New Frontier in Mass Spectrometry Imaging for Metabolomics and Lipidomics

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Metabolomic Profiling Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 6127

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Interests: mass spectrometry imaging; metabolomics; target and nontarget analysis
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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Interests: food metabolomics; fermented food; fermentation; fermentation microorganisms; flavor; food secondary function; sensory evaluation; food ternary function; health-promoting function; nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the first report in 1997, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has been applied in various fields, including medicine and basic biology, due to the development of techniques for sample preparation, analysis, and informatics for data processing; it is no exaggeration to say that it has become one of the main fields of molecular imaging. This Special Issue provides an overview of current MSI, including basic and applied research on sample preparation methods for MSI in metabolomics and lipidomics and new measurement methods using state-of-the-art instruments. Therefore, it will cover applied studies conducting MSI on various samples such as human, animal, and cultured cells, as well as bacteria; this can be in the context of, but is not limited to, the application of metabolomics and lipidomics methods in medicine or biotechnology, data mining methods based on nontargeted analytical data, and high-sensitivity quantitative methods in MSI. Manuscripts addressing other relevant and challenging problems are also strongly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Shuichi Shimma
Prof. Dr. Eiichiro Fukusaki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • metabolomics
  • lipidomics
  • medical and biological applications
  • sample preparation
  • target analysis
  • nontarget analysis
  • data mining

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 8988 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Metabolite Distribution in Rat Liver of High-Fat Model by Mass Spectrometry Imaging
by Hongmei Mao, Wenjun Wang, Xuesong Xiang, Yan Li, Jinpeng Zhao, Yin Huang, Shuangshuang Di, Qin Zhuo and Honggang Nie
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030411 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1570
Abstract
Hyperlipidemia is a medical condition characterized by elevated levels of blood lipids, especially triglycerides (TG). However, it remains unclear whether TG levels remain consistently elevated throughout the entire developmental stage of the high-lipid state. In our animal experiment, we found that TG levels [...] Read more.
Hyperlipidemia is a medical condition characterized by elevated levels of blood lipids, especially triglycerides (TG). However, it remains unclear whether TG levels remain consistently elevated throughout the entire developmental stage of the high-lipid state. In our animal experiment, we found that TG levels were significantly higher in the early stage of the high-lipid model but significantly decreased at the 14th week of the late stage, reaching levels similar to those of the control group. This suggests that TG levels in the high-lipid model are not always higher than those of the control group. To determine the reason for this observation, we used in situ mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to detect the distribution of metabolites in the liver of rats. The metabolite distribution of the control rats at different stages was significantly different from that of the model rats, and the high-lipid model differed significantly from the control rats. We identified nine functional metabolites that showed differences throughout the period, namely, PA(20:3-OH/i-21:0), PA(20:4-OH/22:6), PG(20:5-OH/i-16:0), PG(22:6-2OH/i-13:0), PG(O-18:0/20:4), PGP(18:3-OH/i-12:0), PGP(PGJ2/i-15:0), SM(d18:0/18:1-2OH), and TG(14:0/14:0/16:0), among which TG was most significantly correlated with hyperlipidemia and high lipid. This study is unique in that it used MSI to reveal the changes in metabolites in situ, showing the distribution of different metabolites or the same metabolite in liver tissue. The findings highlight the importance of considering the animal’s age when using TG as a biomarker for hyperlipidemia. Additionally, the MSI images of the liver in the high-lipid model clearly indicated the distribution and differences of more significant metabolites, providing valuable data for further research into new biomarkers and mechanisms of hyperlipidemia. This new pathway of in situ, visualized, and data-rich metabolomics research provides a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of high lipid and its implications for disease prevention and treatment. Full article
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10 pages, 3518 KiB  
Article
Visualization of Glutamate Decarboxylase Activity in Barley Seeds under Salinity Stress Using Mass Microscope
by Soichiro Ikuta, Eiichiro Fukusaki and Shuichi Shimma
Metabolites 2022, 12(12), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12121262 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1291
Abstract
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulates in plants in response to environmental stresses. The activity levels of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), an enzyme involved in GABA biosynthesis, are reported to increase during germination under salinity stress. However, it is not clear which tissues of the plant [...] Read more.
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulates in plants in response to environmental stresses. The activity levels of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), an enzyme involved in GABA biosynthesis, are reported to increase during germination under salinity stress. However, it is not clear which tissues of the plant seeds are affected by GAD activity in response to salinity stress. In this study, the effects of salinity stress on the distribution of barley seeds GAD activity during germination were investigated. The mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) method was optimized, and the distribution of GAD activity in germinated seeds exposed to salinity stress at different germination stages from 12 to 48 h after imbibition was investigated. In this study, MSI was successfully applied to enzyme histochemistry to visualize the relative GAD activity in germinating barley seeds for the first time. The salinity stress increased the GAD activity, mostly due to the increase in relative GAD activity in the embryo. Higher GAD activity was detected in seeds exposed to salinity stress in the scutellum or aleurone layer, which are difficult to separate for extraction. This method can be used to clarify the role of GABA shunts, including GAD enzyme responses, in barley seeds under stress. Full article
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9 pages, 2194 KiB  
Article
MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging Reveals the Existence of an N-Acyl-homoserine Lactone Quorum Sensing System in Pseudomonas putida Biofilms
by Rattanaburi Pitchapa, Sivamoke Dissook, Sastia Prama Putri, Eiichiro Fukusaki and Shuichi Shimma
Metabolites 2022, 12(11), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12111148 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1906
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is generally used to describe the process involving the release and recognition of signaling molecules, such as N-acyl-homoserine lactones, by bacteria to coordinate their response to population density and biofilm development. However, detailed information on the heterogeneity of QS [...] Read more.
Quorum sensing (QS) is generally used to describe the process involving the release and recognition of signaling molecules, such as N-acyl-homoserine lactones, by bacteria to coordinate their response to population density and biofilm development. However, detailed information on the heterogeneity of QS metabolites in biofilms remains largely unknown. Here, we describe the utilization of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to follow the production of specific metabolites, including QS metabolites, during Pseudomonas putida biofilm development. To do so, a method to grow an agar-based biofilm was first established, and MALDI-MSI was used to detect and visualize the distribution of QS metabolites in biofilms at different cultivation times. This study demonstrated that N-acyl-homoserine lactones are homogeneously produced in the early stages of P. putida biofilm formation. In contrast, the spatial distribution of quinolones and pyochelin correlated with the swarming motility of P. putida in mature biofilms. These two metabolites are involved in the production of extracellular polymeric substances and iron chelators. Our study thus contributes to establishing the specific temporal regulation and spatial distribution of N-acyl-homoserine lactone-related metabolites and quinolone and pyochelin in P. putida biofilms. Full article
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