title: Rapid and simple UPLC-MS/MS method for precise phytochelatin quantification in alga extracts.
abstract: Quantitative phytochelatin (PC) analysis is, due to oxidation sensitivity of the PCs, matrix effects, and time consuming sample preparation, still a challenging analytical task. In this study, a rapid, simple, and sensitive method for precise determination of native PCs in crude extracts of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was developed. Algae were exposed 48 h to 70 μM Cd. Coupling of ultra performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with multi-reaction mode transitions for detection permitted the required short-time, high-resolution separation and detection specificity. Thus, under optimized chromatographic conditions, 10 thiol peptides were baseline-separated within 7 min. Relative detection limits in the nanomolar range in microliter sample volumes were achieved (corresponding to absolute detection limits at femtomole level). Next to glutathione (GSH), the most abundant cadmium-induced PCs in C. reinhardtii, namely CysGSH, PC(2), PC(3), CysPC(2), and CysPC(3), were quantified with high reproducibility at concentrations between 15 and 198 nmol g(-1) fresh weight. The biological variation of PC synthesis of nine independently grown alga cultures was determined to be on average 13.7%.
authors.affiliation: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Biochemie und Biotechnologie, Ökologische und Pflanzen-Biochemie, Kurt-Mothes-Straße 3, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany. anja.braeutigam@biochemtech.uni-halle.de
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bräutigam
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wesenberg
authors.forename: Hugues
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Preud'homme
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schaumlöffel
mesh_terms: D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D054811:Phytochelatins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D054811:Phytochelatins