Sample Preparation and Analysis for Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Methods Mol Biol. 2017:1609:43-50. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6996-8_5.

Abstract

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is a novel quantitative technique used to investigative diverse biomolecules in tissue sections. Specifically, IMS uses analytical separation of mass spectrometry to determine the spatial distribution of certain lipids and/or proteins located directly on biological sections from a single tissue sample. Typically, IMS is combined with histological analysis to reveal additional distribution details of characterized biomolecules including cell type and/or subcellular localization. In this chapter, we describe the use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) Time-Of-Flight/Time-Of-Flight (TOF/TOF) to analyze various cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine species in atherosclerotic plaque of murine heart aortic valves. In particular, we detail animals used, tissue collection, preparation, matrix application, spectra acquisition for generating a color-coded image based on IMS spectral characteristics.

Keywords: Biomarker; Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS); Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI); Metabolite; Time-of-flight (TOF).

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apolipoproteins E / genetics
  • Biomarkers
  • Female
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Metabolomics / methods*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

Substances

  • Apolipoproteins E
  • Biomarkers