Poly[(2-(acryloyloxy) ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride-co-ethylene dimethacrylate monolith on-line solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for the fast determination of salicylic acid in foodstuffs.

We report the fabrication of an anion-exchange monolithic column in a stainless-steel chromatographic column (10 mm × 2.1 mm i.d.) using [2-(acryloyloxy) ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride as the monomer and ethylene dimethacrylate as the crosslinker. The prepared monolith was developed as the adsorbent for the on-line solid-phase extraction of salicylic acid in various animal-origin foodstuffs combined with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The monolith was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption analysis, and elemental analysis. Potential factors affecting the on-line solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis were studied in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the total analysis time including cleanup and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry separation was 17 min. The developed method gave the linear range of 15-750 µg/kg, detection limits (S/N = 3) of 5 µg/kg, and quantification limits (S/N = 10) of 15 µg/kg. The recoveries obtained by spiking 10, 20, and 100 µg/kg of salicylic acid in the animal-origin food samples were in the range of 85.2-98.4%. In addition, the monolith was stable enough for 550 extraction cycles with the precision of peak area ≤11.6%.

The Receptor-Like Kinase SIT1 Mediates Salt Sensitivity by Activating MAPK3/6 and Regulating Ethylene Homeostasis in Rice.

High salinity causes growth inhibition and shoot bleaching in plants that do not tolerate high salt (glycophytes), including most crops. The molecules affected directly by salt and linking the extracellular stimulus to intracellular responses remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that rice (Oryza sativa) Salt Intolerance 1 (SIT1), a lectin receptor-like kinase expressed mainly in root epidermal cells, mediates salt sensitivity. NaCl rapidly activates SIT1, and in the presence of salt, as SIT1 kinase activity increased, plant survival decreased. Rice MPK3 and MPK6 function as the downstream effectors of SIT1. SIT1 phosphorylates MPK3 and 6, and their activation by salt requires SIT1. SIT1 mediates ethylene production and salt-induced ethylene signaling. SIT1 promotes accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to growth inhibition and plant death under salt stress, which occurred in an MPK3/6- and ethylene signaling-dependent manner in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings demonstrate the existence of a SIT1-MPK3/6 cascade that mediates salt sensitivity by affecting ROS and ethylene homeostasis and signaling. These results provide important information for engineering salt-tolerant crops.

Simple and rapid determination of N(6)-(Δ(2)-isopentenyl)adenine, zeatin, and dihydrozeatin in plants using on-line cleanup liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry.

A simple and rapid method was developed for the determination of three free cytokinins, namely, N(6)-(Δ(2)-isopentenyl)adenine, zeatin, and dihydrozeatin, in plants using TurboFlow on-line cleanup liquid chromatography combined with hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. The samples were extracted using acetonitrile, and then the extract was purified on a C18-p column, in which the sample matrix was removed and the analytes were retained. Subsequently, the analytes were eluted from the extraction column onto the analytical column (Hypersil Gold C18 column) prior to chromatographic separation and hybrid Q-Orbitrap detection using the targeted-MS(2) scan mode. The linearity was satisfactory with a correlation coefficient of >0.999 at concentrations ranging from 5-5000 pg/mL. The limits of quantification for the analytes ranged from 4.2-5.2 pg/mL. The intra- and inter-day average recoveries of analytes fortified at three levels ranged from 85.4-108.2%, and the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations ranged from 4.04-8.57%. The method was successfully applied for the determination of free cytokinins in different tissue samples of Oryza sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Determination of Sudan dyes in chili pepper powder by online solid-phase extraction with a butyl methacrylate monolithic column coupled to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

A poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolithic column was fabricated and used as a novel sorbent for online solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of Sudan I-IV in chili pepper powder. The prepared columns were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and pressure drop measurements. Online solid-phase extraction was performed on the synthesized monolithic column using 10 mM ammonium acetate solution as the loading solution with the aid of an online cleanup chromatography system. The desorption of Sudan I-IV was achieved with acetonitrile as the eluting solution at the flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The extracted analytes were subsequently eluted into a C18 analytical column for chromatographic separation using a mixture of 10% acetonitrile/90% formic acid (0.5%) solution as the mobile phase. Under the optimized conditions, the developed method had linear range of 1.0-50 µg/kg, a detection limit of 0.3 µg/kg, and a quantification limit of 1.0 µg/kg for each analyte. The intraday and interday recoveries of Sudan I-IV in chili pepper powder samples ranged from 94.8 to 100.9% and 94.9 to 99.4%, respectively. The intraday and interday precision were between 3.37-7.01% and 5.01-7.68%, respectively.

The Receptor Kinases DRUS1 and DRUS2 Behave Distinctly in Osmotic Stress Tolerance by Modulating the Root System Architecture via Auxin Signaling.

Receptor kinases DRUS1 (Dwarf and Runtish Spikelet1) and DRUS2 are orthologues of the renowned Arabidopsis thaliana gene FERONIA, which play redundant roles in rice growth and development. Whether the two duplicated genes perform distinct functions in response to environmental stress is largely unknown. Here, we found that osmotic stress (OS) and ABA increased DRUS1 expression while decreasing DRUS2. When subjected to osmotic stress, the increased DRUS1 in drus2 mutants suppresses the OsIAA repressors, resulting in a robust root system with an increased number of adventitious and lateral roots as well as elongated primary, adventitious, and lateral roots, conferring OS tolerance. In contrast, the decreased DRUS2 in drus1-1 mutants are not sufficient to suppress OsIAA repressors, leading to a feeble root system with fewer adventitious and lateral roots and hindering seminal root growth, rendering OS intolerance. All these findings offer valuable insights into the biological significance of the duplication of two homologous genes in rice, wherein, if one is impaired, the other one is able to continue auxin-signaling-mediated root growth and development to favor resilience to environmental stress, such as water shortage.

Photoregulatory protein kinases fine-tune plant photomorphogenesis by directing a bifunctional phospho-code on HY5 in Arabidopsis.

Photomorphogenesis is a light-dependent plant growth and development program. As the core regulator of photomorphogenesis, ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) is affected by dynamic changes in its transcriptional activity and protein stability; however, little is known about the mediators of these processes. Here, we identified PHOTOREGULATORY PROTEIN KINASE 1 (PPK1), which interacts with and phosphorylates HY5 in Arabidopsis, as one such mediator. The phosphorylation of HY5 by PPK1 is essential to establish high-affinity binding with B-BOX PROTEIN 24 (BBX24) and CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1), which inhibit the transcriptional activity and promote the degradation of HY5, respectively. As such, PPKs regulate not only the binding of HY5 to its target genes under light conditions but also HY5 degradation when plants are transferred from light to dark. Our data identify a PPK-mediated phospho-code on HY5 that integrates the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of HY5 to precisely control plant photomorphogenesis.

Screening and quantification of 146 veterinary drug residues in beef and chicken using QuEChERS combined with high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry.

This work aimed to develop an integrated high-throughput screening and quantification for multi-class veterinary drug residues by HPLC-Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. A qualitative screening mass database of 171 veterinary drugs was created using full scanning mode, which improved the screening accuracy and scope. Beef and chicken samples were chosen to validate the quantification method at three spiked concentration levels. The quantification method of 146 veterinary drug residues was developed. After enzymatic hydrolysis, beef and chicken samples were treated using optimized QuEChERS. The calibration curves showed good linearities with correlation coefficients of 0.9921-0.9994. The recovery rates were within 52.1-138.2 % with relative standard deviations 0.4-17.7 %. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.15-3.03 µg/kg and 0.5-10 µg/kg, respectively. The proposed method was demonstrated to be reliable for the simultaneous analysis of multi-class veterinary drugs. It is of significance to expand the screening scope and quantitative analysis efficiency.

[Development of a multi-residue detection method for 27 typical pharmaceuticals and personal-care products in plants and analysis of their migration patterns in sprouts].

An analytical method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous determination of 27 pharmaceutical and personal-care product (PPCP) residues in plants. The enrichment and cleanup of PPCPs in plants were achieved using an HLB extraction column, and the separation was performed on a BEH C18 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) with 0.1% formic acid water-acetonitrile as the mobile phase via gradient elution. PPCPs were detected with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive-ion multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The limits of detection and quantification of the 27 PPCPs in plants were 0.01-0.30 µg/kg and 0.03-0.98 µg/kg, respectively. Good linearities were observed with coefficients of determination (r2) >0.99. The spiked recoveries were between 80.8% and 122.3% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) between 1.0% and 9.9%. The method was subsequently used to study sprouts grown in different concentrations of PPCPs. A total of 10 PPCPs were detected in sprouts grown in medium with a low concentration PPCPs, 13 PPCPs were detected in sprouts grown in medium with a moderate concentration of PPCPs, and 19 PPCPs were detected in sprouts grown in medium with a high concentration of PPCPs. These results showed that plants grown in water bodies contaminated with PPCPs or irrigated with water contaminated with PPCPs absorbed and accumulated these substances and that the amount and type of PPCPs absorbed by plants were closely related to the levels of PPCPs in the external environment. Analysis of the contents of PPCPs in different plant tissues revealed a general distribution of root>stem>leaf. Haemosibutramine showed a tissue distribution of leaf>stem>root, while glibenclamide showed a distribution of root>leaf>stem; these results revealed differences in the distribution of PPCPs in plants. Calculation of the transfer factor (TF) of the PPCPs in plants demonstrated significant differences in the transferability of different PPCPs, with TF=2.34 for haemosibutramine and TF=1.25 for chlorosibutramine. The results showed that among the drugs that migrated in plants, haemonosibutramine and chlorosibutramine had the strongest migration ability in sprouts, followed by nicardipine and chlorpheniramine maleate, and amantadine, N-monodesmethyl sibutramine, carbamazepine and flumequine had the weakest migration ability. Once absorbed, these compounds were transferred to the stems and/or leaves, where they accumulate and cause potential harm by contaminating other plant organs. Therefore, PPCPs such as homosibutramine and chlorosibutramine, which easily migrate in plants, should be given extra attention in future studies. The method is simple in pre-treatment, sensitive and accurate, and can be widely applied to the detection of PPCP residues in plant samples.

Determination of Vancomycin and Norvancomycin Residues in Milk by Automated Online Solid-Phase Extraction Combined With Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin and norvancomycin, as potent antibacterial retention drugs, were used illegally on animals bred for food, which directly affected the quality and safety of animal-derived food, and even harmed human health. OBJECTIVE: A fast analysis method, which was adopted to detect residues of vancomycin and norvancomycin in milk, was implemented on a chromatographic system containing online solid-phase extraction (SPE) device that combined with high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS). METHOD: First, the analytes were added to the blank milk sample were extracted with water [containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)]-acetonitrile (ACN) (8:2, v/v), and then were purified and enriched on a C18-XL column, whereafter eluted from the purification column onto the analytical column (Shiseido Capcell Pak ADME column) for chromatographic separation prior to hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap (Q-Orbitrap) detection. RESULTS: The results showed that the limit of detection (LOD) for each analyte and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.15 and 0.5 µg/kg, respectively. The correlation coefficient(s) of vancomycin and norvancomycin ranged from 0 to 200 ng/mL were greater than 0.9983. CONCLUSIONS: These validations reflected that it was suitable for the established method to rapidly analyze vancomycin and norvancomycin residues in milk. HIGHLIGHTS: The method for detecting vancomycin and norvancomycin residues in milk by online SPE combined with LC-HRMS. Online SPE technology realized automation, and the application of HRMS greatly improved the reliability of qualitative and quantitative analyses. The developed method is fast, simple, and reliable; each methodological index can meet requirements of trace analyses of vancomycin and norvancomycin in milk.

Determination of closantel residues in milk and animal tissues by HPLC with fluorescence detection and SPE with oasis MAX cartridges.

A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of closantel residues in milk and tissues is developed and validated. An acetonitrile-acetone solution (80:20, v/v) is used for the extraction of closantel residues from milk and animal tissues, and the extract is purified by solid-phase extraction with Oasis MAX cartridges and a mixture of formic acid-acetonitrile (5:95, v/v) as the elution solution. A C(18) bonded silica column is used for chromatographic separation. The mobile phase consists of acetonitrile-water (85:15, v/v) containing 0.05% triethylamine at pH 2.5, adjusted with phosphoric acid with the flow-rate set at 1.0 mL/min. Using the fluorescence emission of closantel at lambda(ex) = 335 nm and lambda(ex) = 510 nm, the calibration curve is linear, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 over the concentration range of 10-5000 microg/kg for the tissue sample and 10-5000 microg/L for the milk sample. The detection limit (s/n = 3) is 3 microg/kg for tissue sample and 3 microg/L for milk sample. The intra- and inter-day repeatabilities are between 3.35-7.66% and 4.04-8.67%, respectively. The proposed method enables the quantitative determination of closantel residues at levels as low as 10 microg/kg in animal tissue samples and 10 microg/L in milk samples.

Determination of banned 10 azo-dyes in hot chili products by gel permeation chromatography-liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

An accurate method based on the use of gel permeation chromatography (GPC)-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry interfaced with electrospray ionization (GPC-LC-ESI-MS/MS) was devised for the simultaneous determination of Sudan (I-IV), Sudan Orange G, Sudan Red B, Sudan Red G, Sudan Red 7B, Butter Yellow and Para Red in hot chili products. A GPC clean-up procedure was developed for simultaneous quantification of 10 dyes in hot chili and hot chili products avoiding some interference and permitting multiple injections without damaging the column. A HPLC was performed on an Inertsil C18 column using a multistep gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid and methanol as the mobile phase. Mass spectral acquisition was done in positive ion mode. Linearity of around three orders in the magnitude of concentration was generally obtained with the correlation coefficients (r2) of 0.9984-0.9997. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the investigated dyes were in the ranges of 0.1-1.8 and 0.4-5.0 microg/kg depending on matrices, respectively. The recoveries of the 10 synthetic dyes in five matrices ranged from 81.7 to 92.9%. The intra- and inter-day precision (RSDs) was between 2.9-7.8 and 3.9-8.1%, respectively. This method has been applied successfully for the determination of the studied 10 banned dyes in hot chili products.

Simultaneous determination of seven nitroimidazole residues in meat by using HPLC-UV detection with solid-phase extraction.

A method was developed for the determination of the seven nitroimidazoles including metronidazole (MNZ), ronidazole (RNZ), dimetridazole (DMZ), tinidazole (TNZ), ornidazole (ONZ), secnidazole (SNZ) and the common metabolite of RNZ and hydroxydimetridazole (DMOHZ) in poultry and pork muscles by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet detection (UV). After extraction with ethyl acetate and evaporation, the nitroimidazoles were redissolved in ethyl acetate and purified using strong cation exchange (SCX) solid-phase extraction (SPE) column. The HPLC separation was carried through on a C(18) bonded silica column with a deionized water-methanol-acetonitrile mobile phase using a gradient elution procedure. The limit of detection of all the seven nitroimidazoles was 0.2 microg/kg. The recoveries of the seven nitroimidazoles for chicken, pork and bacon samples spiked with 1-20 microg/kg were in the range of 71.4-99.5%. The linearity is satisfactory with a correlation coefficient of >0.998 at concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 60 microg/kg. The relative standard deviations of 10 measurements for spiked chicken, pork and bacon samples at the concentration of 1 and 20 microg/kg were in the range of 6.2-13.9% and 4.0-8.7%, respectively. The intra-day precision (n=5) for nitroimidazoles residues in chicken spiked at 20 microg/kg is 6.9%, and the inter-day precision for 5 days (n=25) is 11%. The method is capable of identifying nitroimidazole residues at > or =0.7 microg/kg levels and was applied in the determination of nitroimidazole residues in meat sample.

Determination of six polyether antibiotic residues in foods of animal origin by solid phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A new method using solid phase extraction (SPE) combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been developed for the determination of six polyether antibiotics, including lasalocid, salinomycin, monensin, narasin, madubamycin and nigericin residues, in foods of animal origin. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile and purified by ENVI-Carb SPE columns after comparing the impurity effect and maneuverability of several SPE cartridges. Subsequently, the analytes were separated on a Hypersil Gold column (2.1×150mm, 5µm) and analyzed by MS/MS detection. The limit of quantization (LOQ) for milk and chicken was 0.4µg/kg, and for chicken livers and eggs, it was 1µg/kg. The linearity was satisfactory with a correlation coefficient of >0.9995 at concentrations ranging from 2 to 100µg/L. The average recoveries of the analytes fortified at three levels ranged from 68.2 to 114.3%, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 4.5 to 12.1%. The method was suitable for quantitative analysis and confirmation of polyether antibiotic residues in foods of animal origin.

The Arabidopsis B-box protein BZS1/BBX20 interacts with HY5 and mediates strigolactone regulation of photomorphogenesis.

Plant growth is controlled by integration of hormonal and light-signaling pathways. BZS1 is a B-box zinc finger protein previously characterized as a negative regulator in the brassinosteroid (BR)-signaling pathway and a positive regulator in the light-signaling pathway. However, the mechanisms by which BZS1/BBX20 integrates light and hormonal pathways are not fully understood. Here, using a quantitative proteomic workflow, we identified several BZS1-associated proteins, including light-signaling components COP1 and HY5. Direct interactions of BZS1 with COP1 and HY5 were verified by yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Overexpression of BZS1 causes a dwarf phenotype that is suppressed by the hy5 mutation, while overexpression of BZS1 fused with the SRDX transcription repressor domain (BZS1-SRDX) causes a long-hypocotyl phenotype similar to hy5, indicating that BZS1's function requires HY5. BZS1 positively regulates HY5 expression, whereas HY5 negatively regulates BZS1 protein level, forming a feedback loop that potentially contributes to signaling dynamics. In contrast to BR, strigolactone (SL) increases BZS1 level, whereas the SL responses of hypocotyl elongation, chlorophyll and HY5 accumulation are diminished in the BZS1-SRDX seedlings, indicating that BZS1 is involved in these SL responses. These results demonstrate that BZS1 interacts with HY5 and plays a central role in integrating light and multiple hormone signals for photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis.

Concerted genomic targeting of H3K27 demethylase REF6 and chromatin-remodeling ATPase BRM in Arabidopsis.

SWI/SNF-type chromatin remodelers, such as BRAHMA (BRM), and H3K27 demethylases both have active roles in regulating gene expression at the chromatin level, but how they are recruited to specific genomic sites remains largely unknown. Here we show that RELATIVE OF EARLY FLOWERING 6 (REF6), a plant-unique H3K27 demethylase, targets genomic loci containing a CTCTGYTY motif via its zinc-finger (ZnF) domains and facilitates the recruitment of BRM. Genome-wide analyses showed that REF6 colocalizes with BRM at many genomic sites with the CTCTGYTY motif. Loss of REF6 results in decreased BRM occupancy at BRM-REF6 co-targets. Furthermore, REF6 directly binds to the CTCTGYTY motif in vitro, and deletion of the motif from a target gene renders it inaccessible to REF6 in vivo. Finally, we show that, when its ZnF domains are deleted, REF6 loses its genomic targeting ability. Thus, our work identifies a new genomic targeting mechanism for an H3K27 demethylase and demonstrates its key role in recruiting the BRM chromatin remodeler.

Fast and Online Determination of Five Avermectin Residues in Foodstuffs of Plant and Animal Origin Using Reusable Polymeric Monolithic Extractor Coupled with LC-MS/MS.

A hydrophobic monolith (10 mm × 2.1 mm i.d.) was developed as a reusable online solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent coupled with LC-MS/MS for the rapid determination of five avermectin residues in foodstuffs of both plant and animal origin. The online SPE was achieved using a 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution as the loading solvent, and acetonitrile (MeCN) was selected for the washing step. After being transferred from the monolith into a C18 analytical column using MeCN, the analytes were analyzed by LC-MS/MS using MeCN/0.1% NH4OH (10:90, v/v) as the mobile phase. The detection limit was 2 µg/kg for five avermectins, and the recoveries in fresh pear, chili seed, bovine muscle, and milk ranged from 71.8% to 101.3% with relative standard deviations of less than 8.94%. The online SPE and determination were achieved within 15 min, and the monolithic extractor was reusable for more than 500 experiments.