title: Intact cell mass spectrometry as a rapid and specific tool for the differentiation of toxic effects in cell-based ecotoxicological test systems.
abstract: In the last few decades, MALDI-TOF MS has become a useful technique not only in proteomics, but also as a fast and specific tool for whole cell analysis through intact cell mass spectrometry (IC-MS). The present study evaluated IC-MS as a novel tool for the detection of distinct patterns that can be observed after exposure to a certain toxin or concentration by utilizing the eukaryotic fish cell line RTL-W1. Two different viability assays were performed to define the range for IC-MS investigations, each of which employing copper sulfate, acridine, and β-naphthoflavone (BNF) as model compounds for several classes of environmental toxins. The IC-MS of RTL-W1 cells revealed not only specific spectral patterns for the various toxins, but also that the concentration used had an effect on RTL-W1 profiles. After the exposure with copper sulfate and acridine, the spectra of RTL-W1 showed a significant increase of certain peaks in the higher mass range (m/z >7000), which is probably attributed to the apoptosis of RTL-W1. On the contrary, exposure to BNF showed a distinct change of ion abundances only in the lower mass range (m/z <7000). Furthermore, a set of mass peaks could be identified as a specific biomarker for a single toxin treatment, so IC-MS demonstrates a new method for the distinction of toxic effects in fish cells. Due to fast sample preparation and high throughput, IC-MS offers great potential for ecotoxicological studies to investigate cellular effects of different substances and complex environmental samples.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology and Functional Genomics, Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, Hochschulring 1, 15745, Wildau, Germany.
authors.forename: Sascha Liane
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kober
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Henriette
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meyer-Alert
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology and Functional Genomics, Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, Hochschulring 1, 15745, Wildau, Germany.
authors.forename: Desirée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grienitz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056, Aachen, Germany.|Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.|College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China.|School of Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Ave., Nanjing, 210023, China.
authors.forename: Henner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hollert
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology and Functional Genomics, Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, Hochschulring 1, 15745, Wildau, Germany. marcus.frohme@th-wildau.de.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frohme
mesh_terms: D000166:Acridines / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D019327:Copper Sulfate / Q000633:toxicity*; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods; D005399:Fishes; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D019324:beta-Naphthoflavone / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000166:Acridines; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D019324:beta-Naphthoflavone; D019327:Copper Sulfate
keywords: Acridine; Copper sulfate; Intact cell mass spectrometry; MALDI; RTL-W1; β-Naphthoflavone