Whole-Cell MALDI MS

Fortunately these unforeseen variables did not affect the most abundant peaks, nor the correct identification of the blind-coded bacteria. While differences associated with matrix and instrumental parameters were expected, the authors conducting this experiment did not anticipate the extent and speed with which bacteria could respond, through their protein profiles, to subtle environmental changes. 

The direct whole-cell method of Holland et al. was extremely rapid, even in comparison to Lubman s MALDI analysis of fractions collected after bacterial sonnication. With the whole-cell approach bacteria were simply sampled from colonies on an agar plate, mixed with the matrix, air-dried, and introduced in batches into the mass spectrometer for analysis. In all of the spectra obtained in these and later experiments, each bacterial strain showed a few characteristic high-mass ions that were attributed to bacterial proteins. Studies demonstrating the whole cell methodology for strain-level differentiation were reported independently by Claydon et al. at almost the same time.18 Shortly thereafter a third study on whole-cell MALDI included bacteria from pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains appeared.19 

Because much smaller differences are anticipated at the strain level, strain-level differentiation and spectral reproducibility have received much attention. A 1998 work from Riley s group21 is representative of a common approach to this issue. In Riley s studies E. coli strains shared many peaks in common but also showed strain-unique ions as well. Many of these ions fell in the fingerprint region near 3630, 3850, 4170, 4780, 5100, 5380, 7280, 8320, 

Wang et al. also addressed the mass spectral reproducibility. They conducted a carefully controlled interlaboratory experiment where the effects of a number of parameters were systematically investigated.22 They demonstrated that nearly identical spectra could be obtained in carefully controlled experiments. Minor variations in the sample/matrix preparation procedures for MALDI and in the experimental conditions used for bacterial protein extraction or analysis were shown to result in changes in the resulting spectra. They also noted that a subset of peaks was less sensitive to experimental variables. These ions appeared to be conserved in spectra obtained even under different experimental conditions so long as they were obtained using genetically identical bacteria. The existence of these conserved peaks helped explain 

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Approximately 90% to 95% of whole-cell MALDI MS profiles are representative of the ribosomal proteins abundant in rapid growth whole cells. Although the identification of proteins, from whole bacterial cells, by MALDI-TOF MS analysis is ambiguous, at best, due to the low-mass accuracy and resolving power, several researchers realized that many of the observed... 

The focus of this chapter is the development of a technique often called wholecell matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) or whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS. Some groups prefer to use terms such as intact or unprocessed rather than whole, but the intended meaning is the same regardless of which word is used. As noted in the first chapter of this book, there are many different methods for the analysis of bacteria. However, for the analysis of intact or unprocessed bacteria, whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS is the most commonly used approach. This method is very rapid. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of whole cells takes only minutes because the samples can be analyzed directly after collection from a bacterial culture suspension. Direct MALDI MS analysis of fungi or viruses is similar in approach1,2 but is not covered in this chapter. MALDI-TOF MS of whole cells was developed with very rapid identification or differentiation of bacteria in mind. The name (whole cell) should not be taken to imply that the cells are literally intact or whole. Rather, it should be taken to mean that the cells that have not been treated or processed in any way specifically for the removal or isolation of any cellular components from any others. In whole-cell analysis the cells have been manipulated only as necessary to... 

As noted above, whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS was intended for rapid taxonomic identification of bacteria. Neither the analysis of specific targeted bacterial proteins, nor the discovery of new proteins, was envisioned as a routine application for which whole cells would be used. An unknown or target protein might not have the abundance or proton affinity to facilitate its detection from such a complex mixture containing literally thousands of other proteins. Thus, for many applications, the analysis of proteins from chromatographically separated fractions remains a more productive approach. From a historical perspective, whole-cell MALDI is a logical extension of MALDI analysis of isolated cellular proteins. After all, purified proteins can be obtained from bacteria after different levels of purification. Differences in method often reflect how much purification is done prior to analysis. With whole-cell MALDI the answer is literally none. Some methods attempt to combine the benefits of the rapid whole cell approach with a minimal level of sample preparation, often based on the analysis of crude fractions rather... 

Holland et al. proposed a simpler and faster approach using the protein profile obtained directly from whole cells rather than from cellular extracts or affinity beads.17 This was the first report of the whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS... 

An interesting variation on the whole-cell MALDI approach was recently reported in a study aimed more at FTMS than TOF MS, but the results are nevertheless interesting and important to users of both methods for analysis of bacteria 40. Wilkins s group showed both MALDI-TOF and MALDI-FTMS spectra of whole bacteria grown on isotopic media depleted in C13 and N14. Because most bacterial identification protocols involve a culture step prior to analysis, it is possible to manipulate the sample based on control of the growth media. For mass spectral analysis manipulation of the isotope profile... 

Stets MI, Pinto AS, Huergo LF, de Souza EM, Guimaraes VE, Alves AC, Steffens MBR, Monteiro RA, Pedrosa ED, Cruz LM. Rapid identification of bacterial isolates from wheat roots by high resolution whole cell MALDI-TOE MS analysis. J Biotechnol. 2013 165(3-4) 167-74. 

Most often proteins are the bacterial biopolymers studied using MALDI MS either from fractions or whole cells. They are not the only isolated cellular biopolymers studied by MALDI, nor the first. Very soon after the introduction of MALDI there were a few reports of the analysis of bacterial RNA or DNA from bacterial fractions. One of the first applications of MALDI to bacteria fractions involved analysis of RNA isolated from E. coli,4 Other studies included analysis of PCR-amplified DNA,5 6 DNA related to repair mechanisms7 and posttranscriptional modification of bacterial RNA.8 While most MALDI studies involve the use of UV lasers, IR MALDI has been reported for the analysis of double stranded DNA from restriction enzyme digested DNA plasmids, also isolated from E. coli.9... 

Another interesting comparison has recently been made between MALDI-TOF MS analysis of whole cells, and MALDI FTMS of the same organisms. This work is reported in greater detail in a dedicated chapter later in this book. It should be noted here that it appears to be much more difficult to obtain spectra from intact bacteria by MALDI FTMS than it is by MALDI-TOF MS. Thus far only a single research group has reported protein-like ions desorbed directly from intact cells by MALDI FTMS. 

Notwithstanding the aforementioned difficulty in detecting specific target proteins other than the types normally observed in the taxonomic fingerprints from whole bacteria MALDI spectra (i.e., ribosomal proteins), some other target proteins and protein-like materials have been studied directly from whole cells. For example, Lantibiotics, antimicrobial peptides secreted by Gram-positive bacteria have been detected directly from whole bacteria by MALDI-TOF MS.51 The lantibiotics nisin and lacticin 481 were detected from whole cells and crude supernatants. Surprisingly, better results were reported from whole cells than the supernatants. In this study the presence of variants... 

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