Nanoscale Three-Dimensional Imaging of Drug Distributions in Single Cells via Laser Desorption Post-Ionization Mass Spectrometry

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Dec 29;143(51):21648-21656. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c10081. Epub 2021 Dec 16.

Abstract

Exploring the three-dimensional (3D) drug distribution within a single cell at nanoscale resolution with mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) techniques is crucial in cellular biology, yet it remains a great challenge due to limited lateral resolution, detection sensitivities, and reconstruction problems. Herein, a microlensed fiber laser desorption post-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MLF-LDPI-TOFMS) was developed for the 3D imaging of two anticancer drugs within single cells at a 500 × 500 × 500 nm3 voxel resolution. Nanoscale desorption was obtained with a microlensed fiber (MLF), and a 157 nm post-ionization laser was introduced to enhance the ionization yield. Furthermore, a new type of alignment method for 3D reconstruction was developed on the basis of our embedded uniform circular polystyrene microspheres (PMs). Our findings demonstrate that this 3D imaging technique has the potential to provide information about the 3D distributions of specific molecules at the nanoscale level.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Methylene Blue / chemistry
  • Microspheres
  • Nanotechnology*
  • Polystyrenes
  • Proflavine / chemistry
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Polystyrenes
  • Proflavine
  • Methylene Blue