Imaging regiospecific lipid turnover in mouse brain with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Compartmentalization of metabolism into specific regions of the cell, tissue, and organ is critical to life for all organisms. Mass spectrometric imaging techniques have been valuable in identifying and quantifying concentrations of metabolites in specific locations of cells and tissues, but a true understanding of metabolism requires measurement of metabolite flux on a spatially resolved basis. Here, we utilize desorption ESI-MS (DESI-MS) to measure lipid turnover in the brains of mice. We show that anatomically distinct regions of the brain have distinct lipid turnover rates. These turnover measurements, in conjunction with relative concentration, will enable calculation of regiospecific synthesis rates for individual lipid species in vivo. Monitoring spatially dependent changes in metabolism has the potential to significantly facilitate research in many areas, such as brain development, cancer, and neurodegeneration.