Visualization of lipids in cottonseeds by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging

Bingbing Liu; Xuanlin Meng; Kun Li; Jinggong Guo; Zongwei Cai

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121614

Visualization of lipids in cottonseeds by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging

Talanta. 2021 Jan 1:221:121614. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121614. Epub 2020 Sep 3.

Authors

Bingbing Liu¹, Xuanlin Meng², Kun Li³, Jinggong Guo³, Zongwei Cai⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
² College of Plant Protection, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271000, China.
³ Henan International Joint Laboratory of Crop Adversity Multi-omics, Institute of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, 85 Minglun Street, Kaifeng, 475001, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address: zwcai@hkbu.edu.hk.

PMID: 33076144
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121614

Abstract

The cotton plant is an essential crop cultivated globally for its fiber and seeds. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) was used to study the spatial distribution patterns of lipids in cottonseeds. 448 lipid ions were identified by LC-MS/MS, and 24 of which were precisely visualized by using MALDI-MSI. The lipids, including phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) and triacylglycerols (TG) showed heterogeneous distribution patterns within the cotyledonary and radicle tissues. Additionally, the roles these lipids played in the metabolic pathways were analyzed, and relationship of the spatial distribution of LPC (lysophosphatidylcholine) and corresponding PC was studied. The unique distribution patterns of these lipid metabolites revealed by MSI can provide new insights into areas relating to the spatial compartmentation of lipid metabolism in plants. We believe that the results of MSI, if combined with transcriptomics and proteomics, may offer significant help in genetic engineering work.

Keywords: Cottonseed; LC-MS/MS; Lipids; MALDI-MSI; Spatial distribution.

MeSH terms

Chromatography, Liquid
Cottonseed Oil*
Lasers
Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
Tandem Mass Spectrometry*

Substances

Cottonseed Oil