Chemical Tagging in Mass Spectrometry for Systems Biology

Reactivity-based identification of oxygen containing functional groups of chemicals applied as potential classifier in non-target analysis

In this work, we developed a reactivity-based strategy to identify functional groups of unknown analytes, which can be applied as classifier in non-target analysis with gas chromatography. The aim of this strategy is to reduce the number of potential candidate structures generated for a molecular formula determined by high resolution mass spectrometry. We selected an example of 18 isomers with the molecular formula C12H10O2 to test the performance of different derivatization reagents, whereas our aim was to select mild and fast reaction conditions. Based on the results for the isomers, we developed a four-step workflow for the identification of functional groups containing oxygen.

Mixed-Linkage Donor-Acceptor Covalent Organic Framework as a Turn-On Fluorescent Sensor for Aliphatic Amines

Amine determination is crucial to our daily life, including the prevention of pollution, the treatment of certain disorders, and the evaluation of food quality. Herein, a mixed-linkage donor-acceptor covalent organic framework (named DSE-COF) was first constructed by the polymerization between 2,4-dihydroxybenzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde (DTA) and 4,4'-(benzo[c][1,2,5]selenadiazole-4,7-diyl)dianiline (SEZ). DSE-COF displayed superior turn-on fluorescent responses to primary, secondary, and tertiary aliphatic amines, such as cadaverine, isopropylamine, sec-butylamine, cyclohexylamine, hexamethylenediamine, di-n-butylamine, and triethylamine in absolute acetonitrile than other organic species. Further experiments and theoretical calculations demonstrated that the combination of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) effects between the DSE-COF and aliphatic amines resulted in enhanced fluorescence. Credibly, DSE-COF can quantitatively detect cadaverine content in actual pork samples with satisfactory results. In addition, DSE-COF-based test papers could rapidly monitor cadaverine from real pork samples, manifesting the potential application of COFs in food quality inspection.

Use of N-(4-aminophenyl)piperidine derivatization to improve organic acid detection with supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The analysis of organic acids in complex mixtures by LC-MS can often prove challenging, especially due to the poor sensitivity of negative ionization mode required for detection of these compounds in their native (i.e., underivatized or untagged) form. These compounds have also been difficult to measure using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC)-MS, a technique of growing importance for metabolomic analysis, with similar limitations based on negative ionization. In this report, the use of a high proton affinity N-(4-aminophenyl)piperidine derivatization tag is explored for the improvement of organic acid detection by SFC-MS. Four organic acids (lactic, succinic, malic, and citric acids) with varying numbers of carboxylate groups were derivatized with N-(4-aminophenyl)piperidine to achieve detection limits down to 0.5 ppb, with overall improvements in detection limit ranging from 25-to-2100-fold. The effect of the derivatization group on sensitivity, which increased by at least 200-fold for compounds that were detectable in their native form, and mass spectrometric detection are also described. Preliminary investigations into the separation of these derivatized compounds identified multiple stationary phases that could be used for complete separation of all four compounds by SFC. This derivatization technique provides an improved approach for the analysis of organic acids by SFC-MS, especially for those that are undetectable in their native form.

Roles of sulfur-containing compounds in fermented beverages with 2-furfurylthiol as a case example

Aroma is a critical component of the flavor and quality of beverages. Among the volatile chemicals responsible for fragrance perception, sulfur compounds are unique odorants due to their extremely low odor threshold. Although trace amounts of sulfur compounds can enhance the flavor profile of beverages, they can lead to off-odors. Sulfur compounds can be formed via Maillard reaction and microbial metabolism, imparting coffee aroma and altering the flavor of beverages. In order to increase the understanding of sulfur compounds in the field of food flavor, 2-furfurylthiol (FFT) was chosen as a representative to discuss the current status of their generation, sensory impact, enrichment, analytical methods, formation mechanisms, aroma deterioration, and aroma regulation. FFT is comprehensively reviewed, and the main beverages of interest are typically baijiu, beer, wine, and coffee. Challenges and recommendations for FFT are also discussed, including analytical methods and mechanisms of formation, interactions between FFT and other compounds, and the development of specific materials to extend the duration of aroma after release.

Chemoselective bicyclobutane-based mass spectrometric detection of biological thiols uncovers human and bacterial metabolites

Sulfur is an essential element of life. Thiol-containing metabolites in all organisms are involved in the regulation of diverse biological processes. Especially, the microbiome produces bioactive metabolites or biological intermediates of this compound class. The analysis of thiol-containing metabolites is challenging due to the lack of specific tools, making these compounds difficult to investigate selectively. We have now developed a new methodology comprising bicyclobutane for chemoselective and irreversible capturing of this metabolite class. We utilized this new chemical biology tool immobilized onto magnetic beads for the investigation of human plasma, fecal samples, and bacterial cultures. Our mass spectrometric investigation detected a broad range of human, dietary and bacterial thiol-containing metabolites and we even captured the reactive sulfur species cysteine persulfide in both fecal and bacterial samples. The described comprehensive methodology represents a new mass spectrometric strategy for the discovery of bioactive thiol-containing metabolites in humans and the microbiome.

Diazo probe-based chemical isotope labeling assisted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis for sensitive determination of amino acids in biofluids

Amino acids are important biomolecules and contribute to essential biological processes. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) now is a powerful tool for the analysis of amino acid metabolites; however, the structural similarity and polarity of amino acids can lead to the poor chromatographic retention and low detection sensitivities. In this study, we used a pair of light and heavy isotopomers of diazo probes, d₀/d₅-2-(diazomethyl)-N-methyl-N-phenyl-benzamide (2-DMBA/d₅ -2-DMBA) to label amino acids. The paired MS probes of 2-DMBA and d₅ -2-DMBA carry diazo groups that can efficiently and specifically react with the carboxyl group on free amino acid metabolites under mild conditions. Benefiting from the transfer of the 2-DMBA/d₅ -2-DMBA to carboxyl group on amino acids, the ionization efficiencies of amino acids presented great enhancement during LC-MS analysis. The results suggested that the detection sensitivities of 17 amino acids increased by 9-133-fold upon 2-DMBA labeling, and the obtained limits of detection (LODs) of amino acids on-column ranged from 0.011 fmol-0.057 fmol. With the application of the developed method, we successfully achieved the sensitive and accurate detection of the 17 amino acids in microliter level of serum sample. Moreover, the contents of most amino acids were different in the serum from normal and B16F10-tumour mice, demonstrating that endogenous amino acids may play important roles in the regulation of tumors development. This developed method of chemical labeling of amino acids with diazo probes assisted LC-MS analysis provides a potentially valuable tool to investigate the relationships between amino acids metabolism and diseases.

Hyperplexing Approaches for up to 45-Plex Quantitative Proteomic Analysis

Isobaric labeling has emerged as an indispensable quantitative proteomic approach for its unprecedented multiplexing capacity in a single analysis. Currently, different hyperplexing approaches have been developed to meet the demand for the increasing sample size in large-scale cohort analysis. In this report, we present a tribrid hyperplexing approach by the combinatorial use of three types of isobaric reagents, a novel isobaric tag 16-plex (IBT16) reagent and the widely used tandem mass tag (TMT; TMT11) and TMTpro (TMT18) reagents. After the determination of labeling efficiency and the optimization of testing conditions, we systematically evaluated the identification and quantification performance of the three labeling reagents in both independent and combinatorial manners using the mixtures of E. coli and HeLa peptides with different ratios. Our results reveal that the three reagents are quite similar in all testing aspects despite some differences, and the combination use of the three reagents could expand the multiplexing capacity to up to 45-plex. Furthermore, we conclude the advantages of IBT16 in the combination use and the preferred combinations for different practical applications. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD037498.

Simultaneous and dynamic measurement of Schisandrol A changes in rat blood and brain and its comparative pharmacokinetic study in control and Parkinson's disease rats by dual-probe in vivo microdialysis

Schisandrol A (SchA) is the main active ingredient of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., which is a famous traditional Chinese herbal medicine. SchA can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and has a significant neuroprotective effect. A group of multiplexed stable isotope mass tags (MSIMTs, m/z 332, 338, 346, 349, 351, 354, 360, 363, 374 and 377) were synthesized to perform multiplexed stable isotope labeling derivatization (MSILD) of SchA in rat microdialysates and standards. A new magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared using MSIMT-375-SchA as dummy template. All the 10-plexed derivatives of MSIMTs-SchA can be efficiently and selectively enriched and purified using this adsorbent by magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction (MDSPE) before ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. It should be pointed out that the MSIMT-346-SchA standard derivative was used as internal standard in the process of MDSPE and UHPLC-MS/MS. On these bases, 9 different rat microdialysate samples can be determined by UHPLC-MS/MS in a single run. The utilization of MSIMTs significantly increased the sensitivity, accuracy, selectivity and analysis throughput. Under the optimized conditions, satisfactory linearity (R²> 0.987), limit of detection (LODs, 0.15-0.26 pg/mL) and lower limit of quantitative (LLOQ, 0.8-2.0 pg/mL) were obtained. Intra- and inter-day precisions were in the range of 2.2% -12.5%, and recoveries 94.2% -106.2%. The matrix effects were very low, and the average derivatization efficiency of 10-plex MSIMTs to SchA was as high as 97.8%. Using the developed dual-probe in vivo microdialysis sampling technique, the proposed analytical method has been applied for comparative pharmacokinetics of SchA in the brain and blood of control and Parkinson's disease (PD) rats.

Isobaric 6-plex and tosyl dual tagging for the determination of positional isomers and quantitation of monounsaturated fatty acids using rapid UHPLC-MS/MS

Isobaric labelling of fatty acids is complicated by chromatographic co-elution of double bond isomers. This produces contaminated spectra which can mask important biological changes. Here two derivatization strategies are combined to improve throughput and produce MS² reporters which change mass depending on double bond position. A 6-plex isobaric tag is attached to the acid group, followed by the tosylation of the double bond using chloramine-T. These two derivatizations allowed for the chromatographic resolution of nearly all investigated isomers using a 3.5 minute ultrafast method. Further isomer differentiation is achieved upon fragmentation as reporter masses scale with the double bond location. This occurs by a dual-fragmentation route which reveals the isobaric labelling and fragments along the double bond of each analyte. These unique fragments allowed for accurate quantitation of co-isolated double bond isomers where traditional isobaric tags would experience ratio distortion. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were characterized by this rapid 6-plex method and produced an average signal RSD of 9.3% and R² of 0.99. The method was then used to characterize fatty acid dysregulation upon inhibition of stearoyl CoA desaturase with CAY10566.

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update for 2019-2020

This review is the tenth update of the original article published in 1999 on the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2020. Also included are papers that describe methods appropriate to analysis by MALDI, such as sample preparation techniques, even though the ionization method is not MALDI. The review is basically divided into three sections: (1) general aspects such as theory of the MALDI process, matrices, derivatization, MALDI imaging, fragmentation, quantification and the use of arrays. (2) Applications to various structural types such as oligo- and polysaccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosides and biopharmaceuticals, and (3) other areas such as medicine, industrial processes and glycan synthesis where MALDI is extensively used. Much of the material relating to applications is presented in tabular form. The reported work shows increasing use of incorporation of new techniques such as ion mobility and the enormous impact that MALDI imaging is having. MALDI, although invented nearly 40 years ago is still an ideal technique for carbohydrate analysis and advancements in the technique and range of applications show little sign of diminishing.

Isotopic Tracer for Absolute Quantification of Metabolites of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Bacteria

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) plays a key role in many metabolic functions, including the generation of NADPH, biosynthesis of nucleotides, and carbon homeostasis. In particular, the intermediates of PPP have been found to be significantly perturbed in bacterial metabolomic studies. Nonetheless, detailed analysis to gain mechanistic information of PPP metabolism remains limited as most studies are unable to report on the absolute levels of the metabolites. Absolute quantification of metabolites is a prerequisite to study the details of fluxes and its regulations. Isotope tracer or labeling studies are conducted in vivo and in vitro and have significantly improved the analysis and understanding of PPP. Due to the laborious procedure and limitations in the in vivo method, an in vitro approach known as Group Specific Internal Standard Technology (GSIST) has been successfully developed to measure the absolute levels of central carbon metabolism, including PPP. The technique adopts derivatization of an experimental sample and a corresponding internal standard with isotope-coded reagents to provide better precision for accurate identification and absolute quantification. In this review, we highlight bacterial studies that employed isotopic tracers as the tagging agents used for the absolute quantification analysis of PPP metabolites.

Supercritical Fluid Nanospray Mass Spectrometry

Supercritical fluids are typically electrosprayed using an organic solvent makeup flow to facilitate continuous electrical connection and enhancement of electrospray stability. This results in sample dilution, loss in sensitivity, and potential phase separation. Premixing the supercritical fluid with organic solvent has shown substantial benefits to electrospray efficiency and increased analyte charge state. Presented here is a nanospray mass spectrometry system for supercritical fluids (nSF-MS). This split flow system used small i.d. capillaries, heated interface, inline frit, and submicron emitter tips to electrospray quaternary alkyl amines solvated in supercritical CO₂ with a 10% methanol modifier. Analyte signal response was evaluated as a function of total system flow rate (0.5-1.5 mL/min) that is split to nanospray a supercritical fluid with linear flow rates between 0.07 and 0.42 cm/sec and pressure ranges (15-25 MPa). The nSF system showed mass-sensitive detection based on increased signal intensity for increasing capillary i.d. and analyte injection volume. These effects indicate efficient solvent evaporation for the analysis of quaternary amines. Carrier additives generally decreased signal intensity. Comparison of the nSF-MS system to the conventional SF makeup flow ESI showed 10-fold signal intensity enhancement across all the capillary i.d.s. The nSF-MS system likely achieves rapid solvent evaporation of the SF at the emitter point. The developed system combined the benefits of the nanoemitters, sCO₂, and the low modifier percentage which gave rise to enhancement in MS detection sensitivity.

Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry with Online, In-Source Droplet-Based Phenylboronic Acid Derivatization for Sensitive Analysis of Saccharides

The ability to identify abnormalities in the body's saccharide profile is a promising means for early disease detection but requires analytical tools capable of detecting saccharides at low concentrations and/or for volume-limited samples. The preferred analysis approach for these compounds, liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS), often lacks sensitivity due to poor ionization efficiency. In this work, we employ a modified electrospray interface-termed contained-electrospray (contained-ESI) to couple accelerated droplet chemistry to conventional LC-MS for the online and automated separation, derivatization, and detection of saccharides. The chromatographic component enables complex sample and mixtures analysis with low sample volume requirements, while the enhanced reaction kinetics afforded by electrosprayed microdroplets facilitates rapid, on-the-fly derivatization to boost sensitivity. Derivatization occurs during ion formation as analytes elute from the column, eliminating the need for superfluous post-column derivatization hardware or complicated benchtop protocols. A grounded coupler was incorporated to shield the LC from the high-voltage ion source, and method conditions were optimized to accommodate the low flow rates preferred for microdroplet reactions. The new LC-contained-ESI-MS/MS platform was demonstrated for the analysis of several mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides using in-source droplet-based phenylboronic acid derivatization. Femtomole limits of detection were achieved for a 1 μL injection, representing sensitivity enhancement of 1-2 orders of magnitude over conventional LC-ESI-MS/MS without derivatization. In addition, isobaric saccharides that are difficult to differentiate by MS alone were easily distinguished. Method precision, accuracy, and linearity were established, and the ability to detect oligosaccharides at trace levels in human urine and plasma was demonstrated.

Analysis of endogenous metabolites using multifunctional derivatization and capillary RPLC-MS

Heterogeneity in metabolite structure and charge state complicates their analysis in electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Complications such as diminished signal response and quantitation can be reduced by sequential dual-stage derivatization and capillary RP LC-ESI-MS analysis. Our sequential dual-stage chemical derivatization reacts analyte primary amine and hydroxyl groups with a linear acyl chloride head containing a tertiary amine moiety. Analyte carboxylate groups are then coupled to a linear amine tag with a tertiary amine moiety. This increase in the number of tags on analytes increases analyte proton affinity and hydrophobicity. We derivatized 250 metabolite standards which on average improved signal to noise by >44-fold, with an average limit of detection of 66 nM and R² of 0.98. This system detected 107 metabolites from 18 BAECs, 111 metabolites from human urine, and 153 from human serum based on retention time, exact mass, and MS/MS matches from a derivatized standard library. As a proof of concept, aortic endothelial cells were treated with epinephrine and analyzed by the dual-stage derivatization. We observed changes in 32 metabolites with many increases related to energy metabolism, specifically in the TCA cycle. A decrease in lactate levels and corresponding increase in pyruvate levels suggest that epinephrine causes a movement away from glycolytic reliance on energy and a shift towards the more efficient TCA respiration for increasing energy.

Profiling of Urine Carbonyl Metabolic Fingerprints in Bladder Cancer Based on Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The diagnosis of bladder cancer (BC) is currently based on cystoscopy, which is invasive and expensive. Here, we describe a noninvasive profiling method for carbonyl metabolic fingerprints in BC, which is based on a desorption, separation, and ionization mass spectrometry (DSI-MS) platform with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (DMED) as a differential labeling reagent. The DSI-MS platform avoids the interferences from intra- and/or intersamples. Additionally, the DMED derivatization increases detection sensitivity and distinguishes carboxyl, aldehyde, and ketone groups in untreated urine samples. Carbonyl metabolic fingerprints of urine from 41 BC patients and 41 controls were portrayed and 9 potential biomarkers were identified. The mechanisms of the regulations of these biomarkers have been tentatively discussed. A logistic regression (LR) machine learning algorithm was applied to discriminate BC from controls, and an accuracy of 85% was achieved. We believe that the method proposed here may pave the way toward the point-of-care diagnosis of BC in a patient-friendly manner.

Isobaric 4-Plex Tagging for Absolute Quantitation of Biological Acids in Diabetic Urine Using Capillary LC-MS/MS

Isobaric labeling in mass spectrometry enables multiplexed absolute quantitation and high throughput, while minimizing full scan spectral complexity. Here, we use 4-plex isobaric labeling with a fixed positive charge tag to improve quantitation and throughput for polar carboxylic acid metabolites. The isobaric tag uses an isotope-encoded neutral loss to create mass-dependent reporters spaced 2 Da apart and was validated for both single- and double-tagged analytes. Tags were synthesized in-house using deuterated formaldehyde and methyl iodide in a total of four steps, producing cost-effective multiplexing. No chromatographic deuterium shifts were observed for single- or double-tagged analytes, producing consistent reporter ratios across each peak. Perfluoropentanoic acid was added to the sample to drastically increase retention of double-tagged analytes on a C18 column. Excess tag was scavenged and extracted using hexadecyl chloroformate after reaction completion. This allowed for removal of excess tag that typically causes ion suppression and column overloading. A total of 54 organic acids were investigated, producing an average linearity of 0.993, retention time relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.58%, and intensity RSD of 12.1%. This method was used for absolute quantitation of acid metabolites comparing control and type 1 diabetic urine. Absolute quantitation of organic acids was achieved by using one isobaric lane for standards, thereby allowing for analysis of six urine samples in two injections. Quantified acids showed good agreement with previous work, and six significant changes were found. Overall, this method demonstrated 4-plex absolute quantitation of acids in a complex biological sample.

Small molecules released from islets of Langerhans determined by liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry

Islets of Langerhans are the endocrine tissue within the pancreas that secrete hormones for maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis. A variety of small molecules including classical neurotransmitters are also released from islets. While the roles of most of these small molecules are unknown, some have been hypothesized to play a critical role in islet physiology. To better understand their role on islet function, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to separate and quantify 39 small molecules released from islets. Benzoyl chloride derivatization of analyte molecules was used to impart retention and facilitate electrospray ionization efficiency. Separation was achieved on a 2.1 × 150 mm column packed with 2.7 μm core-shell C18 particles. Calibration curves showed excellent linearity between the concentration and analyte response, with relative standard deviations of the analyte responses below 15% and limits of detection from 0.01-40 nM. The method was applied to examine small molecules released from murine and human islets of Langerhans after static incubation and perfusion with glucose. Results showed a decrease in secretion rates with increasing glucose concentration for most of the analytes. Secretion rates were found to be higher in human islets compared to their murine counterpart. This method will be useful in understanding the roles of small molecules in biological systems.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics for Biomarker Discovery

Proteomics plays a pivotal role in systems medicine, in which pharmacoproteomics and toxicoproteomics have been developed to address questions related to efficacy and toxicity of drugs. Mass spectrometry is the core technology for quantitative proteomics, providing the capabilities of identification and quantitation of thousands of proteins. The technology has been applied to biomarker discovery and understanding the mechanisms of drug action. Both stable isotope labeling of proteins or peptides and label-free approaches have been incorporated with multidimensional LC separation and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to increase the coverage and depth of proteome analysis. A protocol of such an approach exemplified by dimethyl labeling in combination with 2D-LC-MS/MS is described. With further development of novel proteomic tools and increase in sample throughput, the full spectrum of mass spectrometry-based proteomic research will greatly advance systems medicine.

Isomer-selective analysis of inositol phosphates with differential isotope labelling by phosphate methylation using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Inositol phosphates belong to a family of structurally diverse signaling molecules playing crucial role in Ca²⁺ release from intracellular storage vesicles. There are many possibilities of phosphorylation, including their degree and position. Inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate has been well recognized as the most important second messenger among this family. It remains a challenge to analyse the entire inositol phosphate metabolite family due to its structural complexity, high polarity, and high phosphate density. In this study, we have established an improved UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method based on a differential isotope labelling methylation strategy. An SPE extraction kit composed of TiO2 and PTFE filter was employed for sample preparation which provided good extraction performance. Samples were methylated (light label) to neutralize the phosphate groups and give better performance in liquid chromatography. Regioisomers and inositol phosphates differing in their number of phosphate residues were successfully separated after optimization on a core-shell cholesterylether-bonded RP-type column (Cosmocore 2.6Cholester) using methanol as organic modifier. Triple quadrupole MS detection was based on selected reaction monitoring (SRM) acquisition with characteristic fragments. Stable isotope labeling methylation was performed to generate internal standards (heavy label). Limits of quantification from 0.32 to 0.89 pmol on column was achieved. This method was validated to be suitable for inositol phosphate profiling in biological samples. After application in cultured HeLa cells, NIST SRM1950 plasma, and human platelets, distinct inositol profiles were obtained. This newly established method exhibited improved analytical performance, holding the potential to advance the understanding of inositol phosphate signaling.

Enantioselective metabolomics by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Metabolomics strives to capture the entirety of the metabolites in a biological system by comprehensive analysis, often by liquid chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry. A particular challenge thereby is the differentiation of structural isomers. Common achiral targeted and untargeted assays do not distinguish between enantiomers. This may lead to information loss. An increasing number of publications demonstrate that the enantiomeric ratio of certain metabolites can be meaningful biomarkers of certain diseases emphasizing the importance of introducing enantioselective analytical procedures in metabolomics. In this work, the state-of-the-art in the field of LC-MS based metabolomics is summarized with focus on developments in the recent decade. Methodologies, tagging strategies, workflows and general concepts are outlined. Selected biological applications in which enantioselective metabolomics has documented its usefulness are briefly discussed. In general, targeted enantioselective metabolomics assays are often based on a direct approach using chiral stationary phases (CSP) with polysaccharide derivatives, macrocyclic antibiotics, chiral crown ethers, chiral ion exchangers, donor-acceptor phases as chiral selectors. Rarely, these targeted assays focus on more than 20 analytes and usually are restricted to a certain metabolite class. In a variety of cases, pre-column derivatization of metabolites has been performed, especially for amino acids, to improve separation and detection sensitivity. Triple quadrupole instruments are the detection methods of first choice in targeted assays. Here, issues like matrix effect, absence of blank matrix impair accuracy of results. In selected applications, multiple heart cutting 2D-LC (RP followed by chiral separation) has been pursued to overcome this problem and alleviate bias due to interferences. Non-targeted assays, on the other hand, are based on indirect approach involving tagging with a chiral derivatizing agent (CDA). Besides classical CDAs numerous innovative reagents and workflows have been proposed and are discussed. Thereby, a critical issue for the accuracy is often neglected, viz. the validation of the enantiomeric impurity in the CDA. The majority of applications focus on amino acids, hydroxy acids, oxidized fatty acids and oxylipins. Some potential clinical applications are highlighted.

The glycosylation in SARS-CoV-2 and its receptor ACE2

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a highly infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected more than 235 million individuals and led to more than 4.8 million deaths worldwide as of October 5 2021. Cryo-electron microscopy and topology show that the SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes lots of highly glycosylated proteins, such as spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), and ORF3a proteins, which are responsible for host recognition, penetration, binding, recycling and pathogenesis. Here we reviewed the detections, substrates, biological functions of the glycosylation in SARS-CoV-2 proteins as well as the human receptor ACE2, and also summarized the approved and undergoing SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics associated with glycosylation. This review may not only broad the understanding of viral glycobiology, but also provide key clues for the development of new preventive and therapeutic methodologies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

Multiplexed analysis of amino acids in mice brain microdialysis samples using isobaric labeling and liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry

We developed a new multiplexed reversed phase liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method. The method is based on isobaric labeling with a tandem mass tag (TMT10-plex) and stable isotope-labeled internal standards, and was used to analyze amino acids in mouse brain microdialysis samples. The TMT10-plex labeling of amino acids allowed analysis of ten samples in one LC-MS/MS run, significantly increasing the sample throughput. The method provides good chromatographic performance (peak half-width between 0.04-0.12 min), allowing separation of all TMT-labeled amino acids with acceptable resolution and high sensitivity (limits of detection typically around 10 nM). The use of stable isotope-labeled internal standards, together with TMT10-plex labeling, ensured good repeatability (relative standard deviation ≤ 12.1 %) and linearity (correlation coefficient > 0.994), indicating good quantitative performance of the multiplexed method. The method was applied to study the effect of d-amphetamine microdialysis perfusion on amino acid concentrations in the mouse brain. All amino acids were reliably detected and quantified, indicating that the method is sensitive enough to detect low concentrations of amino acids in brain microdialysis samples.

Simple and Reproducible Derivatization with Benzoyl Chloride: Improvement of Sensitivity for Multiple Lipid Classes in RP-UHPLC/MS

The chemical derivatization of multiple lipid classes was developed using benzoyl chloride as a nonhazardous derivatization agent at ambient conditions. The derivatization procedure was optimized with standards for 4 nonpolar and 8 polar lipid classes and measured by reversed-phase ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The derivatization and nonderivatization approaches were compared on the basis of the calibration curves of 22 internal standards from 12 lipid classes. The new method decreased the limit of detection 9-fold for monoacylglycerols (0.9-1.0 nmol/mL), 6.5-fold for sphingoid base (0.2 nmol/mL), and 3-fold for diacylglycerols (0.9 nmol/mL). The sensitivity expressed by the ratio of calibration slopes was increased 2- to 10-fold for almost all investigated lipid classes and even more than 100-fold for monoacylglycerols. Moreover, the benzoylation reaction produces a more stable derivative of cholesterol in comparison to the easily in-source fragmented nonderivatized form and enabled the detection of fatty acids in a positive ion mode, which does not require polarity switching as for the nonderivatized form. The intralaboratory comparison with an additional operator without previous derivatization experiences shows the simplicity, robustness, and reproducibility. The stability of the derivatives was determined by periodical measurements during a one month period and five freeze/thaw cycles. The fully optimized derivatization method was applied to human plasma, which allows the detection of 169 lipid species from 11 lipid classes using the high confidence level of identification in reversed-phase (RP)-ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)/mass spectrometry (MS). Generally, we detected more lipid species for monoacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, and sphingoid bases in comparison with previously reported papers without the derivatization.

Progress and Challenges in Quantifying Carbonyl-Metabolomic Phenomes with LC-MS/MS

Carbonyl-containing metabolites widely exist in biological samples and have important physiological functions. Thus, accurate and sensitive quantitative analysis of carbonyl-containing metabolites is crucial to provide insight into metabolic pathways as well as disease mechanisms. Although reversed phase liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RPLC-ESI-MS) is widely used due to the powerful separation capability of RPLC and high specificity and sensitivity of MS, but it is often challenging to directly analyze carbonyl-containing metabolites using RPLC-ESI-MS due to the poor ionization efficiency of neutral carbonyl groups in ESI. Modification of carbonyl-containing metabolites by a chemical derivatization strategy can overcome the obstacle of sensitivity; however, it is insufficient to achieve accurate quantification due to instrument drift and matrix effects. The emergence of stable isotope-coded derivatization (ICD) provides a good solution to the problems encountered above. Thus, LC-MS methods that utilize ICD have been applied in metabolomics including quantitative targeted analysis and untargeted profiling analysis. In addition, ICD makes multiplex or multichannel submetabolome analysis possible, which not only reduces instrument running time but also avoids the variation of MS response. In this review, representative derivatization reagents and typical applications in absolute quantification and submetabolome profiling are discussed to highlight the superiority of the ICD strategy for detection of carbonyl-containing metabolites.

Putting the pieces together: mapping the O-glycoproteome

Protein glycosylation is the most diverse and omnipresent protein modification. Glycosylation provides glycoproteins with important structural and functional properties to facilitate critical biological processes. Despite the significance of protein glycosylation, the investigation of glycoproteome, especially O-linked glycoproteome, remains elusive due to the lack of a comprehensive methodology to conform with the diversity of O-linked glycoforms of O-linked glycoproteins. In recent years, mass spectrometry has become an indispensable tool for the characterization of O-linked glycosylated proteins across biological systems. We herein highlight the recent developments in MS-based O-linked glycoproteomic technologies, quantitative data acquisition strategy and bioinformatic tools, with a special focus on mucin-type O-linked glycosylation.

Preparation of core-shell microporous organic polymer-coated silica microspheres for chromatographic separation and N-glycopeptides enrichment

Through a "one-pot" strategy, a layer of microporous organic polymer was coated onto the surface of monodisperse amino-functionalized silica microsphere via amino-aldehyde condensation reaction with core-shell structure. The change in chemical structure of material before and after modification was determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Due to existence of a large number of amino and aldehyde groups in microporous organic polymer shell, the water contact angle decreased from 56.8° (silica microspheres) to 34.7° (microporous organic polymer-coated silica microspheres). Based on these properties, microporous organic polymer-coated silica microspheres were employed as the stationary phase for capillary liquid chromatography and successfully offered baseline separation of polar small molecules. Additionally, the material could also be served as the sorbent of hydrophilic interaction chromatography to enrich glycopeptides from human serum digest. A total of 470 unique N-glycopeptides and 342 N-glycosylation sites mapped to 112 N-glycosylated proteins were unambiguously identified from 2 μL of human serum, exhibiting a promising application prospect of microporous organic polymer-coated silica microspheres in the pretreatment of proteomics samples.

α-Active Pyrylium Salt 2,4,5-Triphenylpyrylium for Improved Mass Spectrometry-Based Detection of Peptides

Pyrylium salts are considered efficient chemical tags for amino groups. However, the apparent steric selectivity of pyrylium salts limits their application in the field of chemical labeling, especially during the labeling of sterically hindered compounds like amino acids, peptides, and proteins. Herein, we have investigated the effects of the α-substitution of pyrylium salts on their reactivity. We have also investigated the mechanism of nucleophilic reactions with pyrylium salts and further proposed that the reactivity of pyrylium salts mainly depends on the position and type of their substituents. A series of pyrylium salts were synthesized, and a highly active α-monosubstituted pyrylium salt, 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium, was developed for efficient chemical labeling. All of the 15 amino acids studied were efficiently labeled under optimized reaction conditions. The 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium salt was highly efficient in comparison to the previously reported 2,4,6-triphenylpyrylium salt developed for lysine-specific modifications. Furthermore, we successfully used 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium salt for the hydrophobic labeling of peptides and protein hydrolysates. The most striking observation was that the ionization efficiency of short-chain multilabeled peptides in mixed samples, after derivatization, increased by up to 60 times. The increase in ionization efficiency gradually decreased with increasing peptide chain length. During the "soft" collision-induced dissociation (CID) process, the peptide was tagged at the N-terminus with 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium, producing abundant a-type ions and b-type ions (Δ = 28), which eases the peptide resequencing process and assists in cracking the peptide codes. Moreover, 2,4,5-triphenylpyrylium has been utilized for the proteomic analysis of HeLa cell digests. In addition, 215 additional proteins were identified in the labeled products and the coverage of most proteins was improved.

Chemical Tagging Assisted Mass Spectrometry Analysis Enables Sensitive Determination of Phosphorylated Compounds in a Single Cell

Polar phosphorylated metabolites are involved in a variety of biological processes and play vital roles in energetic metabolism, cofactor regeneration, and nucleic acid synthesis. However, it is often challenging to interrogate polar phosphorylated metabolites and compounds from biological samples. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) now plays a central role in metabolomic studies. However, LC/MS-based approaches have been hampered by the issues of the low ionization efficiencies, low in vivo concentrations, and less chemical stability of polar phosphorylated metabolites. In this work, we synthesized paired reagents of light and heavy isotopomers, 2-(diazomethyl)phenyl)(9-methyl-1,3,4,9-tetrahydro-2H-pyrido[3,4-b]indol-2-yl)methanone (DMPI) and d₃-(2-(diazomethyl)phenyl)(9-methyl-1,3,4,9-tetrahydro-2H-pyrido[3,4-b]indol-2-yl)methanone (d₃-DMPI). The paired reagents of DMPI and d₃-DMPI carry diazo groups that can efficiently and selectively react with the phosphate group on polar phosphorylated metabolites under mild conditions. As a proof of concept, we found that the transfer of the indole heterocycle group from DMPI/d₃-DMPI to ribonucleotides led to the significant increase of ionization efficiencies of ribonucleotides during LC/MS analysis. The detection sensitivities of these ribonucleotides increased by 25-1137-fold upon DMPI tagging with the limits of detection (LODs) being between 7 and 150 amol. With the developed method, we achieved the determination of all the 12 ribonucleotides from a single mammalian cell and from a single stamen of Arabidopsis thaliana. The method provides a valuable tool to investigate the dynamic changes of polar phosphorylated metabolites in a single cell under particular conditions.

3D-Printed, Modular, and Parallelized Microfluidic System with Customizable Scaffold Integration to Investigate the Roles of Basement Membrane Topography on Endothelial Cells

Because dysfunctions of endothelial cells are involved in many pathologies, in vitro endothelial cell models for pathophysiological and pharmaceutical studies have been a valuable research tool. Although numerous microfluidic-based endothelial models have been reported, they had the cells cultured on a flat surface without considering the possible three-dimensional (3D) structure of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). Endothelial cells rest on the basement membrane in vivo, which contains an aligned microfibrous topography. To better understand and model the cells, it is necessary to know if and how the fibrous topography can affect endothelial functions. With conventional fully integrated microfluidic apparatus, it is difficult to include additional topographies in a microchannel. Therefore, we developed a modular microfluidic system by 3D-printing and electrospinning, which enabled easy integration and switching of desired ECM topographies. Also, with standardized designs, the system allowed for high flow rates up to 4000 μL/min, which encompassed the full shear stress range for endothelial studies. We found that the aligned fibrous topography on the ECM altered arginine metabolism in endothelial cells and thus increased nitric oxide production. There has not been an endothelial model like this, and the new knowledge generated thereby lays a groundwork for future endothelial research and modeling.

12-Plex UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of sarcosine in human urine using integrated principle of multiplex tags chemical isotope labeling and selective imprint enriching

Urinary sarcosine was considered to be a potential biomarker for prostate cancer (Pca). In this work, an integrated strategy of multiplex tags chemical isotope labeling (MTCIL) combined with magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction (MDSPE), was proposed for specific extraction and high-throughput determination of sarcosine by ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). In the past three months, we have developed 8-plex MTCIL reagents with excellent qualitative and quantitative performance. In this work, the multiplexing capacity of MTCIL reagents (MTCIL360/361/362/363/364/365/366/375/376/378/379/381) was increased 1.5-fold from 8-plex to 12-plex. MTCIL359 was prepared and used to label sarcosine standard as internal standard (IS). The structural analogue derivative (MTCIL373-sarcosine) of all targeted MTCIL-sarcosine derivatives was synthesized and used as a novel dummy template to prepare dummy magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (DMMIPs). The integration of MTCIL and DMMIPs procedures were extremely favorable to excellent chromatographic separation and efficient mass spectrometric detection. The labeling efficiency, chromatographic retention and mass spectrometry responses of MTCIL reagents were consistent for sarcosine. In a single UHPLC-MS/MS run (2.0 min), this method can simultaneously quantify sarcosine in 12-plex urine samples and achieve unbiased concentrations comparison between different urine samples. Analytical parameters including linearity (R² 0.989-0.997), detection limits (0.02 nM), precision (2.6-11.5%), accuracy (96.1-107.4%), matrix effect, labeling and extraction efficiency were carefully validated. The proposed method was successfully applied for urinary sarcosine determination of healthy male individuals and Pca patients. It was found that the sarcosine concentrations in these two groups were statistically extremely significantly different (P < 0.001). The developed method was a powerful analytical tool to substantially promote the analysis throughput and large-scale experiments about the potential biomarker research.

Options of the Main Derivatization Approaches for Analytical ESI and MALDI Mass Spectrometry

The inclusion of preliminary chemical labeling (derivatization) in the analysis process by such powerful and widespread methods as electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) is a popular and widely used methodological approach. This is due to the need to remove some fundamental limitations inherent in these powerful analytic methods. Although a number of special reviews has been published discussing the utilization of derivatization approaches, the purpose of the present critical review is to comprehensively summarize, characterize and evaluate most of the previously developed and practically applied, as well as recently proposed representative derivatization reagents for ESI-MS and MALDI-MS platforms in their mostly sensitive positive ion mode and frequently hyphenated with separation techniques. The review is focused on the use of preliminary chemical labeling to facilitate the detection, identification, structure elucidation, quantification, profiling or MS imaging of compounds within complex matrices. Two main derivatization approaches, namely the introduction of permanent charge-fixed or highly proton affinitive residues into analytes are critically evaluated. In situ charge-generation, charge-switch and charge-transfer derivatizations are considered separately. The potential of using reactive matrices in MALDI-MS and chemical labeling in MS-based omics sciences is given.

Time-Resolved Acetaldehyde-Based Accessibility Profiling Maps Ligand-Target Interactions

Elucidating ligand-protein interactions is important in understanding the biochemical machinery for given proteins. Previously, formaldehyde (FH)-based labeling has been employed to obtain such structural knowledge, since reactive residues that participate in ligand-target interactions display reduced accessibility to FH-labeling reagents, and thus can be identified by quantitative proteomics. Although being rapid and efficient for probing proteinaceous lysine accessibility, here, we report an acetaldehyde (AcH)-labeling approach that complements with FH for probing ligand-target interactions. AcH labeling examines lysine accessibility at a more moderate reaction speed and hence delivers a cleaner reaction when compared to that of FH. The subsequent application of AcH to label RNase A without and with ligands has assisted to assign lysines involved in ligand-RNase A binding by detecting the time-dependent changes in accessibility profiles. We further employed multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) to quantify these ligand-binding-responsive sites when a variety of potential ligands were queried. We noted that the time-resolved abundance changes of these peptides can sensitively determine the ligand-binding sites and differentiate binding affinities among these ligands, which was confirmed by native mass spectrometry (MS) and molecular docking. Lastly, we demonstrated that the binding sites can be recognized by monitoring the chemical accessibility of these responsive peptides in cell lysates. Together, we believe that the proposed combined use of AcH-based lysine accessibility profiling, native MS, and MRM screening is a powerful toolbox in characterizing ligand-target interactions, mapping topography, and interrogating affinities and holds promise for future applications in a complex cellular environment.

A Pragmatic Guide to Enrichment Strategies for Mass Spectrometry-Based Glycoproteomics

Glycosylation is a prevalent, yet heterogeneous modification with a broad range of implications in molecular biology. This heterogeneity precludes enrichment strategies that can be universally beneficial for all glycan classes. Thus, choice of enrichment strategy has profound implications on experimental outcomes. Here we review common enrichment strategies used in modern mass spectrometry-based glycoproteomic experiments, including lectins and other affinity chromatographies, hydrophilic interaction chromatography and its derivatives, porous graphitic carbon, reversible and irreversible chemical coupling strategies, and chemical biology tools that often leverage bioorthogonal handles. Interest in glycoproteomics continues to surge as mass spectrometry instrumentation and software improve, so this review aims to help equip researchers with the necessary information to choose appropriate enrichment strategies that best complement these efforts.

UHPLC-MS/MS profiling of histidine and bile acid metabolism in human gastric fluid for diagnosis of gastric diseases

Bile acids (BAs) are synthesized in the liver and can mediate homeostasis and various metabolism processes in the human body. Their levels in the gastrointestinal tract are closely related to various gastrointestinal diseases. In particular, farnesoid X receptor activated by free BAs is associated with overexpression of histidine decarboxylase in tumorigenesis. Therefore, comprehensive profiling of histamine (HIST), histidine (His), and BAs in biological samples can provide insight into the pathological mechanisms of gastrointestinal diseases. However, development of an analytical platform to profile HIST, His, and BAs in biological samples has several challenges such as highly different polarities between acidic and basic targets, low physiological concentrations of analytes, and high matrix interference of biological samples. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method combined with serial derivatization was developed to simultaneously determine HIST, His, and 5 BAs (cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid) in human gastric fluid. In serial derivatization, benzoyl chloride (BzCl) and N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (DMED) were used to selectively derivatize amino and carboxyl groups of analytes, respectively. After serial derivatization, all target derivatives were determined using a reverse-phase C18 LC column and positive multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, with reasonable chromatographic separation and sensitive MS detection. To accurately quantify target metabolites, 7 stable isotope-labeled internal standards were used. The MS/MS spectra of DMED and Bz derivatives exhibited specific fragments via loss of a neutral molecule (dimethylamine; 45 Da) and inductive cleavage (benzoyl; m/z 105) from protonated molecules, enabling selection of appropriate MRM transition ions for selective and sensitive detection. The developed method was validated with respect to limits of detection and quantification, linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, and matrix effect. The established method was successfully applied to human gastric fluid samples. This method provides reliable quantification of HIST, His, and BAs in human gastric fluid and will be helpful to understand pathophysiological mechanisms of gastric diseases.

Recent developments of novel matrices and on-tissue chemical derivatization reagents for MALDI-MSI

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) is a fast-growing technique for visualization of the spatial distribution of the small molecular and macromolecular biomolecules in tissue sections. Challenges in MALDI-MSI, such as poor sensitivity for some classes of molecules or limited specificity, for instance resulting from the presence of isobaric molecules or limited resolving power of the instrument, have encouraged the MSI scientific community to improve MALDI-MSI sample preparation workflows with innovations in chemistry. Recent developments of novel small organic MALDI matrices play a part in the improvement of image quality and the expansion of the application areas of MALDI-MSI. This includes rationally designed/synthesized as well as commercially available small organic molecules whose superior matrix properties in comparison with common matrices have only recently been discovered. Furthermore, on-tissue chemical derivatization (OTCD) processes get more focused attention, because of their advantages for localization of poorly ionizable metabolites and their‚ in several cases‚ more specific imaging of metabolites in tissue sections. This review will provide an overview about the latest developments of novel small organic matrices and on-tissue chemical derivatization reagents for MALDI-MSI.

Comprehensive plasma proteomic profiling reveals biomarkers for active tuberculosis

BACKGROUNDTuberculosis (TB) kills more people than any other infection, and new diagnostic tests to identify active cases are required. We aimed to discover and verify novel markers for TB in nondepleted plasma.METHODSWe applied an optimized quantitative proteomics discovery methodology based on multidimensional and orthogonal liquid chromatographic separation combined with high-resolution mass spectrometry to study nondepleted plasma of 11 patients with active TB compared with 10 healthy controls. Prioritized candidates were verified in independent UK (n = 118) and South African cohorts (n = 203).RESULTSWe generated the most comprehensive TB plasma proteome to date, profiling 5022 proteins spanning 11 orders-of-magnitude concentration range with diverse biochemical and molecular properties. We analyzed the predominantly low-molecular weight subproteome, identifying 46 proteins with significantly increased and 90 with decreased abundance (peptide FDR ≤ 1%, q ≤ 0.05). Verification was performed for novel candidate biomarkers (CFHR5, ILF2) in 2 independent cohorts. Receiver operating characteristics analyses using a 5-protein panel (CFHR5, LRG1, CRP, LBP, and SAA1) exhibited discriminatory power in distinguishing TB from other respiratory diseases (AUC = 0.81).CONCLUSIONWe report the most comprehensive TB plasma proteome to date, identifying novel markers with verification in 2 independent cohorts, leading to a 5-protein biosignature with potential to improve TB diagnosis. With further development, these biomarkers have potential as a diagnostic triage test.FUNDINGColciencias, Medical Research Council, Innovate UK, NIHR, Academy of Medical Sciences, Program for Advanced Research Capacities for AIDS, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research.

Microfibrous Extracellular Matrix Changes the Liver Hepatocyte Energy Metabolism via Integrins

Cell line-based liver models are critical tools for liver-related studies. However, the conventional monolayer culture of hepatocytes, the most widely used in vitro model, does not have the extracellular matrix (ECM), which contributes to the three-dimensional (3D) arrangement of the hepatocytes in the liver. As a result, the metabolic properties of the hepatocytes in the monolayer tissue culture may not accurately reflect those of the hepatocytes in the liver. Here, we developed a modular platform for 3D hepatocyte cultures on fibrous ECMs produced by electrospinning, a technique that can turn a polymer solution to the micro/nanofibers and has been widely used to produce scaffolds for 3D cell cultures. Metabolomics quantitation by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) indicated that Huh7 hepatocytes grown in microfibers electrospun from silk fibroin exhibited reduced glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, as compared to the cells cultured as a monolayer. Further mechanistic studies suggested that integrins were correlated to the ECM's effects. This is the first time to report how an ECM scaffold could affect the fundamental metabolism of the hepatocytes via integrins.

One-Pot Derivatization for Wide-Scope Detection of Nucleobases and Deoxyribosides in Natural Medicinal Foods with Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A new chemical labeling-based LC-MS/MS approach was developed for quantitative profiling of nine canonical bases and deoxynucleosides (dNs) in natural products. Using 2-bromo-1-(4-dimethylamino-phenyl)-ethaone (BrDPE) as the tagging reagent, a previously unexploited N-alkylpyrimidine derivative (Nad) was created for one-pot labeling of widescope nucleobases via a flexible bromophilic substitution under mild conditions. The derivatization notably improved the LC-MS detection sensitivity by 31-107 fold, enabling a fast dilute-and-shoot analysis of highly diluted samples. The optimized and validated method demonstrated satisfactory accuracy (87-107%), precision (RSDs < 7.5%), and recovery (89-105%) for matrix-matched standard addition. The method was applied to simultaneously determine all target analytes and four uncanonical analogues and base-modified species in seven traditional health foods, which differ in contents by up to 600-fold for discrimination among samples. Further, the base-labeled Nads exhibit a unique fragmentation signature that could be used for untargeted screening of nucleobase-containing metabolites by simplified LC-MS/MS workflow to improve quality evaluation of natural medicinal products.

13-Plex UHPLC-MS/MS Analysis of Hexanal and Heptanal Using Multiplex Tags Chemical Isotope Labeling Technology

In this work, a new series of chemical isotope labeling reagents, levofloxacin-hydrazide-based mass tags (LHMTs) named as LHMT359/360/361/362/363/364/365/366/373/375/376/378/379/381 were first designed and synthesized for the high-throughput analysis of potential biomarkers containing hexanal and heptanal of lung cancer. We exploited a new core structure of levofloxacin-d₃, which significantly enhanced the multiplexing capability. Among them, LHMT359 was used for labeling standard compounds as internal standards for quantification. Using LHMT373-heptanal as dummy template, dummy magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (DMMIPs) were prepared for magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction after derivatization procedure. Other 12 LHMTs were established for high-throughput labeling hexanal and heptanal in human serum samples. The presynthesized DMMIPs can selectively extract LHMTs-derivatives of hexanal and heptanal from equally mixed derivatization solutions. The enriched derivatives of hexanal and heptanal were quantified by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). A single UHPLC-MS/MS run enabled simultaneously quantifying hexanal and heptanal from 12 serum samples only within 2 min. The limits of detection were all 0.5 pM for hexanal and heptanal. The accuracies from human serum samples ranged from -10.2% to +11.0% with the intra- and interday precisions less than 11.3%. Meanwhile, this method was successfully applied for the analysis of hexanal and heptanal in serum samples from healthy people and lung cancer patients. The results show that this method has the significant advantages of high sensitivity, accuracy, selectivity, and analysis-throughput. The method application indicates that the developed method is promising in the screening of suspected lung cancer patients.

Accelerating Electrochemical Reactions in a Voltage-Controlled Interfacial Microreactor

Microdroplet chemistry is attracting increasing attention for accelerated reactions at the solution-air interface. We report herein a voltage-controlled interfacial microreactor that enables acceleration of electrochemical reactions which are not observed in bulk or conventional electrochemical cells. The microreactor is formed at the interface of the Taylor cone in an electrospray emitter with a large orifice, thus allowing continuous contact of the electrode and the reactants at/near the interface. As a proof-of-concept, electrooxidative C-H/N-H coupling and electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol were shown to be accelerated by more than an order of magnitude as compared to the corresponding bulk reactions. The new electrochemical microreactor has unique features that allow i) voltage-controlled acceleration of electrochemical reactions by voltage-dependent formation of the interfacial microreactor; ii) "reversible" electrochemical derivatization; and iii) in situ mechanistic study and capture of key radical intermediates when coupled with mass spectrometry.