Mapping of phospholipids by MALDI imaging (MALDI-MSI): realities and expectations.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) has emerged as a novel powerful MS methodology that has the ability to generate both molecular and spatial information within a tissue section. Application of this technology as a new type of biochemical lipid microscopy may lead to new discoveries of the lipid metabolism and biomarkers associated with area-specific alterations or damage under stress/disease conditions such as traumatic brain injury or acute lung injury, among others. However there are limitations in the range of what it can detect as compared with liquid chromatography-MS (LC-MS) of a lipid extract from a tissue section. The goal of the current work was to critically consider remarkable new opportunities along with the limitations and approaches for further improvements of MALDI-MSI. Based on our experimental data and assessments, improvements of the spectral and spatial resolution, sensitivity and specificity towards low abundance species of lipids are proposed. This is followed by a review of the current literature, including methodologies that other laboratories have used to overcome these challenges.
Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. ljs39@pitt.edu
Louis J
LJ
Sparvero
Andrew A
AA
Amoscato
C Edward
CE
Dixon
Joseph B
JB
Long
Patrick M
PM
Kochanek
Bruce R
BR
Pitt
Hülya
H
Bayir
Valerian E
VE
Kagan
D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*
D010743:Phospholipids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids