Compartmentalized Arrays of Matrix Droplets for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Adsorbed Peptides

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) provides information on the identification and spatial distribution of biomolecules. Quantitative analysis, however, has been challenging largely due to heterogeneity in both the size of the matrix crystals and the extraction area. In this work, we present a compartmentalized elastomeric stamp for quantitative MALDI-MSI of adsorbed peptides. Filling the compartments with matrix solution and stamping onto a planar substrate extract and concentrate analytes adsorbed in each compartment into a single analyte-matrix cocrystal over the entire stamped area. Walls between compartments help preserve spatial information on the adsorbates. The mass intensity of the cocrystals directly correlates with the surface coverage of analytes, which enables not only quantitative analysis but estimation of an equilibrium constant for the adsorption. We demonstrate via MALDI-MSI relative quantitation of peptides adsorbed along a microchannel with varying surface coverages.