title: Characterisation of sphingolipids in the human lens by thin layer chromatography-desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.
abstract: The lipidome of the human lens is unique in that cholesterol and dihydrosphingomyelin are the dominant classes. Moreover, the lens lipidome is not static with dramatic changes in several sphingolipid classes associated with both aging and cataract. Accordingly, there is a clear need to expand knowledge of the molecular species that constitute the human lens sphingolipidome. In this study, human lens lipids have been extracted and separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Direct analysis of the TLC plates by desorption electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) allowed the detection over 30 species from 11 classes of sphingolipids. Significantly, novel classes of lens lipids including sulfatides, dihydrosulfatides, lactosylceramide sulfates and dihydrolactosylceramide sulfates were identified.
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Seng
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Shane R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Alan T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Maccarone
authors.affiliation: Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Roger J W
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Truscott
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. Electronic address: stephen.blanksby@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Blanksby
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. Electronic address: toddm@uow.edu.au.
authors.forename: Todd W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013107:Sphingolipids; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Glycosphingolipids; Human lens; Lactosylceramide sulfates; Lipidomics; Mass spectrometry; Sulfatides