Metal Oxide-Based Selective Enrichment Combined with Stable Isotope Labeling-Mass Spectrometry Analysis for Profiling of Ribose Conjugates.

Some modified ribonucleosides in biological fluids have been evaluated as cancer-related metabolites. Detection of endogenous modified ribonucleosides in biological fluids may serve as a noninvasive cancers diagnostic method. However, determination of modified ribonucleosides is still challenging because of their low abundance and serious matrix interferences in biological fluids. Here, we developed a novel strategy for comprehensive profiling of ribose conjugates from biological fluids using metal oxide-based dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) followed with in vitro stable isotope labeling and double neutral loss scan-mass spectrometry analysis (DSPE-SIL-LC-DNLS-MS). Cerium dioxide (CeO2) was used to selectively recognize and capture ribose conjugates from complex biological samples under basic environment. The enriched ribose conjugates were subsequently labeled with a pair of isotope labeling reagents (acetone and acetone-d6). The glucosidic bond of acetone labeled ribose conjugates is readily ruptured, and the generated ribose that carries an isotope tag can be lost as a neutral fragment under collision induced dissociation (CID). Since the light (acetone) and heavy (acetone-d6) labeled compounds have the same chemical structures and can generate different neutral loss fragments (NL 172 and 178 Da), it is therefore highly convenient to profile ribose conjugates by double neutral loss scan mode in mass spectrometry analysis. In this respect, the light and heavy labeled compounds were ionized at the same condition but recorded separately on MS spectra, which can significantly improve the detection specificity and facilitate the identification of ribose conjugates. Using the developed DSPE-SIL-LC-DNLS-MS strategy, we profiled the ribose conjugates in human urine, and 49 ribose conjugates were readily identified, among which 7 ribose conjugates exhibited significant contents change between healthy controls and lymphoma patients. The DSPE-SIL-LC-DNLS-MS strategy combines the selective enrichment, stable isotope labeling, and double neutral loss scan - MS analysis, which therefore can efficiently minimize false positive results, facilitate the relative quantification, and notably increase the numbers of identified ribose conjugates in biological fluids samples. Taken together, this study established a promising strategy for the effective profiling of urinary modified ribonucleosides, and simultaneous evaluation of the contents change of multiple modified ribonucleosides should provide more accurate and conclusive results for the use of urinary modified ribonucleosides as indicators of cancers.

Coupling carbon nanotube film microextraction with desorption corona beam ionization for rapid analysis of Sudan dyes (I-IV) and Rhodamine B in chilli oil.

A rapid analysis method by coupling carbon nanotube film (CNTF) microextraction with desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI) was developed for the determination of Sudan dyes (I-IV) and Rhodamine B in chilli oil samples. Typically, CNTF was immersed into the diluted solution of chilli oil for extraction, which was then placed directly under the visible plasma beam tip of the DCBI source for desorption and ionization. Under optimized conditions, five dyes were simultaneously determined using this method. Results showed that the analytes were enriched by the CNTF through the π-π interactions, and the proposed method could significantly improve the sensitivities of these compounds, compared to the direct analysis by DCBI-MS/MS. The method with a linear range of 0.08-12.8 µg g(-1) and good linear relationships (R(2) > 0.93) in a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was developed. Satisfactory reproducibility was achieved. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 20.0%. The recoveries ranged from 80.0 to 110.0%, and the limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 1.4-21 ng g(-1). Finally, the feasibility of the method was further exhibited by the determination of five illegal dyes in chilli powder. These results demonstrate that the proposed method consumes less time and solvent than conventional HPLC-based methods and avoids the contamination of chromatographic column and ion source from non-volatile oil. With the help of a 72-well shaker, multiple samples could be treated simultaneously, which ensures high throughput for the entire pretreatment process. In conclusion, it provides a rapid and high-throughput approach for the determination of such illicit additions in chilli products.

Magnetic solid phase extraction coupled with desorption corona beam ionization-mass spectrometry for rapid analysis of antidepressants in human body fluids.

Ambient ionization techniques show good potential in rapid analysis of target compounds. However, a direct application of these ambient ionization techniques for the determination of analytes in a complex matrix is difficult due to the matrix interference and ion suppression. To resolve this problem, here we developed a strategy by coupling magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) with desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI)-mass spectrometry (MS). As a proof of concept, the pyrrole-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Ppy) were prepared and used for the extraction of antidepressants. After extraction, the Fe3O4@Ppy with trapped antidepressants was then directly subjected to DCBI-MS analysis with the aid of a homemade magnetic glass capillary. As the MSPE process is rapid and the direct DCBI-MS analysis does not need solvent desorption or chromatographic separation processes, the overall analysis can be completed within 3 min. The proposed MSPE-DCBI-MS method was then successfully used to determine antidepressants in human urine and plasma. The calibration curves were obtained in the range of 0.005-0.5 µg mL(-1) for urine and 0.02-1 µg mL(-1) for plasma with reasonable linearity (R(2) > 0.951). The limits of detection of three antidepressants were in the range of 0.2-1 ng mL(-1) for urine and 2-5 ng mL(-1) for plasma. Acceptable reproducibility for rapid analysis was achieved with relative standard deviations less than 19.1% and the relative recoveries were 85.2-118.7%. Taken together, the developed MSPE-DCBI-MS strategy offers a powerful capacity for rapid analysis of target compounds in a complex matrix, which would greatly expand the applications of ambient ionization techniques with plentiful magnetic sorbents.

Profiling of thiol-containing compounds by stable isotope labeling double precursor ion scan mass spectrometry.

Here we developed a novel strategy of isotope labeling in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography-double precursor ion scan mass spectrometry (IL-LC-DPIS-MS) analysis for nontargeted profiling of thiol-containing compounds. In this strategy, we synthesized a pair of isotope labeling reagents (ω-bromoacetonylquinolinium bromide, BQB; ω-bromoacetonylquinolinium-d7 bromide, BQB-d7) that contain a reactive group, an isotopically labeled moiety, and an ionizable group to selectively label thiol-containing compounds. The BQB and BQB-d7 labeled compounds can generate two characteristic product ions m/z 218 and 225, which contain an isotope tag and therefore were used for double precursor ion scans in mass spectrometry analysis. The peak pairs with characteristic mass differences can be readily extracted from the two precursor ion scan (PIS) spectra and assigned as potential thiol-containing candidates, which facilitates the identification of analytes. BQB and BQB-d7 labeled thiol-containing compounds can be clearly distinguished by generating two individual ion chromatograms. Thus, thiol-containing compounds from two samples labeled with different isotope reagents are ionized at the same time but recorded separately by mass spectrometry, offering good identification and accurate quantification by eliminating the MS response fluctuation and mutual interference from the two labeled samples. Using the IL-LC-DPIS-MS strategy, we profiled the thiol-containing compounds in beer and human urine, and 21 and 103 thiol candidates were discovered in beer and human urine, respectively. In addition, 9 and 17 thiol candidates in beer and human urine were successfully identified by further comparison with thiol standards or tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Taken together, the IL-LC-DPIS-MS method is demonstrated to be a promising strategy in the profiling of compounds with identical groups in metabolomics study.

Isotope labelling--paired homologous double neutral loss scan-mass spectrometry for profiling of metabolites with a carboxyl group.

We developed a novel method for non-targeted screening of metabolites by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with paired homologous double neutral loss scan mode after in vitro isotope labelling (IL-HPLC-PHDNL-MS). As a proof of concept, we investigated the carboxylic acid metabolite profiling in plant samples by the IL-HPLC-PHDNL-MS method. To this end, N,N-dimethylaminobutylamine (DMBA) and d(4)-N,N-dimethylaminobutylamine (d(4)-DMBA) were synthesized and utilized to label carboxylic acids. Our results show the MS response of carboxylic acids was enhanced by 20- to 40-fold after labelling. As for the IL-HPLC-PHDNL-MS analysis, DMBA and d(4)-DMBA labelled samples were mixed equally before MS analysis. Because the isotope labelled moieties (dimethylamino moiety, Me2N) of DMBA and d(4)-DMBA are easily ruptured and lost as neutral fragments (NL 45 and NL 49) under collision induced dissociation (CID), two neutral loss scans can be carried out simultaneously to record the signals of DMBA and d(4)-DMBA labelled samples, respectively. In this respect, the metabolites from two samples labelled with different isotope reagents are ionized at the same time but recorded separately by mass spectrometry, which can eliminate the MS response fluctuation and mutual interference. Using this method, six potential biomarkers involved in wounded tomato leaves were identified, and their structures were further elucidated by product ion scan and high resolution mass spectrometry analysis. Taken together, the IL-HPLC-PHDNL-MS method demonstrated good performance on the identification as well as relative quantification of metabolites with a carboxyl group in biological samples.

Alterations of mitochondrial protein assembly and jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathway in Honglian (HL)-type cytoplasmic male sterility rice.

It has been suggested that the mitochondrial chimeric gene orfH79 is the cause for abortion of microspores in Honglian cytoplasmic male sterile rice, yet little is known regarding its mechanism of action. In this study, we used a mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics strategy to compare the mitochondrial proteome between the sterile line Yuetai A and its fertile near-isogenic line Yuetai B. We discovered a reduced quantity of specific proteins in mitochondrial complexes in Yuetai A compared with Yuetai B, indicating a defect in mitochondrial complex assembly in the sterile line. Western blotting showed that ORFH79 protein and ATP1 protein, an F(1) sector component of complex V, are both associated with large protein complexes of similar size. Respiratory complex activity assays and transmission electron microscopy revealed functional and morphological defects in the mitochondria of Yuetai A when compared with Yuetai B. In addition, we identified one sex determination TASSELSEED2-like protein increased in Yuetai A, leading to the discovery of an aberrant variation of the jasmonic acid pathway during the development of microspores.

Sample preparation and direct electrospray ionization on a tip column for rapid mass spectrometry analysis of complex samples.

A handheld pipette tip column electrospray ionization source (PTC-ESI source) was developed for rapid mass spectrometry analysis at ambient pressure. The PTC-ESI source was made up of three main component parts including a micro DC high voltage (HV) power supply, a micropipette and a disposable micropipette tip filled with a plug of adsorbent. A DC high voltage was applied to the sharp point of the micropipette tip column to induce electrospray ionization. The PTC-ESI source was successfully used for direct analysis of basic organic compounds, organic acids and peptides in a simple matrix. In the case of complex samples, micro-extraction based on the adsorbent phase filled in the pipette tip was used to remove impurities and concentrate target analytes prior to ionization. The eluting solution was not pipetted out, but directly dispersed in the form of electrospray from the pipette tip for ionization. The effectiveness of the PTC-ESI source has been further demonstrated by fast analysis of therapeutic compounds and endogenous bioactive chemicals in complex biological samples.

Use of isotope differential derivatization for simultaneous determination of thiols and oxidized thiols by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Here we report a new isotopic pair of derivatization reagents, ω-bromoacetonylquinolinium bromide (BQB) and d(7)-ω-bromoacetonylquinolinium bromide (d(7)-BQB). BQB and d(7)-BQB both rapidly and selectively reacted with thiols in acidic medium within 3min with the aid of a microwave. Reduced thiols and total thiols in urine were labeled with BQB and d(7)-BQB, respectively. The BQB- and d(7)-BQB-labeled urine samples were then mixed and separated on a HILIC (hydrophilic interaction chromatography) column followed by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) detection. The new strategy, which we have named isotope differential derivatization, allows us to simultaneously determine thiols and oxidized thiols in a single run. Compared with positive mode ESI detection of unlabeled thiols, the positive mode ESI-MS signal intensities of BQB-labeled thiols were found to increase by 10-, 20-, and 40-fold for cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (HCys), and glutathione (GSH), respectively (unlabeled N-acetylcysteine (Nac) is difficult to detect by ESI-MS in positive mode due to its low ionization efficiency). The detection limits calculated at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were found to be 8.02, 1.56, 0.833, and 3.27nmol/L for Cys, HCys, Nac, and GSH, respectively. Recoveries of thiols and disulfides from spiked urine samples were between 80% and 105%. The method was successfully used to determine thiols and oxidized thiols in urine samples of 25 healthy volunteers.

Use of isotope mass probes for metabolic analysis of the jasmonate biosynthetic pathway.

In order to quantitatively study the jasmonate biosynthetic pathway, we chemically synthesized a pair of isotope mass probes and established a labeling protocol. The pair of mass probes used in our work were ω-bromoacetonylpyridinium bromide (BPB) and d(5)-ω-bromoacetonylpyridinium bromide (d(5)-BPB), which contain carboxylic acid reactive groups, isotopically labeled groups and permanent positive charges. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF-MS) were used for the detection of labeled standard mixtures and plant samples. In comparison to negative mode electrospray ionization detection of unlabeled analytes, the ESI signal of reverse charge labeled compounds was shown to improve by 20- to 80-fold. Accurate relative quantification was achieved as no isotopic effects of the different isotope labeled phytohormones during RP/SCX mixed-mode liquid chromatographic separation were observed. A data analysis method was established for analyzing metabolic pathways using our labeling strategy. We then applied our method and examined the jasmonate biosynthetic pathway of rice under salt stress and the premature senescence mutant. Here we found that under salt stress conditions, rice showed up-regulation in (13S)-hydroperoxyoctadecatrienoic acid (HOPT), cis-(+)-12-oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA), 3-oxo-2-(2'-pentenyl)-cyclopentane-1-octanoic acid (OPC-8) and jasmonoyl-valine (JA-Val) levels, while α-linolenic acid (LA) and jasmonic acid (JA) showed down-regulation, and three components (HPOT, OPC-8 and JA-Val) were accumulated. The premature senescence mutant showed up-regulation in all major components of the jasmonate biosynthetic pathway with the exception of LA, and an accumulation of HPOT, OPC-6 and JA-Val. This study demonstrates that our chemical stable isotope labeling strategy can be used as a powerful tool for metabolic pathway analysis of phytohormones in plants.

Electrospun fibrous thin film microextraction coupled with desorption corona beam ionization-mass spectrometry for rapid analysis of antidepressants in human plasma.

Appropriate sample preparations prior to analysis can significantly enhance the sensitivity of ambient ionization techniques, especially during the enrichment or purification of analytes in the presence of complex biological matrix. Here in, we developed a rapid analysis method by the combination of thin film microextraction (TFME) and desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI) for the determination of antidepressants in human plasma. Thin films used for extraction consisted of sub-micron sized highly ordered mesoporous silica-carbon composite fibers (OMSCFs), simply prepared by electrospinning and subsequent carbonization. Typically, OMSCFs thin film was immersed into the diluted plasma for extraction of target analytes and then directly subjected to the DCBI-MS for detection. Size-exclusion effect of mesopores contributed to avoid of the protein precipitation step prior to extraction. Mass transfer was benefited from high surface-to-volume ratio which is attributed to macroporous network and ordered mesostructures. Moreover, the OMSCFs provided mixed-mode hydrophobic/ion-exchange interactions towards target analytes. Thus, the detection sensitivity was greatly improved due to effective enrichment of the target analytes and elimination of matrix interferences. After optimization of several parameters related to extraction performance, the proposed method was eventually applied for the determination of three antidepressants in human plasma. The calibration curves were plotted in the range of 5-1000 ng/mL with acceptable linearity (R(2) >0.983). The limits of detection (S/N=3) of three antidepressants were in ranges of 0.3-1 ng/mL. Reproducibility was achieved with RSD less than 17.6% and the relative recoveries were in ranges of 83.6-116.9%. Taken together, TFME-DCBI-MS method offers a powerful capacity for rapid analysis to achieve much-improved sensitivity.

Quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe method with magnetic graphitized carbon black and primary secondary amine as adsorbent and its application in pesticide residue analysis.

By using magnetic graphitized carbon black and primary secondary amine (GCB/PSA/MNPs) as adsorbent, a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method was proposed for pesticide residue analysis in vegetables. The magnetic adsorbent was fabricated via simple co-mixing method based on an "aggregate warp" mechanism. To achieve the optimum conditions of modified QuEChERS toward target analytes, several parameters, including the composition of analyte protectants and the amount of the adsorbents were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, a simple, rapid and effective method for the determination of 10 pesticide residues in vegetables was established by coupling modified QuEChERS to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. The detection limits of the proposed method for 10 pesticides ranged from 0.39 to 8.6ng/g. Good linearity (R value≥0.990) was achieved at concentration levels of 10-200ng/g, and acceptable method reproducibility was found as intra- and inter-day precisions, yielding the relative standard deviations less than 10.7% and 13.4%, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 69.9-125.0% at different concentrations for real samples. Compared with the reported methods for the determination of a large number of samples, the proposed method has the advantage of less time-consuming in clean-up procedure.

Spectroscopic observation of iodosylarene metalloporphyrin adducts and manganese(V)-oxo porphyrin species in a cytochrome P450 analogue.

Different metalloporphyrin model compounds have been synthesized to study the mechanisms of cytochrome P450s with various terminal oxidants, and numerous intermediates have been reported. However, the detailed mechanism of the oxygen atom transfer from iodosylarene to the substrates remains unclear. Here we report the direct ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic observation of the soluble iodosylarene-manganese porphyrin adduct following catalytic oxidation using 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenol as the reductant. When the reductant is changed to cis-stilbene, the rate-determining step also changes. Both the iodosylarene-manganese porphyrin adduct and [(porphyrin)Mn(V)=O] species may be simultaneously observed. In the absence of reductant, the adduct of iodosylarene with sterically hindered [Mn(meso-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphinato)Cl] is immediately formed, and smoothly converted into a high-valent [(porpyrinato)Mn=O]. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis of the reaction further confirms the transformation between these species. This study provides an insight into the mechanism of oxygen transfer within the haem-containing enzymatic systems.

Highly sensitive and quantitative profiling of acidic phytohormones using derivatization approach coupled with nano-LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS analysis.

In current study, we developed a highly sensitive method for the quantitative profiling of acidic phytohormones. Tandem solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) was employed to efficiently purify acidic phytohormones, which were further derived by 3-bromoactonyltrimethylammonium bromide (BTA) to increase the ionization efficiency in electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry detection. Additionally, fifteen BTA-derived acidic phytohormones, including ten gibberellins (GAs), were well separated with a salt gradient on poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (MAA-co-EDMA) monolithic column. By employing online trapping system, the signal intensities of the analytes were significantly improved. The limits of detection (LODs, Signal/Noise=3) of targeted phytohormones ranged from 1.05 to 122.4 pg/mL, which allowed the highly sensitive determination of low abundant acidic phytohormones with tiny amount plant sample. Good reproducibility was obtained by evaluating the intra- and inter-day precisions with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 10.9 and 11.9%, respectively. Recoveries of the target analytes from spiked rice leave samples ranged from 88.3 to 104.3%. By employing the method developed here, we were able to simultaneously determine 11 endogenous acidic phytohormones from only 5mg of rice leave sample, which dramatically decreased the required sample amount (three orders of magnitude lower) for the profiling of low abundant acidic phytohormones compared to previous reports. Taken together, the method provided a good solution for the highly sensitive and quantitative profiling of endogenous acidic phytohormones.

Coupling frontal elution paper chromatography with desorption corona beam ionization mass spectrometry for rapid analysis of chlorphenamine in herbal medicines and dietary supplements.

We developed a convenient method by coupling frontal elution paper chromatography with desorption corona beam ionization mass spectrometry (DCBI-MS) for rapid determination of chlorphenamine added in herbal medicines or dietary supplements. In this method, the ethanol extract of the herbal products was spotted directly onto an isosceles triangular filter paper sheet, and then the paper sheet was developed under strong elution condition with the sample zone migrating at the solvent front. The analyte was finally condensed at the V-shaped tip which could then be placed under the visible plasma beam of DCBI for ionization. The overall procedure took less than 5 min. The frontal elution paper chromatography on a triangular plate used in this work improved the signal intensity of chlorphenamine by 30-fold due to the analyte condensing at the tip and the reduction of the background suppression. Furthermore, the paper sheet also functioned as a filter in the analysis of solid or powder samples, which can increase the analytical throughput by omitting the step of centrifugation. The proposed method in current study was successfully applied in the determination of chlorphenamine in herbal medicines. Chlorphenamine was detected in four of the twelve types of herbal medicines examined in this study. The limit of detection was 200 ng/mL (2.0 ng absolute) in full-scan positive-ion mode and the linear range was from 5.0 µg/mL to 50 µg/mL with satisfactory linear coefficient (R(2) (the square of the correlation coefficient)=0.895). Good reproducibility was achieved with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 15.0% and the recoveries of chlorphenamine ranged from 84.3 to 90.6%.

Highly sensitive profiling assay of acidic plant hormones using a novel mass probe by capillary electrophoresis-time of flight-mass spectrometry.

Plant hormones play crucial roles in plant growth and development. However, up to date, identification and quantification of acidic plant hormones with trace amount in complicated plant matrix is still a challenge. In current study, we developed a high sensitive assay for the determination of acidic plant hormones in rice by combining capillary electrophoresis and electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-TOF-MS). To improve the detection sensitivity of acidic plant hormones, 3-bromoactonyltrimethylammonium bromide (BTA) was synthesized as a new mass probe, which can react efficiently with acidic plant hormones in acetonitrile containing triethylamine (TEA). The positively charged BTA-derivatives were separated by CE using amino-coated capillary, which provided a reversed electroosmotic flow (EOF) at low pH, as well as reduced the adsorption of BTA-derivatives on the inner wall of capillary. Using the CE-ESI-TOF-MS method developed in current study, 15 acidic plant hormones, including 10 gibberellins (GAs), were identified and quantified with good linearities from 1.3 to 850 ng/mL with linear coefficient R(2) values of >0.99. The limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 0.34-4.59 ng/mL. Recoveries of compounds from spiked beverage samples ranged from 84.6 to 112.2%. And a good reproducibility was obtained by evaluating the intra and inter-day precisions with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 6.7 and 9.9%, respectively.