title: Mass spectrometry imaging of amino neurotransmitters: a comparison of derivatization methods and application in mouse brain tissue.
abstract: The detection of small polar compounds such as amino neurotransmitters by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging has been hindered by low-detection sensitivity and background interferences. Recently, several of on-tissue chemical derivatization strategies have been independently reported that enable their detection. Here, we present a comparison between these methods, and demonstrate the visualization of the distributions of up to 23 amino metabolites in tissue. We applied this methodology to detect alterations of these compounds after inducing an experimental cortical spreading depression in mouse brain, which causes profound transient alterations in key neurotransmitters in one hemisphere and is relevant for migraine and various other neurological disorders.
authors.affiliation: Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Esteve
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Else A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tolner
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Reinald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shyti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands ; Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arn M J M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van den Maagdenberg
authors.affiliation: Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands ; Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Liam A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McDonnell
keywords: Amino acids; Chemical derivatization; Mass spectrometry imaging; Mouse brain; Neurotransmitters