Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026
16:11
Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 8, 2022
2.8K
Evaluating lipid mediator structural complexity using ion mobility spectrometry combined with mass spectrometry
Jennifer E Kyle1, Noor Aly1, Xueyun Zheng1
1Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA.
Bioanalysis
|March 2, 2018
Summary
Ion mobility spectrometry coupled with mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) enhances lipid mediator (LM) analysis. This technique improves the identification and characterization of LMs in complex biological samples, overcoming limitations of traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Lipidomics
Background:
- Lipid mediators (LMs) are crucial bioactive molecules involved in cell communication and disease.
- Conventional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) struggles to differentiate LM isomers due to similar fragmentation spectra and LC separations.
- Accurate LM identification is essential for understanding their role in various physiological and pathological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize lipid mediators (LMs) using ion mobility spectrometry coupled with mass spectrometry (IMS-MS).
- To evaluate the utility of IMS-MS for distinguishing LM isomers and identifying novel species.
- To apply LC-IMS-MS for analyzing LMs in complex biological matrices, such as infected mouse tissues.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of LMs using a combination of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry (IMS-MS).
- Analysis of collision cross-sections and m/z values to establish distinct trend lines for different LM structural classes.
- Application of multidimensional LC-IMS-MS to analyze LMs in influenza-infected mouse tissue samples.
Main Results:
- IMS-MS analysis revealed distinct trend lines based on collision cross-sections and m/z values, differentiating LM structures.
- Sodiated LMs derived from docosahexaenoic acid exhibited smaller collision cross-section values relative to m/z compared to those from linoleic acid.
- LC-IMS-MS successfully identified known LMs and detected novel LM species in influenza-infected mouse tissues.
Conclusions:
- Integrating IMS separations with conventional LC-MS significantly enhances the identification and characterization of LMs.
- IMS-MS provides a powerful tool for resolving isomeric complexities in LM analysis.
- This approach is highly valuable for studying LMs in complex biological samples, aiding in disease research.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis
1.9K
Mass spectrometry is an important technique for the identification of pure compounds. However, it has some limitations for the analysis of complex mixtures, often due to excessive fragmentation making the spectrum too complicated to decipher. Mass spectrometry can be combined with suitable separation methods in sequence, forming hyphenated methods, which are useful in the analysis of complex mixtures.
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...
1.9K
01:19Mass Spectrometry: Overview
9.0K
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used to determine the molecular mass and molecular formula of a compound. The basic principle of mass spectrometry is to generate ions from the analyte molecule and measure these ion abundances against their molecular mass. One common type of ionization, known as electron ionization or EI, bombards the analyte molecules in the gas phase with high-energy electron beams. The electron beams displace an electron from the molecule and leave behind a...
9.0K
01:21Tandem Mass Spectrometry
2.6K
Tandem mass spectrometry is a technique that uses multiple mass analyzers in series to obtain a higher selectivity and reduce chemical noise during analyte detection. Instruments with multiple analyzers separated by an interaction cell enable secondary fragmentation and selected study of the fragment ions.Secondary fragmentations occur in the interaction cell and can be induced by various factors. Fragmentation induced by collision with inert gases, such as N2, Ar, He, etc., is called...
2.6K
01:15Mass Spectrometry of Amines
5.4K
In mass spectroscopy, amines undergo fragmentation to give parent ions with odd molecule weights. This observed mass spectrum follows the nitrogen rule; a molecule with an odd number of nitrogen atoms produces a molecular ion with an odd molecular weight. Amines undergo fragmentation through α cleavage, producing nitrogen-containing cations—iminium ions—and alkyl radicals. Mass spectra of aromatic and cyclic aliphatic amines exhibit strong molecular ion peaks, but acyclic...
5.4K
01:13Mass Spectrometry: Isotope Effect
4.4K
Most elements exist in nature as a mixture of isotopes. The isotopes differ in weight due to their respective number of neutrons. The molecular weight of a molecule is different depending on the specific isotope of its elements involved. As a result, the mass spectrum of the molecule exhibits peaks from the same fragment at multiple positions. The positions of these mass signals depend on the mass differences between isotopes. Furthermore, the intensity of these signals is dependent on the...
4.4K
01:21Chemical Ionization (CI) Mass Spectrometry
1.6K
The molecular ion peak of a molecule in the mass spectrum provides vital information for molecular identification. However, conventional electron impact ionization can lead to the rapid dissociation of some molecular ions before they reach the detector. A milder ionization method is required to increase the lifetime of such ionized analyte molecules. Chemical ionization (CI) is a gas-phase protonation reaction useful for mass-analyzing analyte molecules that are easily protonated to yield the...
1.6K