Low-abundance plasma and urinary [(15)N]urea enrichments analyzed by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

We report a method for determining plasma und urinary [(15)N]urea enrichments in an abundance range between 0.37 and 0.52 (15)N atom% (0-0.15 atom% excess (APE) (15)N) using a dimethylaminomethylene derivative. Compared with conventional off-line preparation and (15)N analysis of urea, this method requires only small sample volumes (0.5 ml of plasma and 25 microl of urine). The (15)N/(14)N ratio of urea derivatives was measured by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). Two peaks were separated; one was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) as the complete derivatized urea. Calibration of the complete urea derivative was performed by linear regression of enrichment values of known standard mixtures. Replicate standard (6-465 per thousand delta(15)N) derivatizations showed a relative standard deviation ranging from 0.1 to 7%. In order to test the feasibility of the method, human subjects and rats ingested a single meal containing either 200 mg of [(15)N]glycine (95 AP (15)N) or 0.4 mg of [(15)N]-alpha-lysine (95 AP (15)N), respectively. Urine and plasma were collected at hourly intervals over 7 h after the meal intake. After (15)N glycine intake, maximum urinary urea (15)N enrichments were 330 and 430 per thousand delta(15)N (0.12 and 0.16 APE (15)N) measured by GC/C/IRMS, whereas plasma [(15)N]glycine enrichments were 2.5 and 3.3 APE (15)N in the two human subjects 2 h after the meal. (15)N enrichments of total urine and urine samples devoid of ammonia were higher enriched than urinary [(15)N]urea measured by GC/C/IRMS, reflecting the presence of other urinary N-containing substances (e.g. creatinine). In rats plasma urea (15)N enrichments were 15-20 times higher than those in urinary urea (10-20 per thousand delta(15)N). The different [(15)N]urea enrichments observed after ingestion of [(15)N]-labeled glycine and lysine confirm known differences in the metabolism of these amino acids.     

Detection of royal jelly adulteration using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis

Stable isotope ratios ((13)C/(12)C and (15)N/(14)N) were measured in royal jelly (RJ) samples by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) to evaluate authenticity and adulteration. Carbon and nitrogen isotope contents (given as delta values relative to a standard, delta(13)C, delta(15)N) of RJ samples from various European origins and samples from commercial sources were analyzed. Uniform delta(13)C values from -26.7 to -24.9 per thousand were observed for authentic RJ from European origins. Values of delta(15)N ranged from -1.1 to 5.8 per thousand depending on the plant sources of nectars and pollen. High delta(13)C values of several commercial RJ samples from -20.8 to -13.3 per thousand indicated adulteration with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sugar source. Use of biotechnologically produced yeast powder as protein source for the adulterated samples was assumed as delta(15)N values were lower, as described for C(4) or CAM plant sources. RJ samples from authentic and from adulterated production were distinguished. The rapid and reliable method is suitable for urgent actual requirements in food monitoring.     

A versatile method for stable carbon isotope analysis of carbohydrates by high-performance liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

We have developed a method to analyze stable carbon isotope ((13)C/(12)C) ratios in a variety of carbohydrates using high-performance liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HPLC/IRMS). The chromatography is based on strong anion-exchange columns with low strength NaOH eluents. An eluent concentration of 1 mM resulted in low background signals and good separation of most of the typical plant neutral carbohydrates. We also show that more strongly bound carbohydrates such as acidic carbohydrates can be separated by inclusion of NO(3) (-) as an inorganic pusher ion in the eluent. Analyses of neutral carbohydrate concentrations and their stable carbon isotope ratios are shown for plant materials and marine sediment samples both at natural abundance and for (13)C-enriched samples. The main advantage of HPLC/IRMS analysis over traditional gas chromatography based methods is that no derivatization is needed resulting in simple sample treatment and improved accuracy and reproducibility.     

Measurement of 13C and 15N isotope labeling by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry to study amino acid fluxes in a plant-microbe symbiotic association

We have developed a method based on a double labeling with stable isotopes and gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analyses to study amino acid exchange in a symbiotic plant-microbe association. Isotopic precision was studied for 21 standards including 15 amino acid derivatives, three N-protected amino acid methyl esters, three amines and one international standard. High correlations were observed between the δ(13)C and δ(15)N values obtained by GC/C/IRMS and those obtained by an elemental analyzer (EA) coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (R(2) = 0.9868 and 0.9992, respectively). The mean precision measured was 0.04‰ for δ(13)C and 0.28‰ for δ(15)N (n = 15). This method was applied in vivo to the symbiotic relationship between alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and N(2)-fixing bacteria. Plants were simultaneously labeled over 10 days with (13)C-depleted CO(2) ((12)CO(2)), which was assimilated through photosynthesis by leaves, and (15)N(2) fixed via nodules. Subsequently, the C and N isotope compositions (i.e. δ(13)C and δ(15)N) of free amino acids were analyzed in leaves and nodules by GC/C/IRMS. The method revealed the pattern of C and N exchange between leaves and nodules, highlighting that γ-aminobutanoic acid and glycine may represent an important form of C transport from leaves to the nodules. The results confirmed the validity, reliability and accuracy of the method for assessing C and N fluxes between plants and symbiotic bacteria and support the use of this technique in a broad range of metabolic and fluxomic studies.     

Stable isotope ratio measurements of royal jelly samples for controlling production procedures: impact of sugar feeding

The carbon and nitrogen stable ratios of royal jelly (RJ) samples from various origins are determined using an elemental analyser linked online to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to evaluate authenticity and adulteration. The (13)C/(12)C and (15)N/(14)N stable isotope ratios are measured in more than 500 RJs (domestic, imported and derived from feeding experiments) in order to obtain isotopic measurements that take into account seasonal, botanical and geographical effects. Authenticity intervals are established for traditional beekeeping practices, without feeding, in the range -22.48 to -27.90‰ for δ(13)C. For these samples, the δ(15)N values range from -1.58 to 7.98‰, depending on the plant sources of pollen and nectar. The δ(13)C values of the commercial samples vary from -18.54 to -26.58‰. High δ(13)C values are typical of sugar cane or corn syrups which have distinctive isotopic (13)C signatures because both plants use the C4 photosynthetic cycle, in contrast to most RJs which are derived from C3 plants. These differences in the (13)C-isotopic composition allow the detection of the addition of such sugars. RJs from traditional sources and from industrial production by sugar feeding are thus successfully distinguished.     

The role of liquid chromatography and flow injection analyses coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry for studying human in vivo glucose metabolism

Under most physiological conditions, glucose, or carbohydrate (CHO), homeostasis is tightly regulated. In order to mechanistically appraise the origin of circulating glucose (e.g. via either gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis or oral glucose intake), and its regulation and oxidation, the use of stable isotope tracers is now a well-accepted analytical technique. Methodologically, liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) can replace gas chromatography coupled to combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) for carrying out compound-specific (13)C isotopic analysis. The LC/IRMS approach is well suited for studying glucose metabolism, since the plasma glucose concentration is relatively high and the glucose can readily undergo chromatography in an aqueous mobile phase. Herewith, we report two main methodological approaches in a single instrument: (1) the ability to measure the isotopic enrichment of plasma glucose to assess the efficacy of CHO-based treatment (cocoa-enriched) during cycling exercise with healthy subjects, and (2) the capacity to carry out bulk isotopic analysis of labeled solutions, which is generally performed with an elemental analyzer coupled to IRMS. For plasma samples measured by LC/IRMS the data show a isotopic precision SD(δ(13)C) and SD(APE) of 0.7 ‰ and 0.001, respectively, with δ(13)C and APE values of -25.48 ‰ and 0.06, respectively, being generated before and after tracer administration. For bulk isotopic measurements, the data show that the presence of organic compounds in the blank slightly affects the δ(13)C values. Despite some analytical limitations, we clearly demonstrate the usefulness of the LC/IRMS especially when (13)C-glucose is required during whole-body human nutritional studies.     

Isotope ratio monitoring of small molecules and macromolecules by liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry

In the field of isotope ratio mass spectrometry, the introduction of an interface allowing the connection of liquid chromatography (LC) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) has opened a range of new perspectives. The LC interface is based on a chemical oxidation, producing CO2 from organic molecules. While first results were obtained from the analysis of low molecular weight compounds, the application of compound-specific isotope analysis by irm-LC/MS to other molecules, in particular biomolecules, is presented here. The influence of the LC flow rate on the CO2 signal and on the observed delta13C values is demonstrated. The limits of quantification for angiotensin III and for leucine were 100 and 38 pmol, respectively, with a standard deviation of the delta13C values better than 0.4 per thousand. Also, accuracy and precision of delta13C values for elemental analyser-IRMS and flow injection analysis-IRMS (FIA-LC/MS) were compared. For compounds with molecular weights ranging from 131 to 66,390 Da, precision was better than 0.3 per thousand, and accuracy varied from 0.1 to 0.7 per thousand. In a second part of the work, a two-dimensional (2D)-LC method for the separation of 15 underivatised amino acids is demonstrated; the precision of delta13C values for several amino acids by irm-LC/MS was better than 0.3 per thousand at natural abundance. For labelled mixtures, the coefficient of variation was between 1% at 0.07 atom % excess (APE) for threonine and alanine, and around 10% at 0.03 APE for valine and phenylalanine. The application of irm-LC/MS to the determination of the isotopic enrichment of 13C-threonine in an extract of rat colon mucosa demonstrated a precision of 0.5 per thousand, or 0.001 atom %.     

Analysis of amino acids without derivatization in barley extracts by LC-MS-MS

A method has been developed for quantification of 20 amino acids as well as 13 (15)N-labeled amino acids in barley plants. The amino acids were extracted from plant tissues using aqueous HCl-ethanol and directly analyzed without further purification. Analysis of the underivatized amino acids was performed by liquid chromatography (LC)-electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) in the positive ESI mode. Separation was achieved on a strong cation exchange column (Luna 5micro SCX 100A) with 30 mM ammonium acetate in water (solvent A) and 5% acetic acid in water (solvent B). Quantification was accomplished using d (2)-Phe as an internal standard. Calibration curves were linear over the range 0.5-50 microM, and limits of detection were estimated to be 0.1-3.0 microM. The mass-spectrometric technique was employed to study the regulation of amino acid levels in barley plants grown at 15 degrees C uniform root temperature (RT) and 20-10 degrees C vertical RT gradient (RTG). The LC-MS-MS results demonstrated enhanced concentration of free amino acids in shoots at 20-10 degrees C RTG, while total free amino acid concentration in roots was similarly low for both RT treatments. (15)NO(3) (-) labeling experiments showed lower (15)N/(14)N ratios for Glu, Ser, Ala and Val in plants grown at 20-10 degrees C RTG compared with those grown at 15 degrees C RT.     

Protein abundance quantification in embryonic stem cells using incomplete metabolic labelling with 15N amino acids,matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry,and analysis of relative isotopologue abundances of peptides

An isotope dilution method for protein quantification is presented in the context of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) and mass fingerprinting experiments, revealing an unappreciated high reproducibility and accuracy of relative peak intensity measurements. Labelled proteins were generated by growing cells in a medium containing (15)N-enriched amino acids, and were mixed with proteins of natural isotopic composition from control cells in ratios of approximately 0:1, 1:7, 1:2, 2:1, 7:1, and 1:0 (labelled/unlabelled). Mixtures were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and analysed by MALDI-TOFMS using typical experimental conditions. A linear relationship is demonstrated between the relative isotopologue abundances (RIA values) for particular peaks in the isotopic distribution of tryptic peptide fragments of the proteins, and the mole fractions of labelled proteins in the mixture. Analysis of RIA values (ARIA quantification) for peptides of six typical silver-stained protein spots for the various mixtures could reproduce the experimentally contrived ratios with approximate errors between 4% (2:1 mixture) and about 18% (1:7 mixture). A consideration of error and its propagation is discussed. ARIA does not require complete separation of the isotope patterns of labelled and unlabelled peptides, and is therefore advantageous in combination with all kinds of labelling experiments in biological systems, because it is compatible with minimal metabolic incorporation of labelling reagent. Simulations indicate that the minimum required (15)N enrichment of the total amino acid pool sufficient for ARIA is less than 4%. In an accompanying paper in this issue, we apply ARIA to proteins differentially labelled with isotope-coded alkylation reagents.     

Nitrogen isotopic analyses by isotope-ratio-monitoring gas chromatography / mass spectrometry

Amino acids containing natural-abundance levels of ¹⁵N were derivatized and analyzed isotopically using a technique in which individual compounds are separated by gas chromatography, combusted on-line, and the product stream sent directly to an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer. For samples of N₂ gas, standard deviations of ratio measurement were better than 0.1‰ (Units for δ are parts per thousand or per million (‰).) for samples larger than 400 pmol and better than 0.5‰ for samples larger than 25 pmol (0.1‰ ¹⁵N is equivalent to 0.00004 atom % ¹⁵N). Results duplicated those of conventional, batchwise analyses to within 0.05‰. For combustion of organic compounds yielding CO₂/N₂ ratios between 14 and 28, in particular for N-acetyl n-propyl derivatives of amino acids, δ values were within 0.25‰ of results obtained using conventional techniques and standard deviations were better than 0.35‰. Pooled data for measurements of all amino acids produced an accuracy and precision of 0.04 and 0.23‰, respectively, when 2 mnol of each amino acid was injected on column and 20% of the stream of combustion products was delivered to the mass spectrometer.     

Traceability along the production chain of Italian tomato products on the basis of stable isotopes and mineral composition

The paper shows the variability of stable isotope ratios and mineral composition in tomato and derivatives along the production chain (juice, passata and paste) in order to evaluate the possibility of tracing their geographical origin. The ratios (13)C/(12)C, (15)N/(14)N, (18)O/(16)O, D/H, (34)S/(32)S and the content of Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Tm, Yb, Ir, Tl, Pb, U and of nitrates, chlorides, sulphates and phosphates were measured by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Ion Chromatography, respectively. The tomato products were from three Italian regions - Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, and Apulia. By applying linear discriminant analysis on 17 of these parameters (Gd, La, Tl, Eu, Cs, Ni, Cr, Co, δ(34)S, δ(15)N, Cd, K, Mg, δ(13)C, Mo, Rb and U) excellent discrimination among products from the three regions was achieved. Irrespective of the processing technology, over 95% of the samples were correctly reclassified in cross-validation into the production site. The use of these parameters will allow the development of analytical control procedures that can be used to check the geographical provenance of Italian tomatoes and products derived from them.     

Diffusion technique for 15N and inorganic N analysis of low-N aqueous solutions and Kjeldahl digests

Diffusion of ammonia is a common sample preparation method for the stable isotope analysis of inorganic nitrogen in aqueous solution. Classical diffusion methods usually require 6-12 days of diffusion and often focus on (15)N/(14)N analysis only. More recent studies have discussed whether complete N recovery was necessary for the precise analysis of stable N isotope ratios. In this paper we present a newly revised diffusion technique that allows correct and simultaneous determination of total N and (15)N at% from aqueous solutions and Kjeldahl digests, with N concentrations down to sub-0.5-mg N L(-1) levels, and it is tested under different conditions of (15)N isotope labelling. With the modification described, the diffusion time was reduced to 72 h, while the ratios of measured and expected (15)N at% were greater than 99% and the simultaneous recovery of total N was >95%. Analysis of soil microbial biomass N and its (15)N/(14)N ratio is one of the most important applications of this diffusion technique. An experiment with soil extracts spiked with (15)N-labelled yeast showed that predigestion was necessary to prevent serious N loss during Kjeldahl digestion of aqueous samples (i.e. soil extracts). The whole method of soil microbial biomass N preparation for (15)N/(14)N analysis included chloroform fumigation, predigestion, Kjeldahl digestion and diffusion. An experiment with soil spiked with (15)N-labelled yeast was carried out to evaluate the method. Results showed a highly significant correlation of recovered and added N, with the same recovery rate (0.21) of both total N and (15)N. A k(N) value of 0.25 was obtained based on the data. In conclusion, the diffusion method works for soil extracts and microbial biomass N determination and hence could be useful in many types of soil/water studies.     

Optimisation of derivatisation procedures for the determination of delta13C values of amino acids by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of amino acids by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) is a highly selective and sensitive method for probing the biosynthetic/diagenetic pathways, pool size and turnover rates of proteins, previously intractable to bulk isotope analyses. However, amino acids are polyfunctional, non-volatile compounds which require derivatisation prior to GC analysis. While a wide range of derivatives exist for the GC analysis of amino acids only a handful have been utilised for their GC/C/IRMS analysis. Significantly, none of those derivatives currently employed appear completely satisfactory and a thorough assessment of their relative utility is lacking. Seven derivatives (three previously reported and four novel) for obtaining delta(13)C values of amino acids via GC/C/IRMS analysis were compared. More specifically, standard mixtures of 15 protein amino acids were converted into N-acetylmethyl (NACME) esters, N-acetyl n-propyl (NANP) esters, N-acetyl i-propyl (NAIP) esters, N-trifluoroacetyl-i-propyl (TFA-IP) esters, N-pivaloyl methyl (NPME) esters, N-pivaloyl n-propyl (NPNP) esters and N-pivaloyl i-propyl (NPIP) esters. Each derivative was assessed with respect to its applicability to carbon isotope determinations of all the common alpha-amino acids, reaction yield, chromatographic resolution, stability, analyte-to-derivative carbon ratio, kinetic isotope effects and errors associated with their carbon isotope determinations. The NACME derivative was concluded to be the preferred derivative mainly due to the highest analyte-to-derivative carbon ratio being achieved, resulting in the lowest analytical errors for amino acid delta(13)C value determinations, ranging from +/-0.6 per thousand for phenylalanine, leucine and isoleucine to +/-1.1 per thousand for serine and glycine.     

Amino acid δ13C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry: paleodietary implications from intra‐individual comparisons

We report a novel method for the chromatographic separation and measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) of individual amino acids in hair proteins and bone collagen using the LC‐IsoLink system, which interfaces liquid chromatography (LC) with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). This paper provides baseline separation of 15 and 13 of the 18 amino acids in bone collagen and hair proteins, respectively. We also describe an approach to analysing small hair samples for compound‐specific analysis of segmental hair sections. The LC/IRMS method is applied in a historical context by the δ¹³C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen recovered from six individuals from Uummannaq in Greenland. The analysis of hair and bone amino acids from the same individual, compared for the first time in this study, is of importance in palaeodietary reconstruction. If hair proteins can be used as a proxy for bone collagen at the amino acid level, this validates compound‐specific isotope studies using hair as a model for palaeodietary reconstruction. Our results suggest that a small offset observed in the bulk δ¹³C values of the hair and bone samples may be attributed to two factors: (i) amino acid compositional differences between hair and bone proteins, and (ii) differential turnover rates of the tissues and the amino acid pools contributing to their synthesis. This application proposes that hair may be a useful complementary or alternative source of compound‐specific paleodietary information. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of methods to measure differential 15N labeling of soil and root N pools for studies of root exudation

To study patterns of root exudation, the effectiveness of different techniques for in situ 15N labeling of Brassica napus, Centaurea jacea and Lolium perenne with ammonium nitrate was tested. Stem infiltration was found to effectively label plants with thicker stems, whereas, for grass species, cutting and immersing the leaf tips into 15N solution proved to be most effective. A microdiffusion technique to isolate ammonium, combined with conventional cation-exchange chromatography to separate nitrate from amino-N compounds thereafter, was found suitable for separation of the N fractions of plant and soil extracts for 15N determination. All three species were then cultivated in nutrient solution and labeled with 15NH4 15NO3 by stem feeding for 42 hours. Kinetics of 15N labeling of bulk roots and shoots as well as hot water extractable material were assessed, and up to 1.1 at% 15N excess (APE) was found in nutrient solutions. The main amino acids exuded by L. perenne were glycine, serine, alanine and aspartic acid. To assess the suitability of this set of methods to study root exudation in field settings, L. perenne was grown without fertiliser addition in pots containing low-nutrient soil. Plants were 15N labeled via tip immersion and 15N and N concentrations were analysed in shoots, roots and soils during a 48-h interval. Shoots reached 1.25 APE, roots and soil 0.10 and 0.005 APE, respectively. Between 4% (48 h) and 6% (24 h) of total plant 15N was exuded by roots into the soil. In roots amino acids comprised the largest proportion of the soluble 15N pool, whereas soil 15N levels were similar for amino acids and ammonium, exceeding those of nitrate. Mechanisms for the shift within N fractions from roots to soils are briefly discussed.     

CN− secondary ions form by recombination as demonstrated using multi-isotope mass spectrometry of 13C- and 15N-labeled polyglycine

We have studied the mechanism of formation CN- secondary ions under Cs+ primary ion bombardment. We have synthesized 13C and 15N labeled polyglycine samples with the distance between the two labels and the local atomic environment of the 13C label systematically varied. We have measured four masses in parallel: 12C, 13C, and two of 12C14N, 13C14N, 12C15N, and 13C15N. We have calculated the 13C/12C isotope ratio, and the different combinations of the CN isotope ratios (27CN/26CN, 28CN/27CN, and 28CN/26CN). We have measured a high 13C15N- secondary ion current from the 13C and 15N labeled polyglycines, even when the 13C and 15N labels are separated. By comparing the magnitude of the varied combinations of isotope ratios among the samples with different labeling positions, we conclude the following: CN- formation is in large fraction due to recombination of C and N; the CO double bond decreases the extent of CN- formation compared to the case where carbon is singly bonded to two hydrogen atoms; and double-labeling with 13C and 15N allows us to detect with high sensitivity the molecular ion 13C15N-.     

Advantages of compound‐specific stable isotope measurements over bulk measurements in studies on plant uptake of intact amino acids

Increasing interest in the ability of plants to take up amino acids has given rise to questions on the accuracy of the commonly used bulk method to measure and calculate amino acid uptake. This method uses bulk measurements of ¹³C and ¹⁵N enrichment in plant tissues after application of dual‐labelled amino acids but some authors have recommended the use of compound‐specific stable isotope (CSI) analysis of the plants' amino acids instead. However, there has never been a direct evaluation of both methods. We conducted a field study applying dual‐labelled (¹³C, ¹⁵N) amino acids (glycine, valine, tyrosine and lysine) to soil of a Plantago lanceolata monoculture. Root and shoot samples were collected 24 h after label application and the isotope composition of the plant tissues was investigated using bulk and CSI measurements. Enrichment of ¹³C in the case of CSI measurements was limited to the applied amino acids, showing that no additional ¹³C had been incorporated into the plants' amino acid pool via the uptake of tracer‐derived C‐fragments. Compared with this rather conservative indicator of amino acid uptake, the ¹³C enrichment of bulk measurements was 8, 5, 1.6 and 6 times higher for fine roots, storage roots, shoot and the whole plant, respectively. These findings show that the additional uptake of tracer‐derived C‐fragments will result in a considerable overestimation of amino acid uptake in the case of bulk measurements. We therefore highly recommend the use of CSI measurements for future amino acid uptake studies due to their higher accuracy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measure of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in cultured cells

We report the measurement of the natural isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon in subcellular volumes of individual cells among a population of cultured cells using a multi-isotope imaging mass spectrometer (MIMS), [MIMS is the prototype of the NanoSIMS 50, Cameca, France.] We also measured the nitrogen and carbon isotope ratio in cells after they had been cultured in media enriched with the amino acid glycine labeled with either 13C or 15N. The results demonstrate that 13C/12C and 15N/14N isotope ratios can be measured directly on a subcellular scale. This opens the way for the use of stable isotopes, in particular 15N, as labels to measure the intracellular turnover of biomolecules. Such a capability should help resolve a wide range of biomedical problems.     

A new concept for isotope ratio monitoring liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A new interface for the on-line coupling of a liquid chromatograph to a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer has been developed and tested. The interface is usable for (13)C/(12)C determination of organic compounds, allowing measurement of small changes in (13)C abundance in individual analyte species. All of the carbon in each analyte is quantitatively converted into CO(2) while the analyte is still dissolved in the aqueous liquid phase. This is accomplished by an oxidizing agent such as ammonium peroxodisulfate. The CO(2) is separated from the liquid phase and transferred to the mass spectrometer. It is shown that the whole integrated process does not introduce isotope fractionation. The measured carbon isotope ratios are accurate and reproducible. The sensitivity of the complete system allows isotope ratio determination down to 400 ng of compound on-column. By-passing the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation allows bulk isotopic analysis with substantially lower sample amounts than those required by conventional elemental analyzers. The results of the first applications to amino acids, carbohydrates, and drugs, eluted from various types of HPLC columns, are presented. The wide range of chromatographic methods enables the analysis of compounds never before amenable to isotope ratio mass spectrometry techniques and may lead to the development of many new assays.     

Analysis of amino acid 13C abundance from human and faunal bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

The scope of compound-specific stable isotope analysis has recently been increased with the development of the LC IsoLink which interfaces high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) to provide online LC/IRMS. This enables isotopic measurement of non-volatile compounds previously not amenable to compound-specific analysis or requiring substantial modification for gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS), which results in reduced precision. Amino acids are an example of such compounds.We present a new chromatographic method for the HPLC separation of underivatized amino acids using an acidic, aqueous mobile phase in conjunction with a mixed-mode stationary phase that can be interfaced with the LC IsoLink for compound-specific delta13C analysis. The method utilizes a reversed-phase Primesep-A column with embedded, ionizable, functional groups providing the capability for ion-exchange and hydrophobic interactions. Baseline separation of 15 amino acids and their carbon isotope values are reported with an average standard deviation of 0.18 per thousand (n = 6). In addition delta13C values of 18 amino acids are determined from modern protein and archaeological bone collagen hydrolysates, demonstrating the potential of this method for compound-specific applications in a number of fields including metabolic, ecological and palaeodietary studies.