Flower-like calix[6]arene-based covalent organic framework for membrane extraction of sulfonamides in animal-derived food through host-guest interaction prior to determination with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Supramolecular macrocycle-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising adsorbents for adsorption of hazards due to their host-guest recognition property. However, most supramolecular macrocycles are conformationally flexible, making them challenging to introduce into COFs. In this work, a calix[6]arene-based COF (CX6-BD COF) was fabricated with a unique flower-like morphology and high crystallinity. Especially, the cavity of CX6 exhibited host-guest inclusion interaction for sulfonamides (SAs), which was verified by quantum chemistry calculation. The integration of the porosity of COFs with the recognition cavity of CX6 made CX6-BD COF display excellent enrichment performance for SAs, with good enrichment factors (EFs) between 77 and 96. The material was employed as an adsorbent for COF membrane filter extraction, coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to simultaneously enrich and determine seven SAs in animal-derived food. The analytical method showed a wide linear range (0.01-100 µg/L and 0.05-100 µg/L) and low detection limits (3-10 ng/L). The established method was successfully applied to sensitively determine SAs in chicken, pork and beef samples, which achieved satisfactory recoveries (73.8-113%). These results demonstrated CX6-BD COF has good application potential in determination of trace and ultra-trace SAs in complex food matrices as an adsorbent.

Inline phase transition trapping-selective supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography: A green and efficient integrated method for determining prohibited substances in cosmetics.

BACKGROUND: Developing an environmentally friendly and efficient integrated analytical approach is a cutting-edge topic in current analytical science. Due to the unique properties of supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2), online supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography (SFE-SFC) is developing rapidly and has been widely applied in many fields. However, it still faces several challenges such as peak broadening and matrix interference. In order to solve the problems, we developed an inline phase transition trapping-selective supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography (PTT-SSFE-SFC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method in this study. RESULTS: This method integrated extraction, purification, separation, and detection, which was applied to determine 114 prohibited substances in cosmetics within 33 min, covering ten categories. The PTT strategy trapped the extracts on the head of the column by transforming CO2 from a supercritical state to a gaseous state, preventing peak spreading and improving sensitivity. Several adsorbents were tested when analyzing aqueous samples to reduce matrix interference and absorb water. Compared with conventional online SFE-SFC, this method improved the matrix effects of 93 and 87 target substances in the toner and mask matrix, respectively. Because the integrated method reduced sample loss, it achieved high sensitivity with LODs ranging from 0.00104 µg L-1 to 3.09 µg L-1. Furthermore, compared with other reported green methods, the inline method showed advantages in automation, efficiency, sample amount, and waste volume. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: With the introduction of the PTT strategy and the adsorbent, the system obtained good peak shapes, high sensitivity, low matrix effect, and good recovery. Based on the results, inline PTT-SSFE-SFC-MS/MS as a green and efficient integrated method has great potential for analyzing low abundance and multiple categories of targets in complex samples.

Polarity-extended liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for simultaneous hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolite analysis.

Although various metabolomic methods have been reported in recent years, simultaneous detection of hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolites in a single analysis remains a technical challenge. In this study, based on the combination of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), an online two-dimensional liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method (2D-LC/TQMS) was developed for the simultaneous analysis of hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolites of various biological samples. The method can measure 417 biologically important metabolites (e.g., amino acids and peptides, pyrimidines, purines, monosaccharides, fatty acids and conjugates, organic dicarboxylic acids, and others) with logP values ranging from -10.3 to 21.9. The metabolites are involved in a variety of metabolic pathways (e.g., purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, galactose metabolism, gluconeogenesis, and TCA cycle). The developed method has good intra- and inter-day reproducibility (RSD of retention time <2%, RSD of peak area <30%), good linearity (R2 > 0.9) and wide linear range (from 0.0025 µg/mL to 5 µg/mL). The applicability of the method was tested using different biological samples (i.e., plasma, serum, urine, fecal, seminal plasma and liver) and it was found that 208 (out of 417) identical metabolites were detected in all biological samples. Furthermore, the metabolomic method was applied to a case/control study of urinary of bladder cancer. Thirty differential metabolites were identified that were involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism.

Calix[4]arene-based covalent organic frameworks with host-guest recognition for selective adsorption of six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in food followed by UHPLC-MS/MS detection.

Long-term ingestion or exposure to food contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) may cause potential harm to human health. Due to the low contents of PFASs in complex food matrices, it is of great significance to develop adsorbents with excellent properties to enrich PFASs before analysis. Herein, calix[4]arene (CX4) was used as building block to prepare ordered crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs). The perfect combination of the host-guest recognition ability of CX4 and the porosity of COFs makes the CX4-COFs selective and high adsorption capacity for linear molecular PFASs (261-1055 mg/g). The adsorption behavior and mechanism were verified by isotherm adsorption experiments and simulation calculations. The CX4-COFs were then used as adsorbents for membrane solid-phase extraction (M-SPE), combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to determine PFASs in food. The method has low detection limits (0.11-0.28 ng/kg) and good precision (1.3%-9.8%), and has been successfully applied to the simultaneous enrichment and determination of six PFASs in fish, shrimp and shellfish. Satisfactory recoveries (79.9%-118%) were obtained. This study provides a new strategy for preparing CX4-COFs containing macrocyclic molecules with different morphologies and expands the application of COFs as attractive enrichment media for sample pretreatment.

Diluting modulation-based two dimensional-liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for simultaneously determining multiclass prohibited substances in cosmetics.

Developing efficient and comprehensive screening methods for prohibited substances in cosmetics is critical for ensuring the quality and safety of cosmetics used in everyday life. This study proposed a heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (2D-LC-MS) method based on online diluting modulation for detecting multiclass prohibited substances in cosmetics. The 2D-LC-MS method combines HILIC and RPLC techniques. Compounds near the dead time that the first dimensional HILIC could not separate were transferred to the second dimensional RPLC by valve switch, achieving good separation with a wide range of polarities. Moreover, the online diluting modulation solved the problem of mobile phase incompatibility, realizing an excellent column-head focusing effect and reducing the loss of sensitivity. Besides, the first dimensional analysis did not restrict the flow rate of the second dimensional analysis owing to the diluting modulation. We demonstrated the 2D-LC-MS system by determining 126 prohibited substances in cosmetic products, including hormones, local anesthetics, anti-infectives, adrenergic agents, antihistamines, pesticides, and other chemicals. All correlation coefficients of the compounds were above 0.9950. The LODs and the LOQs ranged from 0.000259 ng/mL to 16.6 ng/mL and 0.000864 ng/mL to 55.3 ng/mL, respectively. The RSDs% for intra-day and inter-day precision were within 6% and 14%, respectively. Compared with conventional one-dimensional liquid chromatography methods, the established method expanded the analytical coverage of cosmetics-prohibited substances with reduced matrix effects for most compounds and improved sensitivity for polar analytes. The results indicated that the 2D-LC-MS method was a powerful tool for screening multiclass prohibited substances in cosmetics.

Primary amide-functionalized cyclotricatechylene covalent organic frameworks membrane for efficient enrichment of melamine and its derivatives in migration solution of food contact materials.

A highly chemically stable primary amide-functionalized cyclotricatechylene covalent organic framework was synthesized by an irreversible reaction and a post-synthetic modification. It possessed a rod-like morphology and exhibited strong solvent stability owing to the polyether bonds. The material showed good adsorption performance for melamine and its derivatives and adsorption mechanism was investigated by molecular simulations. The adsorbent was coated on the nylon-66 membrane to prepare the enrichment membrane. Under optimized conditions, an in-syringe membrane-based extraction method, combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the analysis of melamine and six melamine derivatives in the migration solution. A good linearity was obtained with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9924 to 0.9995. The limits of detection were 1-200 ng/L and the limits of quantification were 3-500 ng/L. This method was successfully applied to the migration solution of sushi bamboo rolling mats with spiked recoveries of 73.2%-115% and relative standard deviations of 0.9%-9.9%. This work shows a practical and perspective approach for the efficient enrichment of food contact material hazards.

Effective enrichment and detection of bisphenol diglycidyl ether, novolac glycerol ether and their derivatives in canned food using a novel magnetic sulfonatocalix[6]arene covalent cross-linked polymer as the adsorbent.

A core-shell magnetic sulfonatocalix[6]arene covalently cross-linked polymer was proposed as a magnetic adsorbent, combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for the enrichment and determination of epoxy derivatives in canned foods. The adsorbent has high density of host-guest recognition functional groups, abundant binding sites and suitable cavity size, showing good extraction performance for epoxy derivatives. Quantum chemical simulation calculations provedmultiple interaction forces in the adsorption process. Theextractionparameterswere investigated. Under optimized experimental conditions, 13 kinds of target analytes showed low detection limits (0.0072-0.023 ng/g) and good precisions (RSDs of 0.8 %-9.4 %). This method has been successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of 13 kinds of epoxy derivatives in different food samples including canned beverage, fish, meat, and milk powder. Satisfactory recoveries (74.9 %-118 %) were obtained. The results showed the potential application prospects in the enrichment and detection of hazardous substances in food.

Online Pressure Change Focusing-Supercritical Fluid Selective Extraction Chromatography for Analyzing Chiral Drugs in Microliter-Scale Plasma Samples.

The online coupling technique of sample preparation with chromatography is a frontier topic in analytical chemistry since it minimizes errors caused by sample loss, shortens analysis time, and reduces solvent consumption. An online pressure change focusing-supercritical fluid selective extraction chromatography (PCF-SFSEC) technique was developed in this study, realizing extraction, purification, separation, and detection in a single run with only microliter-scale samples. The pressure change focusing strategy achieved column-head stacking by decreasing the dissolving capacity of the supercritical fluid, enabling the large volume introduction of extractants into supercritical fluid chromatography without causing peak broadening or distortion. All the extracts could be directly loaded into the chromatography system without split flow. Based on the supercritical fluid selective extraction (SFSE) strategy, the sorbents removed interferences and water from samples, effectively alleviating matrix effects and realizing the direct aqueous sample analysis. The efficiency of online PCF-SFSEC was demonstrated by the enantioselective analysis of 22 chiral drugs in rat plasma, covering eight categories with different pharmacological effects. The entire analysis took 25 min, consuming only 5 µL samples. All analytes in PCF-SFSEC obtained sharp and symmetrical peaks with resolutions higher than 1.0, and 86% had resolutions higher than 1.5. Limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.0600 to 32.1 µg/L. Recoveries were in the range of 75.8-117.2%. In addition, the developed approach obtained more satisfactory repeatability and significantly reduced matrix effects than conventional methods. The newly established online PCF-SFSEC technique is believed to be a green and powerful tool for the chiral analysis of complex samples.

Potential Misidentification of Natural Isomers and Mass-Analogs of Modified Nucleosides by Liquid Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry.

Triple quadrupole mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC-TQ-MS) can detect and quantify modified nucleosides present in various types of RNA, and is being used increasingly in epitranscriptomics. However, due to the low resolution of TQ-MS and the structural complexity of the many naturally modified nucleosides identified to date (>160), the discrimination of isomers and mass-analogs can be problematic and is often overlooked. This study analyzes 17 nucleoside standards by LC-TQ-MS with separation on three different analytical columns and discusses, with examples, three major causes of analyte misidentification: structural isomers, mass-analogs, and isotopic crosstalk. It is hoped that this overview and practical examples will help to strengthen the accuracy of the identification of modified nucleosides by LC-TQ-MS.

RR-1 cuticular protein TcCPR69 is required for growth and metamorphosis in Tribolium castaneum.

Cuticle is not only critical for protecting insects from noxious stimuli but is also involved in a variety of metabolic activities. Cuticular proteins (CPs) affect cuticle structure and mechanical properties during insect growth, reproduction, and environmental adaptation. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a member of the RR-1 subfamily of CPs with an R&R consensus (CPR) in Tribolium castaneum (TcCPR69). Although it was previously reported to be highly expressed in the wings, we found that knocking down TcCPR69 by RNA interference (RNAi) did not cause obvious wing abnormalities but markedly disrupted the growth and metamorphosis of beetles with 100% cumulative mortality; additionally, the chitin content of the pharate adult was decreased and the new abdominal cuticle was significantly thinner before molting. TcCPR69 showed chitin-binding ability and the expression levels of key genes involved in chitin metabolism (trehalase [TcTRE], chitin synthase [TcCHSA and TcCHSB], and chitinase [TcCHT5 and TcCHT10]) were also decreased by TcCPR69 knockdown. TcCPR69 gene expression peaked shortly after molting and was increased 2.61 fold at 12 h after 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) injection. This was reversed by RNAi of the ecdysone-related genes ecdysone receptor (TcECR) and fushi tarazu transcription factor 1 (TcFTZ-F1). These results indicate that TcCPR69 is positively regulated by 20E signaling to contribute to cuticle formation and maintain chitin accumulation during the growth and metamorphosis of beetles.

Simultaneous enrichment of bisphenols and polyfluoroalkyl substances by cyclodextrin-fluorinated covalent organic frameworks membrane in food packaging samples.

Efficient separation and preconcentration of trace harmful substances in food samples is a prerequisite for reliable analysis. Most of harmful substances with different properties coexist in the food samples, which is difficult to achieve simultaneously extraction through traditional adsorbents. In this work, a new adsorbent based on cyclodextrin- fluorinated covalent organic frameworks (CD-F-COF) was prepared. The mechanism of the CD-F-COF recognizing polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and bisphenols (BPs) were validated by molecular simulation. The CD-F-COF showed strong fluorophilic and host-guest interactions for polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and bisphenols (BPs), respectively. The CD-F-COF coated membranes were immobilized on the syringe filter and coupled with multi-channel syringe pump to achieve high-throughput sample pretreatment. After that, a sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous enrichment and determination of trace BPs and PFASs was established followed by HPLC-MS/MS. The results indicated that the limits of detection for the seven BPs and three PFASs were in the range of 0.006-0.050 ng/g and 0.001-0.008 ng/g. This method has great potential for application in sample preparation as it can fulfill fast and high-throughput for enrichment of trace multiple targets.

Characterization of a sigma class GST (GSTS6) required for cellular detoxification and embryogenesis in Tribolium castaneum.

The sigma glutathione S-transferases (GSTSs) are a class of cytosolic glutathione S transferases (GSTs) that play important roles in antioxidant defense in insects, but the mechanisms by which GSTSs contribute to antioxidant activity remain unclear. Here, we isolated a GSTS (GSTS6) from Tribolium castaneum and explored its function. Homology and phylogenetic analysis revealed that TcGSTS6 shared high identity with other evolutionarily conserved GSTSs. The recombinant TcGSTS6 protein had strong activity toward cumene hydroperoxide and 4-hydroxynonenal but low activity toward the universal substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Exposure to various types of oxidative stress, including heat, cold, UV and pathogenic microbes, significantly induced TcGSTs6 expression, which indicates that it is involved in antioxidant defense. Knockdown TcGSTs6 by using RNA interference (RNAi) caused reduced antioxidant capacity, which was accomplished by cooperating with other antioxidant genes. Moreover, treatment with various insecticides such as phoxim, lambda-cyhalothrin, dichlorvos and carbofuran revealed that TcGSTS6 plays an important role in insecticide detoxification. The RNAi results showed that TcGSTS6 is essential for embryogenesis in T. castaneum. Our study elucidates the mechanism by which a GSTS contributes to antioxidant activity and enhances our understanding of the functional diversity of GSTSs in insects.

Simultaneous Analysis of the Metabolome and Lipidome Using Polarity Partition Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Comprehensive metabolic profiling is a considerable challenge for systems biology since the metabolites in biological samples have significant polarity differences. A heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (2D-LC-MS) method-based polarity partition was established to analyze both the metabolome and lipidome in a single run. Based on the polarity partition strategy, metabolites with high polarity were retained and separated by one-dimensional hydrophilic chromatography, while low- and medium-polarity lipids were collected into a sample loop and injected into two-dimensional reversed-phase chromatography for separation. A simple online dilution strategy realized the online coupling of the 2D-LC-MS, which effectively solved band broadening and peak distortion caused by solvent incompatibility. Moreover, a dual gradient elution procedure was introduced to further broaden the coverage of low-polarity lipids. The metabolites' log P values, which this 2D-LC-MS method could analyze, ranged from -8.79 to 26.86. The feasibility of the 2D-LC-MS system was demonstrated by simultaneous analysis of the metabolome and lipidome in rat plasma related to depression. A total of 319 metabolites were determined within 40 min, including organic acids, nucleosides, carbohydrate derivatives, amino acids, lipids, and other organic compounds. Finally, 44 depression-related differential metabolites were screened. Compared with conventional LC-MS-based methods, the 2D-LC method covered over 99% of features obtained by two conventional methods. In addition, the selectivity and resolution of the hydrophilic metabolites were improved, and the matrix effects of the hydrophobic metabolites were reduced in the developed method. The results indicated that the established 2D-LC system is a powerful tool for comprehensive metabolomics studies.

Hollow tube covalent organic framework for syringe filter-based extraction of ultraviolet stabilizer in food contact materials.

In this work, a novel hollow tube covalent organic framework constructed by cyclotricatechylene and tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile (CTC-TFPN-COF) with polyether bond was synthesized, and it was coated on filter membrane for extraction of ultraviolet stabilizer in migration from food contact materials. Since the monomers of the polymer were linked by polyether bond, the CTC-TFPN-COF exhibited strong chemical stability in severe conditions such as acid, alkali and various organic solvent. The excellent features of high porosity and robust structure endowed the CTC-TFPN-COF good candidate as adsorbent for extraction of ultraviolet stabilizer. Moreover, the CTC-TFPN-COF coated membranes were immobilized on syringe filter and coupled with multiple channel injection pump to realize high throughput sample pretreatment strategy. Subsequently, a sensitive analytical method for ultraviolet stabilizer was established followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The flow rate of extraction and desorption, elution solvent and the volume of desorption solvent were optimized. The method was assessed, which showed wide linear ranges with R2 greater than 0.99, low limits of detection (0.9-91 ng L-1) and low limits of quantification (3-300 ng L-1). The developed method was successfully applied to determine trace ultraviolet stabilizer in the migration of food contact materials with different simulated solution, which demonstrated its promising potential in practical analysis.

Micro-flow hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry detects modified nucleosides in the transfer RNA pool of cyanobacteria.

Post-transcriptional modification of nucleosides is observed in almost all elements of RNA. Modified nucleosides finely tune the structure of RNA molecules and affect vital functions, such as the modified wobble position 34 of transfer RNAs expanding the reading preference of anticodons to codons. Recent investigations have revealed that the modification species and their frequencies in an RNA element are not stable but vary with specific cellular factors including metabolites and particular proteins (writers, readers, and erasers). To understand the link between dynamic RNA modifications and biological processes, sensitive and reliable methods for determining modified nucleosides are required. In this study, micro-flow (8 µL/min) hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography was coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of adenosine, uridine, cytidine, guanosine, and 20 modified nucleosides. The method was calibrated using 0.1-1000 nM standards (∼0.03-300 ng/mL) and successfully applied to the determination of transfer RNA modifications in the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. A protocol for the isolation of a clean transfer RNA pool was optimized, requiring only 25 ng for the identification and quantification of transfer RNA modifications. This micro-flow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method constitutes the first step toward monitoring dynamic ribonucleoside modifications in a limited RNA sample.

Determination of inflammation-related lipids in depressive rats by on-line supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An on-line supercritical fluid extraction coupled with supercritical fluid chromatography-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to determine lipids related to inflammation in brain tissues of depressed rats. The analysis of 23 lipids from extraction to separation and detection only took 15 min and required 1 mg of brain tissue powder. The matrix effect of the on-line method for endogenous lipids was systematically investigated, and targeted lipids were quantified by matrix effect corrected calibration curves in this study. The on-line method was comprehensively optimized and evaluated. All calibration curves for lipids showed good linearity (correlation coefficient >0.99). The limits of detection and the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.0261-0.396 pg and 0.0791-1.20 pg. The recoveries and the matrix effect were in the range of 85.3-117.5% and 51.9-176.6%, respectively. The relative standard deviations of precision ranged from 2.7 to 14.2%, with accuracies higher than 87.2%. Compared with liquid-liquid extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, the on-line method obtained higher recovery and sensitivity with significantly reduced analytical time, manual operations, and sample amounts. Finally, this on-line method was applied to analyses of brain tissues of depressed rats. Six pro-inflammatory lipids increased in depressed rats, while six anti-inflammatory lipids decreased. Liquiritin and fluoxetine were presumed to promote a similar synthesis of anti-inflammatory lipids. Based on the results, this on-line method showed great promise in analyzing lipids in complex biological samples.

A high coverage pseudotargeted lipidomics method based on three-phase liquid extraction and segment data-dependent acquisition using UHPLC-MS/MS with application to a study of depression rats.

Pseudotargeted analysis combines the advantages of untargeted and targeted lipidomics methods based on chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS). This study proposed a comprehensive pseudotargeted lipidomics method based on three-phase liquid extraction (3PLE) and segment data-dependent acquisition (SDDA). We used a 3PLE method to extract the lipids with extensive coverage from biological matrixes. 3PLE was composed of one aqueous and two organic phases. The upper and middle organic phases enriched neutral lipids and glycerophospholipids, respectively, combined and detected together. Besides, the SDDA strategy improved the detection of co-elution ions in the lipidomics analysis. A total of 554 potential lipids were detected by the developed approach in both positive and negative modes using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Compared with the conventional liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) approaches, including methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and Bligh-Dyer (BD) methods, 3PLE combined with SDDA significantly increased the lipid coverage 87.2% and 89.7%, respectively. Also, the proposed pseudotargeted lipidomics approach exhibited higher sensitivity and better repeatability than the untargeted approach. Finally, we applied the established pseudotargeted method to the plasma lipid profiling from the depressed rats and screened 61 differential variables. The results demonstrated that the pseudotargeted method based on 3PLE and SDDA broadened lipid coverage and improved the detection of co-elution ions with excellent sensitivity and precision, indicating significant potential for the lipidomics analysis.

A green and efficient pseudotargeted lipidomics method for the study of depression based on ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The pseudotargeted lipidomics method integrates the advantages of untargeted andtargeted lipidomics methods as a novel emerging approach. In this study, a green andefficient pseudotargeted lipidomics method based on ultra-high performancesupercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPSFC-MS/MS) wasdeveloped. The tandem mass spectra of the analytes were obtained by using UHPSFCwith quadrupole-time of flight MS (Q-TOF MS) in MS E mode and the multiplereaction monitoring (MRM) transitions of the lipidome were defined. Then, thecandidate MRM transitions were verified by UHPSFC with triple quadrupole massspectrometry (QqQ MS) in the scheduled MRM mode. In total, 758 potential lipidscorresponding to 509 and 249 MRM transitions were detected within 8 min in positiveand negative modes, respectively. The established pseudotargeted lipidomics methodwas validated to have excellent analytical characteristics. Compared with thepseudotargeted method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), the UHPSFC-MS/MS-basedpseudotargeted method not only reduced the analytical time by half but also improvedthe sensitivity and resolution for most analytes, especially had better separation forlipid isomers. Besides, the UHPSFC-MS/MS-based pseudotargeted method showedhigher sensitivity and better repeatability for most analytes than the UHPSFC-MS/MS-based untargeted method. The established method was finally applied to investigatingthe lipid profiles of the plasma from the depressed rats and 33 differential variableswere screened, which related to three metabolic pathways. The results indicated thatthe UHPSFC-MS/MS-based pseudotargeted method is reliable and efficient and couldbe used in the lipidomics studies.

Functional characterization of a special dicistronic transcription unit encoding histone methyltransferase su(var)3-9 and translation regulator eIF2γ in Tribolium castaneum.

Operons are rare in eukaryotes, where they often allow concerted expression of functionally related genes. While a dicistronic transcription unit encoding two unrelated genes, the suppressor of position-effect variegation su(var)3-9 and the gamma subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2γ) has been found in insecta, and its significance is not well understood. Here, we analyzed the evolutionary history of this transcription unit in arthropods and its functions by using model Coleoptera insect Tribolium castaneum. In T. castaneum, Tcsu(var)3-9 fused into the 80 N-terminal amino acids of TceIF2γ, the transcription of these two genes are resolved by alternative splicing. Phylogenetic analysis supports the natural gene fusion of su(var)3-9 and eIF2γ occurred in the ancestral line of winged insects and silverfish, but with frequent re-fission during the evolution of insects. Functional analysis by using RNAi for these two genes revealed that gene fusion did not invoke novel functions for the gene products. As a histone methyltransferase, Tcsu(var)3-9 is primarily responsible for H3K9 di-, and tri-methylation and plays important roles in metamorphosis and embryogenesis in T. castaneum. While TceIF2γ plays essential roles in T. castaneum by positively regulating protein translation mediated ecdysteroid biosynthesis. The vulnerability of the gene fusion and totally different role of su(var)3-9 and eIF2γ in T. castaneum confirm this gene fusion is a non-selected, constructive neutral evolution event in insect. Moreover, the positive relationship between protein translation and ecdysteroid biosynthesis gives new insights into correlations between translation regulation and hormonal signaling.

Integration of ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with machine learning for identifying fatty acid metabolite biomarkers of ischemic stroke.

We report for the first time the integration of ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with machine learning for identifying fatty acid metabolite biomarkers of ischemic stroke. In particular, we develop an optimal model to discriminate ischemic stroke patients from healthy persons with 100% sensitivity and 93.18% specificity. This research may facilitate understanding the roles of fatty acid metabolites in stroke occurrence, holding great potential in clinical stroke diagnosis.