In situ Pressure Probe Sampling and UV-MALDI MS Metabolite Profiling of Living Single Cells

YOUSEF GHOLIPOUR; HIROSHI NONAMI; ERRA BALSELLS, ROSA

Jouranl of the MAss Spectrometry Society of Japan

International Academic Printing Co. Ltd.

Lugar: Tokyo; Año: 2012 vol. 60 p. 1 - 11

1340-8097

In this work we describe the joint application of a cell pressure probe and a UV-matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (UV-MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer which have been used for picoliter sampling and shotgun metabolite profiling of in situ living single cells of plants. In addition to quantifiable sampling, pressure probe has some unique features which differentiate it from other single-cell analytical tools. Cell wall and plasma membrane properties and water relations of in situ living single cells can be analyzed before sampling the cell sap. In addition, the fully-controlled sampling of cells located at different depth of plant tissues, the sample volume measurement, and the addition of internal standards are facilitated by pressure probe. With different organic compounds and nanoparticles as UV-MALDI matrix, metabolites from neutral carbohydrates to amino acids and other metabolites can be detected through UV-MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analyses of picoliter single-cell samples. Keywords: plant cell, metabolomics, single-cell metabolome, shotgun metabolite profiling, nanoparticles