Evaluation of Firefighter Exposure to Wood Smoke during Training Exercises at Burn Houses.

Smoke from wood-fueled fires is one of the most common hazards encountered by firefighters worldwide. Wood smoke is complex in nature and contains numerous compounds, including methoxyphenols (MPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are carcinogenic. Chronic exposure to wood smoke can lead to adverse health outcomes, including respiratory infections, impaired lung function, cardiac infarctions, and cancers. At training exercises held in burn houses at four fire departments across Ontario, air samples, skin wipes, and urine specimens from a cohort of firefighters (n = 28) were collected prior to and after exposure. Wood was the primary fuel used in these training exercises. Air samples showed that MP concentrations were on average 5-fold greater than those of PAHs. Skin wipe samples acquired from multiple body sites of firefighters indicated whole-body smoke exposure. A suite of MPs (methyl-, ethyl-, and propylsyringol) and deconjugated PAH metabolites (hydroxynaphthalene, hydroxyfluorene, hydroxyphenanthrene, and their isomers) were found to be sensitive markers of smoke exposure in urine. Creatinine-normalized levels of these markers were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) in 24 h postexposure urine despite large between-subject variations that were dependent on the specific operational roles of firefighters while using personal protective equipment. This work offers deeper insight into potential health risk from smoke exposure that is needed for translation of better mitigation policies, including improved equipment to reduce direct skin absorption and standardized hygiene practices implemented at different regional fire services.

Identification of individual thiophene-, indane-, tetralin-, cyclohexane-, and adamantane-type carboxylic acids in composite tailings pore water from Alberta oil sands.

RATIONALE: Naphthenic acids (NAs) accumulate in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) as a result of the water-based extraction processes, and represent one of the toxic fractions in OSPW. They exist as a complex mixture and so the development of an analytical method to characterize and quantify individual acids has been an on-going challenge. The multidimensional separation technique of two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) has the potential to provide a fingerprint of the sources of NAs and can potentially resolve individual analytes for target analysis. However, the identity and toxicity of a large proportion of the acids present in tailing waters are still unknown. METHODS: Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC/TOFMS) was used to characterize NAs in a pore water sample from a Syncrude composite tailings (CT) deposit in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. The extractable organic acid fraction was derivatized with diazomethane and the structures of selected resolved esters were elucidated through interpretation of their electron ionization (EI) mass spectra and, if available, confirmed by comparison with the spectra of reference standards. RESULTS: The high resolving power of the GC × GC/TOFMS technique allowed for the structural elucidation of numerous as yet unidentified acids in the CT pore water sample such as carboxylic acids containing a thiophene, indane, tetralin or cyclohexane moiety. Seventeen members of the previously reported class of adamantane-type carboxylic acids in oil sands process water could also be identified in the sample. CONCLUSIONS: This study underlines the complexity of naphthenic acid isomer distributions in composite tailings and provides a useful inventory of individual acids.

Identification of the halogenated compounds resulting from the 1997 Plastimet Inc. fire in Hamilton, Ontario, using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and (ultra)high resolution mass spectrometry.

Between July 9-12, 1997, at least 400 tonnes of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were consumed in a fire at the Plastimet Inc. plastics recycling facility in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This led to the release of contaminants, including highly toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF). This study re-examines a composite soil sample collected shortly after the fire using state-of-the-art FT-ICR (Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance) and GC × GC-TOF (comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight) mass spectrometry. The FT-ICR experiments led to the identification of approximately 150 molecular formulas, corresponding to chlorinated and mixed chloro/bromo compounds. The majority of these are halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (halo-PAHs), including highly substituted (e.g., C14HCl9 and C16HCl9) and high molecular weight (e.g., C28H12Cl4) Cl-PAHs that have not been reported previously in environmental samples. Complementary GC × GC-TOF experiments resolved individual halo-PAHs, some of which were confirmed with available standards. The concentrations of the most abundant halo-PAH groups, C14H8Cl2 (22 µg/g) and C16H8Cl2 (20 µg/g) are much higher than reported dioxin values and comparable to the corresponding PAH groups C14H10 (12 µg/g) and C16H10 (19 µg/g). The high abundance of the halo-PAHs identified in this study highlights the need for further investigation into their environmental occurrence and risk.

Comprehensive and simultaneous coverage of lipid and polar metabolites for endogenous cellular metabolomics using HILIC-TOF-MS.

The comprehensive metabolomic analyses using eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are an effective way to identify biomarkers or biochemical pathways which can then be used to characterize disease states, differences between cell lines or inducers of cellular stress responses. One of the most commonly used extraction methods for comprehensive metabolomics is the Bligh and Dyer method (BD) which separates the metabolome into polar and nonpolar fractions. These fractions are then typically analysed separately using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and reversed-phase (RP) liquid chromatography (LC), respectively. However, this method has low sample throughput and can also be biased to either polar or nonpolar metabolites. Here, we introduce a MeOH/EtOH/H2O extraction paired with HILIC-time-of-flight (TOF)-mass spectrometry (MS) for comprehensive and simultaneous detection of both polar and nonpolar metabolites that is compatible for a wide array of cellular species cultured in different growth media. This method has been shown to be capable of separating polar metabolites by a HILIC mechanism and classes of lipids by an adsorption-like mechanism. Furthermore, this method is scalable and offers a substantial increase in sample throughput compared to BD with comparable extraction efficiency. This method was able to cover 92.2% of the detectable metabolome of Gram-negative bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, as compared to 91.6% of the metabolome by a combination of BD polar (59.4%) and BD nonpolar (53.9%) fractions. This single-extraction HILIC approach was successfully used to characterize the endometabolism of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as mammalian macrophages.

Tandem LC columns for the simultaneous retention of polar and nonpolar molecules in comprehensive metabolomics analysis.

The tandem use of hydrophilic interaction LC columns with RP columns in series configuration has resulted in the retention of both polar and nonpolar components in complex biological samples (mouse serum) in a single analysis. This approach successfully coupled various columns with orthogonal separation characteristics, employed a single solvent gradient program compatible with the two columns and used ESI coupled to a TOF mass spectrometer for detection. Ion suppression, a common problem in ESI, was virtually eliminated for components eluting with apparent capacity factors >0.7. Retention time reproducibility with the tandem columns performed over three days with over 100 injections was comparable to that observed for single columns alone. This method was applied to the analysis of a pooled mouse serum sample and afforded highly reproducible data for up to 3000 mass spectral features. This approach was implemented with a conventional LC-MS system and should find broad applicability in the comprehensive analysis of complex mixtures containing a wide range of compound polarities.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of Yukon Thellungiella plants grown in cabinets and their natural habitat show phenotypic plasticity.

BACKGROUND: Thellungiella salsuginea is an important model plant due to its natural tolerance to abiotic stresses including salt, cold, and water deficits. Microarray and metabolite profiling have shown that Thellungiella undergoes stress-responsive changes in transcript and organic solute abundance when grown under controlled environmental conditions. However, few reports assess the capacity of plants to display stress-responsive traits in natural habitats where concurrent stresses are the norm. RESULTS: To determine whether stress-responsive changes observed in cabinet-grown plants are recapitulated in the field, we analyzed leaf transcript and metabolic profiles of Thellungiella growing in its native Yukon habitat during two years of contrasting meteorological conditions. We found 673 genes showing differential expression between field and unstressed, chamber-grown plants. There were comparatively few overlaps between genes expressed under field and cabinet treatment-specific conditions. Only 20 of 99 drought-responsive genes were expressed both in the field during a year of low precipitation and in plants subjected to drought treatments in cabinets. There was also a general pattern of lower abundance among metabolites found in field plants relative to control or stress-treated plants in growth cabinets. Nutrient availability may explain some of the observed differences. For example, proline accumulated to high levels in cold and salt-stressed cabinet-grown plants but proline content was, by comparison, negligible in plants at a saline Yukon field site. We show that proline accumulated in a stress-responsive manner in Thellungiella plants salinized in growth cabinets and in salt-stressed seedlings when nitrogen was provided at 1.0 mM. In seedlings grown on 0.1 mM nitrogen medium, the proline content was low while carbohydrates increased. The relatively higher content of sugar-like compounds in field plants and seedlings on low nitrogen media suggests that Thellungiella shows metabolic plasticity in response to environmental stress and that resource availability can influence the expression of stress tolerance traits under field conditions. CONCLUSION: Comparisons between Thellungiella plants responding to stress in cabinets and in their natural habitats showed differences but also overlap between transcript and metabolite profiles. The traits in common offer potential targets for improving crops that must respond appropriately to multiple, concurrent stresses.

Identification of phosphomethylethanolamine N-methyltransferase from Arabidopsis and its role in choline and phospholipid metabolism.

Three sequential methylations of phosphoethanolamine (PEA) are required for the synthesis of phosphocholine (PCho) in plants. A cDNA encoding an N-methyltransferase that catalyzes the last two methylation steps was cloned from Arabidopsis by heterologous complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae cho2, opi3 mutant. The cDNA encodes phosphomethylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PMEAMT), a polypeptide of 475 amino acids that is organized as two tandem methyltransferase domains. PMEAMT shows 87% amino acid identity to a related enzyme, phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase, an enzyme in plants that catalyzes all three methylations of PEA to PCho. PMEAMT cannot use PEA as a substrate, but assays using phosphomethylethanolamine as a substrate result in both phosphodimethylethanolamine and PCho as products. PMEAMT is inhibited by the reaction products PCho and S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine, a property reported for phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase from various plants. An Arabidopsis mutant with a T-DNA insertion associated with locus At1g48600 showed no transcripts encoding PMEAMT. Shotgun lipidomic analyses of leaves of atpmeamt and wild-type plants generated phospholipid profiles showing the content of phosphatidylmethylethanolamine to be altered relative to wild type with the content of a 34:3 lipid molecular species 2-fold higher in mutant plants. In S. cerevisiae, an increase in PtdMEA in membranes is associated with reduced viability. This raises a question regarding the role of PMEAMT in plants and whether it serves to prevent the accumulation of PtdMEA to potentially deleterious levels.

Dechlorane plus and related compounds in the environment: a review.

Dechlorane Plus (DP) is a high production volume, chlorinated flame retardant. Despite its long production history, it was only recently found in the environment. The first "sightings" of DP were in the North American Great Lakes, but subsequent work has indicated that DP is a global contaminant. For example, DP has recently been detected along a pole-to-pole transect of the Atlantic Ocean. Although it was initially thought that DP was produced only in North America, another DP production plant has recently been identified in China. During the course of characterizing DP in the environment, other "DP-like" compounds were identified. These DP analogs, some created from impurities contained in the starting materials during DP's synthesis, have also been detected globally. Screening-level modeling data are in general agreement with available environmental measurements, suggesting that DP and it analogs may be persistent, bioaccumulative, and subject to long-range transport and that these chemicals may be candidates for Annex D evaluation under the United Nations Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. However, more research is required to better quantify the emissions, exposures, and toxicological effects of DP and its analogs in the environment. In particular, there is a need to obtain more monitoring, bioaccumulation, degradation rate, and toxicity information.

Evaluation of PAH diagnostic ratios as source apportionment tools for air particulates collected in an urban-industrial environment.

A variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) diagnostic ratios were examined as source apportionment tools in the analysis of a PAH data set associated with atmospheric particulate matter collected in an urban-industrial environment. Seventy-six PM(10) samples were collected concurrently at 4 sampling sites over a one-month period in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, a city of 500 000 people that is home to two integrated steel companies, associated industries and a network of roadways and major highways. Samples collected under well defined meteorological conditions were categorized as being 'upwind' or 'downwind' of the industrial sector. All sample extracts were analyzed for 48 parent PAH, methylphenanthrenes and sulfur-containing aromatics and showed a thousand-fold range of total PAH concentrations (0.23-172 ng m(-3)). Of all PAH diagnostic ratios examined, the two most useful were the anthracene/(anthracene+phenanthrene) and benz[a]anthracene/(benz[a]anthracene+chrysene/triphenylene) ratios. These afforded the best discrimination of samples that had significant industrial impacts. This work is the first example of the use of a linear combination of PAH ratios, coupled with total PAH data and well defined local samples to determine the relative impacts of mobile and industrial emissions in an urban-industrial environment. Use of a linear combination of PAH ratios allowed us to categorize 95% of the data as 'upwind' or 'downwind' of the industrial sector. It is important to determine PAH ratio threshold values based on data from well defined local samples rather than relying on literature values alone.

A comparative study of two factor analytic models applied to PAH data from inhalable air particulate collected in an urban-industrial environment.

Two factor analysis (FA)-based receptor modeling methods were applied to a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) dataset from extracts of 75 PM(10) air particulate samples collected concurrently at 4 sampling sites proximate to the urban-industrial area in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The total PAH concentrations of 48 target compounds ranged from 0.23 to 172 ng m(-3). Principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis were followed by multilinear regression analyses to identify and quantify PAH source contributions, together with spatial and temporal trends. The correlations between predicted and observed total PAH levels were excellent in both models (R(2) > 0.98). The PCA afforded large negative contributions in a number of samples, so further analysis was abandoned. The PMF analysis showed 3 factors which were identified as gasoline emissions, diesel emissions and coke oven emissions. Contributions of gasoline emissions and diesel emissions factors were surprisingly similar at all 4 sites indicative of a background of vehicle emissions across the city. The PMF coke oven emission factor showed the greatest variability in total loadings, consistent with the large PAH emissions from the steel industries and the large influence of wind direction on PAH concentrations. The highest coke oven contributions were observed at sites closest to the industrial area on days when these sites were downwind of the industries. The PMF coke oven impact factor showed good correlations with two commonly used PAH diagnostic ratios when the ratios were combined into a single ratio. This integrated approach allowed us to categorize >90% of the samples based on the wind direction of the impacting source.

Profiling of individual naphthenic acids at a composite tailings reclamation fen by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are naturally occurring in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) and accumulate in tailings as a result of water-based extraction processes. NAs exist as a complex mixture, so the development of an analytical technique to characterize them has been an on-going challenge. The aim of this study was to use comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry to monitor individual NAs within a wetland reclamation site in the AOSR. Samples were collected from four monitoring wells at the site and the extracts were found to contain numerous resolved isomers of classical (monocyclic-, bicyclic-, adamantane-, indane-, and tetralin-type carboxylic acids) and sulfur-containing NAs (thiamonocyclic- and thiophene-type carboxylic acids). The absolute abundances of the monitored NAs were compared between four monitoring wells and unique profiles were observed at each well. Few significant changes in absolute abundances were observed over the sampling period, with the exception of one well (Well 6A). In addition, isomeric percent compositions were calculated for each set of structural isomers, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and two-dimensional hierarchical cluster analysis revealed high spatial variation at the site. However, consistent distributions were observed at each of the monitoring wells for some sets of NA isomers (such as: adamantane NAs), which may be useful for forensic applications, such as identifying sources of contamination or demonstrating biodegradation. The methods and results presented in this study demonstrate the utility of monitoring individual NAs, since both changes in absolute abundances of individual NAs and the distribution of NA isomers have the ability to provide insight into their sources and the processes controlling their concentrations that are not only of relevance to the Alberta Oil Sands, but also to other petroleum deposits and environmental systems.

Comparison of three GC/MS methodologies for the analysis of fatty acids in Sinorhizobium meliloti: development of a micro-scale, one-vial method.

Three protocols for fatty acid analysis in Sinorhizobium meliloti were improved by the addition of a number of standards/controls and a silylation step which allowed the determination of recoveries, extents of conversion of lipids to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and extents of side reactions. Basic hydrolysis followed by acid-catalyzed methylation and transmethylation with sodium methoxide, were the best for the analysis of 3-hydroxy- and cyclopropane fatty acids, respectively. A micro-scale, one-vial method that employed sodium methoxide/methanol was equally efficient and on a 1000-fold smaller scale than standard methods. Because this method avoids aqueous extractions, 3-hydroxybutanoic acid was detected as its trimethylsilyloxy methyl ester along with FAMEs.

Improved coverage of naphthenic acid fraction compounds by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry.

This study reports the first application of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to a high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC×GC/HRQTOF-MS) for the characterization of naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) from the Alberta Oil Sands. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) significantly increased the coverage of NAFCs in the mixture and allowed the differentiation of NAFCs from several chemical classes. It was demonstrated that GC×GC, in combination with the high mass accuracy and precision of the HRQTOF-MS, could distinguish chemical species with the C3 vs SH4 mass split at a much lower resolving power than required with direct infusion experiments. Mass defect plots were useful for visualizing the complex datasets generated by GC×GC/HRQTOF-MS and led to the identification of 1105 chemical species with unique elemental compositions (<5ppm mass accuracy). Mass defect plots were shown to be a powerful screening tool and enabled the detection of extensive isomer series from the SO2 chemical class, some of which have not been previously reported in oil sands related samples. The GC×GC/HRQTOF-MS approach is expected to improve NAFC monitoring programs since the technique allows the qualitative analysis of individual NAFCs and provides unique fingerprints via isomer distributions which may assist in future fingerprinting studies.

Age-associated metabolic dysregulation in bone marrow-derived macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide.

Macrophages are major contributors to age-associated inflammation. Metabolic processes such as oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis and the urea cycle regulate inflammatory responses by macrophages. Metabolic profiles changes with age; therefore, we hypothesized that dysregulation of metabolic processes could contribute to macrophage hyporesponsiveness to LPS. We examined the intracellular metabolome of bone marrow-derived macrophages from young (6-8 wk) and old (18-22 mo) mice following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and tolerance. We discovered known and novel metabolites that were associated with the LPS response of macrophages from young mice, which were not inducible in macrophages from old mice. Macrophages from old mice were largely non-responsive towards LPS stimulation, and we did not observe a shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. The critical regulatory metabolites succinate, γ-aminobutyric acid, arginine, ornithine and adenosine were increased in LPS-stimulated macrophages from young mice, but not macrophages from old mice. A shift between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation was not observed during LPS tolerance in macrophages from either young or old mice. Metabolic bottlenecks may be one of the mechanisms that contribute to the dysregulation of LPS responses with age.

Refined tunable methodology for characterization of contaminant-particle relationships in surface water.

To understand contaminant transport in aquatic systems, it is essential to define the physical characteristics of the primary particulate carriers. The distribution of organic pollutants with particle-size class and particle morphology in a freshwater embayment (Hamilton Harbor, western Lake Ontario) was studied using a sequence of novel sample preparation and characterization techniques. Water samples (24 L) were fractionated according to particle-size distribution using differential cascade sedimentation and centrifugation methods. These size fractions were subsequently subjected to a physicochemical characterization using scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy to identify flocs and individual colloidal particles in the size range of 1 nm to 1 mm in diameter. Analytical chemical analyses were performed to identify organic contaminants in extracts prepared from particle-size classes, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The contaminant distribution trends were very similar for all compound classes studied; contaminants were primarily associated with fractions containing particles less than 2 mum in diameter. Morphological characterization of these fractions showed the majority of the particulates to be humic fractals. The results of this study show that contaminants in aquatic systems can be preferentially associated with specific types of particle carriers, the characteristics of which can be clearly defined in terms of size and morphology.

Dechlorane plus monoadducts in a Lake Ontario (Canada) food web and biotransformation by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) liver microsomes.

Compounds related to the high-production-volume flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (DP) were measured in a Lake Ontario food web located downstream of a DP manufacturing plant. These compounds, 1,3- and 1,5-DP-monoadducts (DPMA), are positional isomers and are thought to arise from the incomplete reaction of DP or impurities in the DP starting material during its manufacture. The 1,3-DPMA isomer was measured (0.12-199 ng g(-1) lipid wt) in all trophic levels, whereas 1,5-DPMA was measured only sporadically in the food web and was not detectable in the apex predator, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Concentrations of DPMA isomers when detected in Lake Ontario biota were greater than that of total DP for all trophic levels. The prevalence of 1,3-DPMA in the food web, and especially in lake trout, may be due to obstruction of the existing carbon double bond to enzyme attack, rendering it less readily metabolized. To examine this hypothesis, biotransformation kinetic experiments using in vitro lake trout liver microsomal exposures were performed. Zero-order depletion rate constants for 1,3- and 1,5-DPMA were 92.2 and 134.6 pmole h(-1) , respectively, with corresponding half-lives of 2.03 ± 0.14 h (1,3-DPMA) and 1.39 ± 0.09 h (1,5-DPMA). Furthermore, the 1,5-isomer was depleted to a greater extent than 1,3-DPMA. Specific biotransformation products were not identified. These data support the hypothesis that 1,5-DPMA is more readily metabolized than 1,3-DPMA by lake trout. The present study also shows that the concentrations of these isomers, which the authors speculate might be unintended impurities or byproducts in some technical DP formulations, exceed that of the intended product in biota.

Compounds structurally related to Dechlorane Plus in sediment and biota from Lake Ontario (Canada).

The historical occurrence of Dechlorane Plus (DP) and detection of novel compounds structurally related to DP is described in a dated Lake Ontario sediment core. Our core was collected near the mouth of the Niagara River, which is known to be a major source of DP to the lake. Maximum DP concentrations (920 ng g(-1), dry weight) were observed between 1976 and 1980, the highest reported to date. Following that time, we observed a dramatic decrease in DP concentration which coincided with the enactment of United States federal and state laws to mitigate free release of chemicals into the Niagara River and installation of an industrial wastewater treatment facility. During the course of our research, four new substances structurally related to DP were also identified. These compounds were thought to arise from the Diels-Alder reactions resulting from impurities present in 1,5-cyclooctadiene, a feedstock used in production of DP. To confirm our hypothesis, Diels-Alder reactions were performed on the individual impurities. Using different stationary-phase capillary gas chromatography columns and high-resolution mass spectrometry, we were able to positively identify some of these novel compounds in the core. Interestingly, we also were able to identify a monoadduct compound, formed by addition of 1 mol of hexachlorocyclopentadiene to 2 mol of 1,3-cyclooctadiene, in lake trout. The concentration of this monoadduct was approximately 2 orders of magnitude greater than that of DP, suggesting that it is more bioaccumulative.

A shotgun lipidomics approach in Sinorhizobium meliloti as a tool in functional genomics.

A shotgun lipidomics approach that allowed the analysis of eight lipid classes directly from crude extracts of the soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti is presented. New MS-MS transitions are reported for the analysis of monomethylphosphatidylethanolamines, dimethylphosphatidylethanolamines, and three bacterial non-phosphorus-containing lipid classes [sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols, ornithines, and diacylglyceryl-(N,N,N-trimethyl)-homoserines]. Unique MS-MS transitions allowed the analysis of isomeric species from various lipid classes without chromatography. Analyses required small sample amounts and minimal preparation; thus, this methodology has excellent potential to be used as a screening tool for the analysis of large numbers of samples in functional genomics studies. FA distributions within lipid classes of S. meliloti are described for the first time, and the relative positions of fatty acyl substituents (sn-1, sn-2) in phospholipids are presented. FA distributions in diacylglyceryl-(N,N,N-trimethyl)-homoserines were identical to those of phospholipids, indicating a common biosynthetic origin for these lipids. The method was applied to the analysis of mutants deficient in the PhoB regulator protein. Increased lipid cyclopropanation was observed in PhoB-deficient mutants under P(i) starvation.

A shotgun lipidomics study of a putative lysophosphatidic acid acyl transferase (PlsC) in Sinorhizobium meliloti.

A shotgun lipidomics approach was used to study the knockout mutant of a putative lysophosphatidic acyl acid transferase (PlsC) in order to delineate the function of this enzyme in Sinorhizobium meliloti. In plsC knockout mutant lipids that contained 16:0 and 16:1 fatty acids and their biosynthetically related cyclopropane fatty acid (cis-9,10-methylene hexadecanoic acid) decreased up to 93%. Tandem mass spectrometry experiments in the presence of added Li(+) showed that the putative PlsC (SMc00714) functioned as a lysophosphatidic acid acyl transferase specific for the transfer of C16 fatty acids to the sn-2 position of lipids. The levels of lipids containing C18 fatty acids were unaffected in plsC mutant, suggesting the presence of one or more fatty acyl transferases in the genome of S. meliloti with selectivity towards C18 fatty acids. Two non-phosphorus containing lipid classes, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol and 1,2-diacylglyceryl-trimethylhomoserine lipids, showed similar decreases in C16 fatty acid content as phospholipids in plsC knockout mutant; these non-phosphorus containing lipids share a common biosynthetic origin with phospholipids, most likely involving phosphatidic acid. Ornithine lipids containing C16 fatty acids also showed decreased levels in PlsC knockout mutant, suggesting that PlsC is also involved in their biosynthesis.