锥形光纤投影激光解吸质谱实现单细胞内药物和脂质同时成像

Tapered Fiber Projection Desorption Mass Spectrometry Enables Simultaneous Imaging of Intracellular Drugs and Lipids

  • 摘要: 孔雀石绿(MG)作为一种杀菌消毒剂,其环境持久性与生物累积性已严重威胁生命健康安全。现有商品化质谱仪的空间分辨率不足,难以满足单细胞质谱成像的要求。针对上述问题,本研究在离子源部分创新性地采用锥形光纤结合投影光路的设计,有效防止中性分子污染离子源,从而确保其长期稳定性。将该离子源集成至飞行时间质谱仪中,构建了锥形光纤投影激光解吸飞行时间质谱成像平台,并对致癌性药物MG暴露下的HeLa细胞进行检测。通过形貌分析,表明MG暴露处理可导致HeLa细胞发生浓度依赖性的凋亡形态学变化;使用金纳米颗粒(Au NPs)作为纳米基质进行质谱成像(MSI),得到致癌性药物与内源性脂质代谢物的高分辨空间同时成像,并鉴定出包括甘油三酯(TGs)、磷脂酰肌醇(PIs)、磷脂酰乙醇胺(PEs)、磷脂酰胆碱(PCs)及神经酰胺(Cers)等28种脂质分子。结果表明,锥形光纤投影激光解吸质谱技术兼具高灵敏度、优异的抗污染性和高空间分辨率,可为单细胞毒理机制研究提供可靠的工具。

     

    Abstract: As a widely utilized bactericidal and disinfectant agent, malachite green (MG) presents significant risks to ecological systems and public health due to its environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and well-documented carcinogenic properties. The compound has been frequently detected in aquatic environments and agricultural products, thereby raising substantial concerns regarding its implications for food safety and ecosystem stability. Conventional mass spectrometry instruments often exhibit insufficient spatial resolution, which limits their capacity for detailed molecular imaging at the single-cell level—a critical capability for advancing toxicological research and elucidating cellular responses to environmental stressors. To overcome these analytical constraints, this study developed a novel ion source configuration that incorporated a precision tapered fiber integrated with an optimized projection optical system. This advanced design not only enhances laser energy concentration but also serves as an effective physical barrier, effectively preventing neutral molecular species and particulate contaminants from entering the ionization region. As a result, the system demonstrates improved signal stability, measurement reproducibility, and long-term operational reliability. The newly developed ion source was integrated into a customized time of flight mass spectrometer (TOF MS), leading to the creation of an advanced imaging platform termed the tapered fiber projection laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometry (TFPLD-TOF MS) system. The platform was employed to analyze HeLa cells exposed to varying concentrations of MG. Morphological assessments revealed distinct concentration-dependent apoptotic features, including cellular shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and nuclear fragmentation—all of which are clear indicators of MG-induced cytotoxic effects at the cellular level. Moreover, by utilizing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as a high-performance nano-matrix to enhance laser desorption efficiency, the system achieved high resolution mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) capable of simultaneously mapping the spatial distribution of the carcinogenic drug and a diverse array of endogenous lipid metabolites. This approach enables the identification and spatial localization of 28 distinct lipid species across multiple lipid classes, including triglycerides (TGs), phosphatidylinositols (PIs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), phosphatidylcholines (PCs), and ceramides (Cers). These findings provide valuable insights into MG induced lipidomic alterations, metabolic pathway disruptions, and subcellular compartment specific responses to toxic exposure. The TFPLD-TOF MS platform consistently demonstrates high analytical sensitivity, robust anti-contamination properties, and exceptional spatial resolution throughout the experimental evaluations. These characteristics make it as a powerful and reliable analytical tool for advanced toxicological studies, particularly in elucidating molecular mechanisms underlying single-cell responses to environmental contaminants and bioactive compounds. The platform holds significant potential for broader applications in cellular biology, clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical development, and environmental health monitoring, offering new opportunities for advancements in molecular toxicology and precision medicine.

     

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