Methodological Approaches for Extraction, Chromatographic and Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Lipids

Lipids are a diverse class of molecules that mediate numerous structural and functional properties of cells, including trafficking, regulation of membrane proteins, and subcellular compartmentalization. They are the main constituents of biological membranes and mediate transmembrane signaling and structural dynamics. The chemical and structural complexity of lipids makes analysis using a single experimental approach challenging. As such, multiple techniques are used to extract, separate, detect, and quantify lipids, which depend on the specific lipid species and the model being studied. Lipidomics can advance our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms by which lipid-lipid and/or lipid-protein interactions mediate cell growth and death, as well as disease, and provide valuable information for the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. This review provides an overview of essential methods for the examination of lipids, including extraction methods, chromatographic techniques, and approaches for mass spectrometric analysis. It presents the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used extraction approaches, separation techniques, and mass spectrometry analysis. It emphasizes the need for further standardization of protocols to allow integration of data derived from different platforms. Finally, it discusses the existing opportunities in the field, especially with regard to mass spectrometry imaging and single cell analysis.