Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomics: An Overview of Technological Platforms <s> Digging Deeper into Structural Details <s> Ions formed from lipids during electrospray ionization of crude lipid extracts have been mass-selected within a quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer and allowed to react with ozone vapor. Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions between unsaturated lipid ions and ozone are found to yield two primary product ions for each carbon-carbon double bond within the molecule. The mass-to-charge ratios of these chemically induced fragments are diagnostic of the position of unsaturation within the precursor ion. This novel analytical technique, dubbed ozone-induced dissociation (OzID), can be applied both in series and in parallel with conventional collision-induced dissociation (CID) to provide near-complete structural assignment of unknown lipids within complex mixtures without prior fractionation or derivatization. In this study, OzID is applied to a suite of complex lipid extracts from sources including human lens, bovine kidney, and commercial olive oil, thus demonstrating the technique to be applicable to a broad range of lipid classes including both neutral and acidic glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelins, and triacylglycerols. Gas-phase ozonolysis reactions are also observed with different types of precursor ions including [M+H]+, [M+Li]+, [M+Na]+, and [M-H]-: in each case yielding fragmentation data that allow double bond position to be unambiguously assigned. Within the human lens lipid extract, three sphingomyelin regioisomers, namely SM(d18:0/15Z-24:1), SM(d18:0/17Z-24:1), and SM(d18:0/19Z-24:1), and a novel phosphatidylethanolamine alkyl ether, GPEtn(11Z-18:1e/9Z-18:1), are identified using a combination of CID and OzID. These discoveries demonstrate that lipid identification based on CID alone belies the natural structural diversity in lipid biochemistry and illustrate the potential of OzID as a complementary approach within automated, high-throughput lipid analysis protocols. <s> BIB001 </s> Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomics: An Overview of Technological Platforms <s> Digging Deeper into Structural Details <s> We have developed a targeted lipidomics approach that makes it possible to directly analyze chiral eicosanoid lipids generated in cellular systems. The eicosanoids, including prostaglandins (PGs), thromboxanes (TXs), leukotrienes (LTs) and alcohols (HETEs), have been implicated as potent lipid mediators of various biological processes. Enzymatic formations of eicosanoids are regioselective and enantioselective, whereas reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated formation proceeds with no stereoselectivity. To distinguish between enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways of eicosanoid formation, it is necessary to resolve enantiomeric forms as well as regioisomers. High sensitivity is also required to analyze the eicosanoid lipids that are usually present as trace amounts (pM level) in biological fluids. A discovery of liquid chromatography-electron capture atmospheric pressure chemical ionization/mass spectrometry (LCECAPCI/MS) allows us to couple normal phase chiral chromatography without loss of sensitivity. Analytical specificity was obtained by the use of collision-induced dissociation (CID) and tandem MS (MS/MS). With combination of stable isotope dilution methodology, complex mixtures of regioisomeric and enantiomeric eicosanoids have been resolved and quantified in biological samples with high sensitivity and specificity. Targeted chiral lipidomics profiles of bioactive eicosanoid lipids obtained from various cell systems and their biological implications have been discussed. [BMB reports 2009; 42(7): 401-410] <s> BIB002 </s> Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomics: An Overview of Technological Platforms <s> Digging Deeper into Structural Details <s> As a field, lipidomics is in its infancy, yet it has already begun to influence lipid biochemistry in myriad ways. As with other omic technologies, the field is driven by advances in analytical chemistry, particularly by mass spectrometry. At the heart of a renaissance in lipid biochemistry, systems biology is being used to define the cellular lipome, build a comprehensive picture of metabolic interconnections, discover new molecular species and determine how lipids modulate biological functions. <s> BIB003 </s> Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomics: An Overview of Technological Platforms <s> Digging Deeper into Structural Details <s> Sphingolipids are a highly diverse category of bioactive compounds. This article describes methods that have been validated for the extraction, liquid chromatographic (LC) separation, identification and quantitation of sphingolipids by electrospray ionization, tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) using triple quadrupole (QQQ, API 3000) and quadrupole-linear-ion trap (API 4000 QTrap, operating in QQQ mode) mass spectrometers. Advantages of the QTrap included: greater sensitivity, similar ionization efficiencies for sphingolipids with ceramide versus dihydroceramide backbones, and the ability to identify the ceramide backbone of sphingomyelins using a pseudo-MS3 protocol. Compounds that can be readily quantified using an internal standard cocktail developed by the LIPID MAPS Consortium are: sphingoid bases and sphingoid base 1-phosphates, more complex species such as ceramides, ceramide 1-phosphates, sphingomyelins, mono- and di-hexosylceramides, and these complex sphingolipids with dihydroceramide backbones. With minor modifications, glucosylceramides and galactosylceramides can be distinguished, and more complex species such as sulfatides can also be quantified, when the internal standards are available. JLR LC ESI-MS/MS can be utilized to quantify a large number of structural and signaling sphingolipids using commercially available internal standards. The application of these methods is illustrated with RAW264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage cell line. These methods should be useful for a wide range of focused (sphingo)lipidomic investigations. <s> BIB004 </s> Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomics: An Overview of Technological Platforms <s> Digging Deeper into Structural Details <s> Silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) is used for the regioisomeric analysis of triacylglycerols (TGs). Standard mixtures of TG regioisomers are prepared by the randomization reaction from 8 mono-acid TG standards (tripalmitin, tristearin, triarachidin, triolein, trielaidin, trilinolein, trilinolenin and tri-gamma-linolenin). In total, 32 different regioisomeric doublets and 11 triplets are synthesized, separated by silver-ion HPLC using three serial coupled chromatographic columns giving a total length of 75cm. The retention of TGs increases strongly with the double bond (DB) number and slightly for regioisomers having more DBs in sn-1/3 positions. DB positional isomers (linolenic vs. γ-linolenic acids) are also separated and their reverse retention order in two different mobile phases is demonstrated. APCI mass spectra of all separated regioisomers are measured on five different mass spectrometers: single quadrupole LC/MSD (Agilent Technologies), triple quadrupole API 3000 (AB SCIEX), ion trap Esquire 3000 (Bruker Daltonics), quadrupole time-of-flight micrOTOF-Q (Bruker Daltonics) and LTQ Orbitrap XL (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The effect of different types of mass analyzer on the ratio of [M+H-R(i)COOH](+) fragment ions in APCI mass spectra is lower compared to the effect of the number of DBs, their position on the acyl chain and the regiospecific distribution of acyl chains on the glycerol skeleton. Presented data on [M+H-R(i)COOH](+) ratios measured on five different mass analyzers can be used for the direct regioisomeric determination in natural and biological samples. <s> BIB005 </s> Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomics: An Overview of Technological Platforms <s> Digging Deeper into Structural Details <s> The lipid composition of the human lens is distinct from most other tissues in that it is high in dihydrosphingomyelin and the most abundant glycerophospholipids in the lens are unusual 1-O-alkyl-ether linked phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines. In this study, desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometry-imaging was used to determine the distribution of these lipids in the human lens along with other lipids including, ceramides, ceramide-1-phosphates, and lyso 1-O-alkyl ethers. To achieve this, 25 μm lens slices were mounted onto glass slides and analyzed using a linear ion-trap mass spectrometer equipped with a custom-built, 2-D automated DESI source. In contrast to other tissues that have been previously analyzed by DESI, the presence of a strong acid in the spray solvent was required to desorb lipids directly from lens tissue. Distinctive distributions were observed for [M + H](+) ions arising from each lipid class. Of particular interest were ionized 1-O-alkyl phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines, PE (18:1e/18:1), and PS (18:1e/18:1), which were found in a thin ring in the outermost region of the lens. This distribution was confirmed by quantitative analysis of lenses that were sectioned into four distinct regions (outer, barrier, inner, and core), extracted and analyzed by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. DESI-imaging also revealed a complementary distribution for the structurally-related lyso 1-O-alkyl phosphatidylethanolamine, LPE (18:1e), which was localized closer to the centre of the lens. The data obtained in this study indicate that DESI-imaging is a powerful tool for determining the spatial distribution of human lens lipids. <s> BIB006 </s> Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomics: An Overview of Technological Platforms <s> Digging Deeper into Structural Details <s> Lipids are important components in all biological tissues having many essential roles associated with the proper function of the organism. Their analysis in the biological tissues and body fluids is a challenging task due to the extreme sample complexity of polar lipids and to their amphiphilic character. In this work, we describe a new method for the characterization of the lipid composition in various tissues, using off-line two-dimensional coupling of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and reversed-phase (RP) high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry. In the first dimension the total lipid extracts are fractioned using HILIC into individual lipid classes. In total, 19 lipid classes (+3 regioisomeric pairs) that cover a wide range of polarities are separated in one analytical run, which is the highest number of analyzed lipid classes reported so far. The lysophospholipid regioisomers are also separated in HILIC mode followed by the identification based on the characteristic ESI mass spectra. The collected fractions of the various lipid classes are further separated in the RP mode, which offers an excellent resolution of the individual lipid species. Their ESI or APCI mass spectra give correct information on the fatty acid composition and on the individual regioisomeric positions on the glycerol skeleton. Off-line coupling of both modes enables the comprehensive analysis of plant and animal samples as illustrated on the analysis of egg yolk, soya and porcine brain tissues. <s> BIB007
Beyond the actual fatty acid composition of a lipid species, the fatty acid sn-position can be of importance for many biological functions. Most direct infusion and LC-MS methods in lipidomics are not able to separate lipid molecular species at the level of positional isomers. However, some very sophisticated chromatographic methods are able to obtain insight on lipid molecular geometry at this level. Separation of positional TG isomers was successfully achieved by using silver-ion HPLC BIB005 . This publication describes a setup for serial connection of three HPLC columns to attain the necessary chromatographic resolution. Another excellent example of a highly specialized HPLC setup by the same group uses a 2D approach BIB007 . A first HILIC dimension separates and fractionates lipids by their respective lipid classes, and a second reversed phase dimension further separates lipid classes by their individual molecular composition. While these HPLC methods are very efficient and highly specific for separation of individual lipid molecular species, they are only suitable for a limited number of samples due to their long chromatographic separation times, particularly in 2D HPLC. Another highly specific LC-MS strategy is proposed by the group of Blair BIB002 . This experimental platform couples chiral normal phase HPLC to negative APCI-MS for separation and determination of regioisomeric and enantiomeric forms of eicosanoids. Beyond enhanced separation selectivity, this method also provides very sensitive detection of eicosanoid pentafluorobenzyl derivatives by electron capture APCI and subsequent MRM analysis by triple quadrupole MS. An important feature of molecular lipid species is the position of fatty acid double bonds. Gas phase reaction of ozone with double bonds results in primary and secondary ozonides, which fragment further to aldehydes, carboxylates and hydroperoxides indicative of the position of the double bond in the fatty acyl chain BIB003 . Recently, the group of Blanksby introduced custom modified instrumentation for ozone induced dissociation (OzID), at which either a linear ion trap BIB001 or a quadrupole collision cell BIB006 are able to be filled with ozone. Either sequential multistage dissociation with an inert collision induced dissociation (CID) gas and ozone, or single stage dissociation by a mixture of ozone and CID gas, results in a double bond position specific fragmentation pattern. The main limitation of this method is the specialized non-commercial equipment needed. Additionally, no high throughput standardized data analysis software is available for such an approach. An interesting alternative for obtaining more structural details by MS/MS is the pseudo MS 3 approach on a 4000QTrap proposed by the Merrill group BIB004 . Negative ESI tandem MS/MS spectra on sphingomyelin usually result in just one predominant head group specific fragment. But if the selected sphingomyelin precursor is transmitted through Q2 at low collision energies (5-10 eV) and then fragmented by the linear ion trap function in Q3, a much richer abundance of fragment ions indicative for the sphingosine backbone is to be found.