TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification of molecular species of glycerophospholipids and sphingomyelin using electrospray mass spectrometry
AU - Kerwin, J. L.
AU - Tuininga, A. R.
AU - Ericsson, L. H.
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - This paper describes the use of positive and negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/MS (tandem mass spectrometry) to identify glycerophospholipid and ceramide headgroups and their alkyl, alkenyl and acyl constituents. Molecular ion adducts were the primary products formed by positive ionization, occurring as [M + H]+, [M + Na]+, [M + K]+, [M + formate]+, or [M + acetate]+, depending upon the class of glycerophospholipid and the presence or absence of these ionization-promoting species. Similar (negatively charged) ions corresponding to the loss of the groups listed above were formed in negative ion MS. Positive ion electrospray Ms/MS provides information on the nature of the headgroup, with the formation of an ion corresponding to the headgroup itself, or the loss of the headgroup from the molecular ion H+ or Na+ adduct. Acyl constituents are identified during negative ion MS/MS from the formation of their RCOO- ions. The nature of alkyl or alkenyl substituents in glycerophosphoethanolamine (PE) molecular species can be identified from residual ions following the loss of ethanolamine plus loss of the acyl moiety in the sn-2 position, and cyclization of a phosphate oxygen with C-2 of glycerol. In glycerophosphoinositol (PI) species, it appears that an RCO- ion is formed during negative ion MS/MS, possibly to steric interference from the bulky phosphoinositol headgroup that prevents cyclization (and subsequent stabilization) of the ion described for PE species. Positive and negative ion electrospray MS spectra for molecular species of commercial preparations of PE, PI, phosphatidylserine (PS), glycerophosphocholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) produced similar profiles. For phospholipids occurring as Na+ adducts, concentrations above ca. 1 ng/μl produced significant quantities of both [M + H]+ and [M + Na]+ ions for those molecular species present in the largest quantities, complicating interpretation of the spectra. Complete profiles of molecular species were obtained from as little as 10 picograms of material. Major components of PE were identified from 0.1 picogram total lipid. Using single ion monitoring of the Na+ adduct of β-acetyl-γ-O-hexadecyl L-α- phosphatidylcholine, 10 femtograms of material was detected. A mixture of 1 nanogram each of PE, PI, PS, and PC was readily resolved into individual molecular species, with little apparent loss of resolution or preferential ionization. Electrospray MS did not provide information on the position (sn- 1 or sn-2) of fatty acids, and was not capable of differentiating in all instances between alkyl-acyl and alkenyl-acyl substituents without prior separation of these lipid subclasses. Although not reported on in detail, molecular species of other classes of lipids and phospholipids including glycolipids, phosphatidylglycerol, and mono- and dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine can also be analyzed using these techniques. Electrospray MS and MS/MS provides a rapid, sensitive and quantitative alternative to previously published methods for analyses of molecular species.
AB - This paper describes the use of positive and negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/MS (tandem mass spectrometry) to identify glycerophospholipid and ceramide headgroups and their alkyl, alkenyl and acyl constituents. Molecular ion adducts were the primary products formed by positive ionization, occurring as [M + H]+, [M + Na]+, [M + K]+, [M + formate]+, or [M + acetate]+, depending upon the class of glycerophospholipid and the presence or absence of these ionization-promoting species. Similar (negatively charged) ions corresponding to the loss of the groups listed above were formed in negative ion MS. Positive ion electrospray Ms/MS provides information on the nature of the headgroup, with the formation of an ion corresponding to the headgroup itself, or the loss of the headgroup from the molecular ion H+ or Na+ adduct. Acyl constituents are identified during negative ion MS/MS from the formation of their RCOO- ions. The nature of alkyl or alkenyl substituents in glycerophosphoethanolamine (PE) molecular species can be identified from residual ions following the loss of ethanolamine plus loss of the acyl moiety in the sn-2 position, and cyclization of a phosphate oxygen with C-2 of glycerol. In glycerophosphoinositol (PI) species, it appears that an RCO- ion is formed during negative ion MS/MS, possibly to steric interference from the bulky phosphoinositol headgroup that prevents cyclization (and subsequent stabilization) of the ion described for PE species. Positive and negative ion electrospray MS spectra for molecular species of commercial preparations of PE, PI, phosphatidylserine (PS), glycerophosphocholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) produced similar profiles. For phospholipids occurring as Na+ adducts, concentrations above ca. 1 ng/μl produced significant quantities of both [M + H]+ and [M + Na]+ ions for those molecular species present in the largest quantities, complicating interpretation of the spectra. Complete profiles of molecular species were obtained from as little as 10 picograms of material. Major components of PE were identified from 0.1 picogram total lipid. Using single ion monitoring of the Na+ adduct of β-acetyl-γ-O-hexadecyl L-α- phosphatidylcholine, 10 femtograms of material was detected. A mixture of 1 nanogram each of PE, PI, PS, and PC was readily resolved into individual molecular species, with little apparent loss of resolution or preferential ionization. Electrospray MS did not provide information on the position (sn- 1 or sn-2) of fatty acids, and was not capable of differentiating in all instances between alkyl-acyl and alkenyl-acyl substituents without prior separation of these lipid subclasses. Although not reported on in detail, molecular species of other classes of lipids and phospholipids including glycolipids, phosphatidylglycerol, and mono- and dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine can also be analyzed using these techniques. Electrospray MS and MS/MS provides a rapid, sensitive and quantitative alternative to previously published methods for analyses of molecular species.
KW - ceramides
KW - glyceroph osphoinositol
KW - glycerophosphocholine
KW - glycerophosphoethanolamine
KW - phosphatidylserine
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028217603&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 8077849
AN - SCOPUS:0028217603
SN - 0022-2275
VL - 35
SP - 1102
EP - 1114
JO - Journal of Lipid Research
JF - Journal of Lipid Research
IS - 6
ER -