identification issues below the level of lipid classes in complex samples through a portable, automated, elution-based interface. For samples as diverse as biodiesel and human plasma, separation conditions using Automated Multiple Development were selected in each case to provide lipid classes as zones narrow enough to ensure a direct transfer of them to ESI-MS. The respective zone of interest can be selected at will. ESI+ spectra of neutral lipids and sphingolipids showed sodium adducts when recorded from the plate. By using the described technique and ion-trap technology, the respective sodium adducts were fragmented. Sodium remained as the charge of the fragment ions and, thus, was useful for their structural identification through MSn. In this way, composition profiles of each class by ESI+-MS, and further identification of individual lipids and the molecular species belonging to each of them, were obtained by MS/MS and/or high-resolution MS. Thus, mono and diacylglycerides in ESI+ and fatty acids (in ESI-) were identified as low-concentration impurities in a fatty acid methyl ester-based biodiesel sample. Likewise, molecular species of sphingomyelins and globotriaosylceramides were unequivocally identified in human plasma samples.

Two-Dimensional, pH-Responsive Oligoglycine-Based Nanocarriers.

The nanocarrier capabilities of atomically smooth two-dimensional sheets of a biantennary oligoglycine peptide C8H16(-CH2-NH-Gly5)2 (also called tectomers) are demonstrated. We show that the pH-controlled, rapid, and reversible assembly and disassembly of oligoglycine can be effectively used for controlled loading and release of the anticancer drug and fluorescent probe coralyne. The calculated partition coefficient in water is of the same order of magnitude or higher when compared to other nanocarriers such as liposomes and micelles, signifying the tectomer's impressive loading capabilities. Moreover, the loading of guest molecules in tectomers facilitates the protection from rapid photochemically induced degradation. Such efficient, pH-sensitive, stable, and biocompatible nanocarriers are extremely attractive for biosensing, therapeutic, and theranostic applications. Additionally, our results suggest that these planar self-assembled materials can also act as phase-transfer vehicles for hydrophobic cargoes further broadening their biomedical and technological applications.

Bis(methyl)gliotoxin proves to be a more stable and reliable marker for invasive aspergillosis than gliotoxin and suitable for use in diagnosis.

The virulence factor gliotoxin (GT) and its inactive derivative, bis(methylthio)gliotoxin (bmGT), are produced by pathogens of the genus Aspergillus. Here we report the detection of GT and bmGT in serum of humans at risk of invasive aspergillosis (IA) as well as in cultures of fungal isolates derived from patients with proven infection with A. fumigatus. Although both compounds are readily recoverable from spiked human serum or plasma, only bmGT is retained in whole blood, indicating that bmGT may be the better marker for in vivo detection. Accordingly, bmGT was found more frequently than GT in samples from patients at risk of IA and incultures of clinical isolates of A. fumigatus. In some cases, bmGT was detected before mycologic evidence ofinfection was gained. Importantly, neither GT nor bmGT was found in serum from healthy donors or from neutropenic patients without any sign of infection. Thus, bmGT presence might provide a more reliable indicator of A. fumigatus infections than GT. Due to its simplicity and sensitivity, a diagnostic technology based on this test could be easily adopted in clinical laboratories to help in the diagnosis of this often fatal fungal infection.

Fluorescence detection by intensity changes for high-performance thin-layer chromatography separation of lipids using automated multiple development.

Changes in emission of berberine cation, induced by non-covalent interactions with lipids on silica gel plates, can be used for detecting and quantifying lipids using fluorescence scanning densitometry in HPTLC analysis. This procedure, referred to as fluorescence detection by intensity changes (FDIC) has been used here in combination with automated multiple development (HPTLC/AMD), a gradient-based separation HPTLC technique, for separating, detecting and quantifying lipids from different families. Three different HPTLC/AMD gradient schemes have been developed for separating: neutral lipid families and steryl glycosides; different sphingolipids; and sphingosine-sphinganine mixtures. Fluorescent molar responses of studied lipids, and differences in response among different lipid families have been rationalized in the light of a previously proposed model of FDIC response, which is based on ion-induced dipole interactions between the fluorophore and the analyte. Likewise, computational calculations using molecular mechanics have also been a complementary useful tool to explain high FDIC responses of cholesteryl and steryl-derivatives, and moderate responses of sphingolipids. An explanation for the high FDIC response of cholesterol, whose limit of detection (LOD) is 5 ng, has been proposed. Advantages and limitations of FDIC application have also been discussed.