Characterization of underivatized lipid biomarkers from microorganisms with pyrolysis short-column gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry.

A microvolume Curie-point pyrolysis short-column (5 m) gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) procedure was developed for the characterization of various lipid moieties in microorganisms. High linear flow rates (approximately 175 cm/s) characterized the GC conditions in order to effect an efficient chromatographic transfer and elution of the underivatized diglycerides and monoglycerides, and small modifications were necessary to the ion trap MS system in order for it to accommodate the relatively high gas load. During a typical analysis run anhydrodiacylglycerides eluted within a 5-6-min time frame. Gram-positive bacilli and Gram-negative species were differentiated from each other by the pyrolysis patterns of their lipid components. In spite of the complexity of the analyte, a straightforward visual analysis was achieved with the aid of simple computerized data display procedures. These procedures included examination of (1) total ion current (TIC) profiles of the lipid region of the reconstructed chromatogram, (2) the integrated mass spectrum of this region, (3) selected reconstructed ion chromatograms (RICs), (4) RIC intensity distributions, and (5) corresponding mass spectra. An appealing aspect of the lipid data reduction procedure is that most of it can be accomplished visually without requiring computerized pattern recognition techniques.

Pyrolytic methylation-gas chromatography of whole bacterial cells for rapid profiling of cellular Fatty acids.

A novel, on-line derivatization technique has been developed which enables generation of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles from microorganisms by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry without the need for laborious and time-consuming sample preparation. Microgram amounts of bacterial cells are directly applied to a thin ferromagnetic filament and covered with a single drop of methanolic solution of tetramethylammonium hydroxide. After air drying, the filament is inserted into a special gas chromatograph inlet equipped with a high-frequency coil, thus enabling rapid inductive heating of the ferromagnetic filament. This so-called Curie-point heating technique is shown to produce patterns of bacterial FAMEs which are qualitatively and quantitatively nearly identical to those obtained from extracts of methylated lipids prepared by conventional sample pretreatment methods. Relatively minor differences involve the loss of hydroxy-substituted fatty acids by the pyrolytic approach as well as strongly enhanced signals of FAMEs derived from mycolic acids. This type of pyrolysis enables on-line derivatization and thermal extraction of volatile derivatives for analysis, whereas the residual components remain on a disposable probe (ferromagnetic wire) of a pyrolytic device. The reduced sample size (micrograms instead of milligrams) and the lack of sample preparation requirements open up the possibility of rapid microbiological identification of single colonies (thus overcoming the need for time-consuming subculturing) as well as analysis of FAME profiles directly from complex environmental samples.

Catecholamine melanins. Structural changes induced by copper ions.

Melanins synthesized from adrenaline and dopamine in the presence or absence of copper ions were characterized by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and by IR and ESR methods. It was shown that Cu2+ are able to induce changes in the melanin structure. Melanins obtained from adrenaline-Cu2+ and dopamine-Cu2+ complexes are composed mainly from monomeric units of the indole type. Melanins synthesized from these catecholamines without Cu2+ contain additionally large amounts of unindolized monomeric units. The structure differences in both types of melanins are reflected in their sorptive abilities and spectroscopic characteristics.