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Title: Uncovering biologically significant lipid isomers with liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry and mass spectrometry

Journal Article · · Analyst
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C5AN02062J· OSTI ID:1243186

Understanding how biological molecules are generated, metabolized and eliminated in living systems is important for interpreting processes such as immune response and disease pathology. While genomic and proteomic studies have provided vast amounts of information over the last several decades, interest in lipidomics has also grown due to improved analytical technologies revealing altered lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes, cancer, and lipid storage disease. Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS) measurements are currently the dominant approach for characterizing the lipidome by providing detailed information on the spatial and temporal composition of lipids. However, interpreting lipids’ biological roles is challenging due to the existence of numerous structural and stereoisomers (i.e. distinct acyl chain and double-bond positions), which are unresolvable using present LC-MS approaches. Here we show that combining structurally-based ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) with LC-MS measurements distinguishes lipid isomers and allows insight into biological and disease processes.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1243186
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-111991; 48680; 453040220
Journal Information:
Analyst, Vol. 141, Issue 5; ISSN 0003-2654
Publisher:
Royal Society of Chemistry
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English