Mediator lipidomics: search algorithms for eicosanoids, resolvins, and protectins

Area of Science:

• Lipidomics
• Bioinformatics
• Mass Spectrometry

Background:

• Lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid, such as prostaglandins, are crucial in health and disease.
• Essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are precursors to potent bioactive mediators like resolvins and protectins.
• Molecular evidence for the beneficial actions of omega-3 fatty acids has been limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review databases and search algorithms for identifying novel lipid mediators.
• To present the development of Cognoscitive-contrast-angle algorithms and databases (COCAD) for lipid mediator identification.
• To demonstrate the utility of COCAD in profiling and identifying bioactive lipid mediators and their pathways.

Main Methods:

• Utilized liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-UV-MS/MS) for lipid mediator analysis.
• Developed and applied Cognoscitive-contrast-angle algorithms and databases (COCAD).
• Employed systematic naming and empirical fragmentation rules for MS/MS ion identification.

Main Results:

• Successfully identified eicosanoids, resolvins, and protectins in human and murine tissues.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of COCAD in profiling and identifying novel lipid mediators.
• Showcased the ability of COCAD to document the activation of lipid mediator biosynthetic pathways.

Conclusions:

• COCAD offers significant advantages for the profiling and identification of bioactive lipid mediators.
• This approach facilitates the documentation of lipid mediator pathway activation.
• Establishes a framework for understanding the relationships between lipid mediator pathways and biological system components.