Top-down Metabolomic Approaches for Nitrogen-Containing Metabolites

Anal Chem. 2017 Mar 7;89(5):2698-2703. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04163. Epub 2017 Feb 22.

Abstract

Streamlining the processes that reveal heteroatom-containing metabolites and their biosynthetic genes is essential in integrated metabolomics studies. These metabolites are especially targeted for their potential pharmaceutical activities. By using a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) instrument, we provide top-down targeted metabolomic analyses using ultrahigh-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), and high-resolution imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) with 15N labeling of nitrogen-containing metabolites. In this study, we efficiently extract known and unknown chemicals and spatial information from the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus, which sources several cancer drugs. The ultrahigh-resolution LC-MS analysis showed that the molecular formula of 65 N-metabolites were identified using the petals, peduncles, leaves, petioles, stems, and roots of the non- and 15N-labeled Catharanthus plants. The high resolution MALDI analysis showed the molecular formula of 64 N-metabolites using the petals, leaves, and stems of the non- and 15N-labeled Catharanthus. The chemical assignments using molecular formulas stored in databases identified known and unknown metabolites. The comparative analyses using the assigned metabolites revealed that most of the organ-specific ions are derived from unknown N-metabolites. The high-resolution IMS analysis characterized the spatial accumulation patterns of 32 N-metabolites using the buds, leaves, stems, and roots in Catharanthus. The comparative analysis using the non- and 15N-labeled IMS data showed the same spatial accumulation patterns of a non- and 15N-labeled metabolite in the organs, showing that top-down analysis can be performed even in IMS analysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / metabolism
  • Catharanthus / chemistry
  • Catharanthus / metabolism
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Metabolome
  • Metabolomics*
  • Nitrogen / chemistry
  • Nitrogen / metabolism*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plant Stems / chemistry
  • Plant Stems / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Nitrogen