In Situ Characterization of Proteins Using Laserspray Ionization on a High-Performance MALDI-LTQ-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer

The MALDI-LTQ-Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer is a high performance instrument capable of high resolution and accurate mass (HRAM) measurements. The maximum m/z of 4000 precludes the MALDI analysis of proteins without generating multiply charged ions. Herein, we present the study of HRAM laserspray ionization mass spectrometry (MS) with MS/MS and MS imaging capabilities using 2-nitrophloroglucinol (2-NPG) as matrix on a MALDI-LTQ-Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer. The optimized conditions for multiply charged ion production have been determined and applied to tissue profiling and imaging. Biomolecules as large as 15 kDa have been detected with up to five positive charges at 100 K mass resolution (at m/z 400). More importantly, MS/MS and protein identification on multiply charged precursor ions from both standards and tissue samples have been achieved for the first time with an intermediate-pressure source. The initial results reported in this study highlight potential utilities of laserspray ionization MS analysis for simultaneous in situ protein identification, visualization, and characterization from complex tissue samples on a commercially available HRAM MALDI MS system. Graphical Abstract

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Top-Down and Bottom-Up Identification of Proteins by Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Mass Spectrometry of Healthy and Diseased Human Liver Tissue

Liquid extraction surface analysis mass spectrometry (LESA MS) has the potential to become a useful tool in the spatially-resolved profiling of proteins in substrates. Here, the approach has been applied to the analysis of thin tissue sections from human liver. The aim was to determine whether LESA MS was a suitable approach for the detection of protein biomarkers of nonalcoholic liver disease (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH), with a view to the eventual development of LESA MS for imaging NASH pathology. Two approaches were considered. In the first, endogenous proteins were extracted from liver tissue sections by LESA, subjected to automated trypsin digestion, and the resulting peptide mixture was analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (bottom-up approach). In the second (top-down approach), endogenous proteins were extracted by LESA, and analyzed intact. Selected protein ions were subjected to collision-induced dissociation (CID) and/or electron transfer dissociation (ETD) mass spectrometry. The bottom-up approach resulted in the identification of over 500 proteins; however identification of key protein biomarkers, liver fatty acid binding protein (FABP1), and its variant (Thr→Ala, position 94), was unreliable and irreproducible. Top-down LESA MS analysis of healthy and diseased liver tissue revealed peaks corresponding to multiple (~15–25) proteins. MS/MS of four of these proteins identified them as FABP1, its variant, α-hemoglobin, and 10 kDa heat shock protein. The reliable identification of FABP1 and its variant by top-down LESA MS suggests that the approach may be suitable for imaging NASH pathology in sections from liver biopsies. Graphical Abstract

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Stereoselective separation and pharmacokinetic dissipation of the chiral neonicotinoid sulfoxaflor in soil by ultraperformance convergence chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Ultraperformance convergence chromatography/tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPC²-MS/MS) is a novel tool in separation science that combines the advantages of supercritical fluid chromatography with ultraperformance liquid chromatography/MS/MS technology. The use of nontoxic CO₂ fluid and a postcolumn additive to complement MS/MS allows better control of analyte retention for chiral separation and high-sensitivity determination with different chiral stationary phases. This paper reports the stereoselective separation and determination of the chiral neonicotinoid sulfoxaflor in vegetables and soil by UPC²-MS/MS. Baseline resolution (Rs?≥?1.56) of and high selectivity (LOQ?≤?1.83 μg/kg) for the four stereoisomers were achieved by postcolumn addition of 1 % formic acid–methanol to a Chiralpak IA-3 using CO₂/isopropanol/acetonitrile as the mobile phase at 40 °C, 2,500 psi, and for 6.5 min in electrospray ionization positive mode. Rearranged Van’t Hoff equations afforded the thermodynamic parameters ΔH ^ο and ΔS ^ο, which were analyzed to promote understanding of the enthalpy-driven separation of sulfoxaflor stereoisomers. The interday mean recovery, intraday repeatability, and interday reproducibility varied from 72.9 to 103.7 %, from 1.8 to 9.2 %, and from 3.1 to 9.4 %, respectively. The proposed method was used to study the pharmacokinetic dissipation of sulfoxaflor stereoisomers in soil under greenhouse conditions. The estimated half-life ranged from 5.59 to 6.03 d, and statistically nonsignificant enantioselective degradation was observed. This study not only demonstrates that the UPC²-MS/MS system is an efficient and sensitive method for sulfoxaflor stereoseparation, but also provides the first experimental evidence of the pharmacokinetic dissipation of sulfoxaflor stereoisomers in the environment. Graphical Abstract

Chemical structure and UPC²-MS/MS separation chromatogram of sulfoxaflor. (* stereogenic center)     

Visual detection of arginine,histidine and lysine using quercetin-functionalized gold nanoparticles

We report on the use of quercetin-functionalized gold nanoparticles (QC-AuNPs) as a colorimetric probe for the amino acids arginine (Arg), histidine (His) and lysine (Lys). The method is based on the aggregation of the QC-AuNPs that is caused by these amino acids and leads to a visually detectable color change from red to blue. The absorption maxima shift from 525 nm to 702, 693, and 745 nm, respectively. Aggregations are confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopic techniques (TEM). The effects of the QC concentration, temperature and reaction time for the preparation of QC-Au NPs were tested. Other amino acids do not interfere. Under the optimal conditions, linear relationships exist between the absorption ratios at 702/525 nm (for Arg), 693/525 nm (for His), and 745/525 nm (for Lys) over the concentrations ranges from 2.5–1,250 μM (Arg) and 1–1,000 μM (His and Lys), respectively. The respective limits of detection are 0.04, 0.03, and 0.02 μM. The method provides a useful tool for the rapid visual and instrumental determination of the three amino acids. Figure

We report the use of quercetin as novel reagent for preparation and functionalization of gold nanoparticles to colorimetric sensing of three aminoacids (arginine, histidine and lysine). This is based on the aggregation of QC-AuNPs induced by three aminoacids.     

Biomolecular Imaging with a C60-SIMS/MALDI Dual Ion Source Hybrid Mass Spectrometer: Instrumentation,Matrix Enhancement,and Single Cell Analysis

We describe a hybrid MALDI/C₆₀-SIMS Q-TOF mass spectrometer and corresponding sample preparation protocols to image intact biomolecules and their fragments in mammalian spinal cord, individual invertebrate neurons, and cultured neuronal networks. A lateral spatial resolution of 10 μm was demonstrated, with further improvement feasible to 1 μm, sufficient to resolve cell outgrowth and interconnections in neuronal networks. The high mass resolution (>13,000 FWHM) and tandem mass spectrometry capability of this hybrid instrument enabled the confident identification of cellular metabolites. Sublimation of a suitable matrix, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, significantly enhanced the ion signal intensity for intact glycerophospholipid ions from mammalian nervous tissue, facilitating the acquisition of high-quality ion images for low-abundance biomolecules. These results illustrate that the combination of C₆₀-SIMS and MALDI mass spectrometry offers particular benefits for studies that require the imaging of intact biomolecules with high spatial and mass resolution, such as investigations of single cells, subcellular organelles, and communities of cells. Graphical Abstract

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Fluorescent protein-based FRET sensor for intracellular monitoring of redox status in bacteria at single cell level

Monitoring of intracellular redox status in a bacterial cell provides vital information about the physiological status of the cell, which can be exploited in several applications such as metabolic engineering and computational modeling. Fluorescent protein-based genetically encoded sensors can be used to monitor intracellular oxidation/reduction status. This study reports the development of a redox sensor for intracellular measurements using fluorescent protein pairs and the phenomenon of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). For the development of the sensor, fluorescent proteins Citrine and Cerulean were genetically modified to carry reactive cysteine residues on the protein surface close to the chromophore and a constructed FRET pair was fused using a biotinylation domain as a linker. In oxidized state, the FRET pairs are in close proximity by labile disulfide bond formation resulting in higher FRET efficiency. In reducing environment, the FRET is diminished due to the increased distance between FRET pairs providing large dynamic measurement range to the sensor. Intracellular studies in Escherichia coli mutants revealed the capability of the sensor in detecting real-time redox variations at single cell level. The results were validated by intensity based and time resolved measurements. The functional immobilization of the fluorescent protein-based FRET sensor at solid surfaces for in vitro applications was also demonstrated. Graphical Abstract

Schematic representation of FRET-based redox sensor     

Polyoxotungstate nanoclusters supported on silica as an efficient solid-phase microextraction fiber of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A highly porous silica-supported tungstophosphoric acid (PW) nanocluster was prepared for use in solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The PWs represent a class of discrete transition metal-oxide nanoclusters and their structures resemble discrete fragments of metal-oxide structures of definite size and shape. Transition metal-oxide nanoclusters display large structural diversity, and their monodisperse sizes can be tuned from several Ångstroms up to 10 nm. The highly porous silica-supported tungstophosphoric acid nanocluster material is found to be capable of efficiently extracting PAHs from aqueous sample solutions. The nanomaterial was immobilized on a stainless steel wire for fabrication of the SPME fiber. Following thermal desorption, the PAHs were quantified by GC-MS. Analytical merits include limits of detection that range from 0.02 to 0.1 pg mL^?1 and a dynamic range as wide as from 0.001 to 100 ng mL^?1. Under optimum conditions, the repeatability for one fiber (n?=?3), expressed as the relative standard deviation, is between 4.3 % and 8.6 %. The method is simple, rapid, and inexpensive. The thermal stability of the fiber and the high relative recovery make this method superior to conventional methods of extraction.

The highly porous silica-supported tungstophosphoric acid nanocluster material is found to be capable of efficiently extracting PAHs from aqueous sample solutions. The prepared nanomaterial was immobilized onto a stainless steel wire for fabrication of the SPME fiber. Following thermal desorption, the PAHs were quantified by GC-MS.     

A polyaniline-magnetite nanocomposite as an anion exchange sorbent for solid-phase extraction of chromium(VI) ions

This work describes a novel polyaniline-magnetite nanocomposite and its application to the preconcentration of Cr(VI) anions. The material was obtained by oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of magnetite nanoparticles. The parameters affecting preconcentration were optimized by a Box-Behnken design through response surface methodology. Extraction time, amount of magnetic sorbent and pH value were selected as the main factors affecting sorption. The sorption capacity of the sorbent for Cr(VI) is 54 mg g^?1. The type, volume and concentration of the eluents, and the elution time were selected as main factors in the optimization study of the elution step. Following sorption and elution, the Cr(VI) ions were reacted with diphenylcarbazide, and the resulting dye was quantified by HPLC with optical detection at 546 nm. The limit of detection is 0.1 μg L^?1, and all the relative standard deviations are <6.3 %. The nanocomposite was successfully applied to the rapid extraction and determination of trace quantities of Cr(VI) ions in spiked water samples. Figure

A schematic procedure of magnetic solid phase extraction     

Solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method optimization for characterization of surface adsorption forces of nanoparticles

A complete characterization of the different physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) is necessary for the evaluation of their impact on health and environment. Among these properties, the surface characterization of the nanomaterial is the least developed and in many cases limited to the measurement of surface composition and zetapotential. The biological surface adsorption index approach (BSAI) for characterization of surface adsorption properties of NPs has recently been introduced (Xia et al. Nat Nanotechnol 5:671–675, 2010; Xia et al. ACS Nano 5(11):9074–9081, 2011). The BSAI approach offers in principle the possibility to characterize the different interaction forces exerted between a NP's surface and an organic—and by extension biological—entity. The present work further develops the BSAI approach and optimizes a solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME/GC-MS) method which, as an outcome, gives a better-defined quantification of the adsorption properties on NPs. We investigated the various aspects of the SPME/GC-MS method, including kinetics of adsorption of probe compounds on SPME fiber, kinetic of adsorption of probe compounds on NP's surface, and optimization of NP's concentration. The optimized conditions were then tested on 33 probe compounds and on Au NPs (15 nm) and SiO₂ NPs (50 nm). The procedure allowed the identification of three compounds adsorbed by silica NPs and nine compounds by Au NPs, with equilibrium times which varied between 30 min and 12 h. Adsorption coefficients of 4.66?±?0.23 and 4.44?±?0.26 were calculated for 1-methylnaphtalene and biphenyl, compared to literature values of 4.89 and 5.18, respectively. The results demonstrated that the detailed optimization of the SPME/GC-MS method under various conditions is a critical factor and a prerequisite to the application of the BSAI approach as a tool to characterize surface adsorption properties of NPs and therefore to draw any further conclusions on their potential impact on health. Graphical Abstract

The basic principle of SPME/GC-MS method for characterization of nanoparticles surface adsorption forces     

Acetonitrile Adduct Formation as a Sensitive Means for Simple Alcohol Detection by LC-MS

Simple alcohols formed protonated acetonitrile adducts containing up to two acetonitrile molecules when analyzed by ESI or APCI in the presence of acetonitrile in the solvent. These acetonitrile adducts underwent dissociation to form a nitrilium ion, also referred to as the substitution ion. Diols and triols behaved differently. In ESI, they formed only one acetonitrile adduct containing one acetonitrile. The S ion was not observed in ESI and was only weakly observed from the dissociation of the (M?+?ACN?+?H)⁺ ion. On the other hand, the S ion was abundantly formed from the diols in APCI. This formation of acetonitrile adducts and substitution ion from simple alcohols/diols offers an opportunity to detect simple alcohols/diols sensitively by LC-MS interfaced by ESI or APCI. The utility of this chemistry was demonstrated in a method developed for the quantification of cyclohexanol in rat plasma by monitoring the CID-induced fragmentation from the S ion to a fragment ion. Graphical Abstract

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Analysis of citrate-capped gold and silver nanoparticles by thiol ligand exchange capillary electrophoresis

We report on the capillary electrophoretic behavior of citrate-capped gold and silver nanoparticles in aqueous medium when applying a ligand-exchange surface reaction with thiols. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of similar size (39?±?6 and 41?±?7 nm, respectively) and shape were synthesized, covered with a citrate shell, and characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The analysis of these NPs by CE was accomplished by using a buffer solution (pH 9.7; 40 mM SDS, 10 mM CAPS; 0.1 % methanol) containing the anions of thioctic acid or thiomalic acid. These are capable of differently interacting with the surface of the AuNPs and AgNPs and thus introducing additional negative charges. This results in different migration times due to the formation of differently charged nanoparticles. Figure

Capillary electrophoretic behavior of citrate-capped gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous medium when applying a ligand-exchange surface reaction with thiols (thioctic and thiomalic acids), which introduces additional negative charges, has been studied     

Development and validation of a specific and sensitive LC-MS/MS method for quantification of urinary catecholamines and application in biological variation studies

Catecholamines are a class of biogenic amines that play an important role as neurotransmitters and hormones. We developed and validated a rapid, specific and sensitive LC-MS/MS method for quantitative determination of catecholamines in human urine. Linearity, specificity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, matrix effect, carryover, analyte stability, method comparison and reference range were evaluated. The catecholamine measurements were not affected by 35 structurally-related drugs and metabolites. The outstanding specificity was achieved by use of a specific diphenylborate-based solid phase extraction and subsequent selective LC-MS/MS analysis. Excellent sensitivity, accuracy and precision (average intra-assay variations <2.9 % and inter-assay variations <4.6 %) were obtained. The method was successfully applied in the study of day-to-day biological within- and between-subject variations of 25 healthy people under free-living conditions over three consecutive days. We observed that catecholamine excretions for second morning sampling had least day-to-day within-subject variation and excellent reproducibility. This work is one of the rare studies on these topics and represents the first utilization of advanced LC-MS/MS technology. Additionally, we found significant correlations between spot and conventional 24 h collections of human urine (n?=?22, r?>?0.853, p?LC-MS/MS method presented here is rapid, sensitive and specific, which could be an advantage in clinical laboratories. Graphical Abstract

Diurnal variation of urinary catecholamines for 25 healthy people in three consecutive days     

Fast Photochemical Oxidation of Proteins (FPOP) Maps the Epitope of EGFR Binding to Adnectin

Epitope mapping is an important tool for the development of monoclonal antibodies, mAbs, as therapeutic drugs. Recently, a class of therapeutic mAb alternatives, adnectins, has been developed as targeted biologics. They are derived from the 10th type III domain of human fibronectin (¹⁰Fn3). A common approach to map the epitope binding of these therapeutic proteins to their binding partners is X-ray crystallography. Although the crystal structure is known for Adnectin 1 binding to human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), we seek to determine complementary binding in solution and to test the efficacy of footprinting for this purpose. As a relatively new tool in structural biology and complementary to X-ray crystallography, protein footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry is promising for protein–protein interaction studies. We report here the use of fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) coupled with MS to map the epitope of EGFR-Adnectin 1 at both the peptide and amino-acid residue levels. The data correlate well with the previously determined epitopes from the crystal structure and are consistent with HDX MS data, which are presented in an accompanying paper. The FPOP-determined binding interface involves various amino-acid and peptide regions near the N terminus of EGFR. The outcome adds credibility to oxidative labeling by FPOP for epitope mapping and motivates more applications in the therapeutic protein area as a stand-alone method or in conjunction with X-ray crystallography, NMR, site-directed mutagenesis, and other orthogonal methods. Figure

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Determination of cyanide using a chemiluminescence system composed of permanganate,rhodamine B,and gold nanoparticles

We describe a new chemiluminescence (CL) system based on the oxidation of rhodamine B (RhoB) with alkaline potassium permanganate in the presence of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) and anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate. Free RhoB is weakly chemiluminescent when oxidized with permanganate at alkaline pH values. However, a remarkably strong enhancement of CL is observed in the presence of Au-NPs, probably due to a strong interaction between RhoB and the NPs. The possible mechanism was studied via recording the CL emission. It is also found that the intensity of CL gradually decreases in the presence of cyanide due to its interaction with the Au-NPs. The relation between the decreased CL intensity and cyanide concentration was exploited to develop a method for the determination of cyanide in the 0.01–0.5 μM concentration range, with a detection limit of 2.8 nM. The method was used to determine cyanide in spiked water, urine, and serum. Figure

Alkaline permanganate-rhodamine B-SDS CL reaction is dramatically enhanced by gold nanoparticles. Based on the inhibiting effect of cyanide on this system, a sensitive CL method was developed for its determination     

Selective visual detection of Pb(II) ion via gold nanoparticles coated with a dithiocarbamate-modified 4′-aminobenzo-18-crown-6

We have developed a crown ether based selective colorimetric sensing scheme for the determination of Pb(II) ion by using gold nanoparticles modified with dithiocarbamate derivative of 4′-aminobenzo-18-crown-6 that acts as a colorimetric probe. Monodisperse Au-NPs were prepared by reacting 4′-aminobenzo-18-crown-6 with carbon disulfide to generate the dithiocarbamate ligand which was then added to the Au-NPs to form a supramolecular assembly on their surface. The Au-NPs modified in this way undergo aggregation in the presence of Pb(II) ions, and this causes the color to change from red to blue. The Pb(II)-induced aggregation can be monitored by using UV-visible spectrometry and even with the bare eye. The absorbance ratio (A_650nm/A_520nm) is linearly related to the concentration of Pb(II) in the 0.1 to 75 μM range (with a correlation coefficient of 0.9957), and the detection limit is 50 nM which is lower than the allowable level (75 nM) as defined by the US EPA. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Pb(II) in spiked water samples. Figure

Schematic representation of Pb²⁺ ion-induced DTC-CE-Au NPs aggregation via sandwich complex formation.     

Development of novel sol–gel coatings by chemically bonded ionic liquids for stir bar sorptive extraction—application for the determination of NSAIDS in real samples

In this work, a novel ionic liquid (IL) chemically bonded sol–gel coating was prepared for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). By using γ-(methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (KH-570) as a bridging agent, 1-allylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([AIM][BF₄]) was chemically bonded onto the bare stir bar, and the prepared IL-bonded sol–gel stir bar coating showed higher extraction efficiency and better adsorption/desorption kinetics for target NSAIDs over other polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based or monolithic stir bar coatings. The mechanical strength and durability (chemical/thermal stability) of the prepared IL-bonded sol–gel coating were excellent. The influencing factors of SBSE, such as sample pH, salt effect, stirring rate, extraction time, desorption solvent, and desorption time, were optimized, and the analytical performance of the developed SBSE-HPLC-UV method was evaluated under the optimized conditions. The limits of detection (LODs) of the proposed method for three NSAIDs were in the range of 0.23–0.31 μg L^?1, and the enrichment factors (EFs) were in the range of 51.6–56.3 (theoretical enrichment factor was 100). The reproducibility was also investigated at concentrations of 5, 20, and 100 μg L^?1, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were found to be less than 9.5, 7.5, and 7.6 %, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of NSAIDs in environmental water, urine, and milk samples. Graphical Abstract

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Validation of a confirmatory method for lipophilic marine toxins in shellfish using UHPLC-HR-Orbitrap MS

Lipophilic marine toxins are produced by harmful microalgae and can accumulate in edible filter feeders such as shellfish, leading to an introduction of toxins into the human food chain, causing different poisoning effects. During the last years, analytical methods, based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), have been consolidated by interlaboratory validations. However, the main drawback of LC-MS/MS methods remains the limited number of compounds that can be analyzed in a single run. Due to the targeted nature of these methods, only known toxins, previously considered during method optimization, will be detected. Therefore in this study, a method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HR-Orbitrap MS) was developed. Its quantitative performance was evaluated for confirmatory analysis of regulated lipophilic marine toxins in shellfish flesh according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1), pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2), azaspiracid-1 (AZA-1), yessotoxin (YTX), and 13-desmethyl spirolide C (SPX-1) were quantified using matrix-matched calibration curves (MMS). For all compounds, the reproducibility ranged from 2.9 to 4.9 %, repeatability from 2.9 to 4.9 %, and recoveries from 82.9 to 113 % at the three different spiked levels. In addition, confirmatory identification of the compounds was effectively performed by the presence of a second diagnostic ion (¹³C). In conclusion, UHPLC-HR-Orbitrap MS permitted more accurate and faster detection of the target toxins than previously described LC-MS/MS methods. Furthermore, HRMS allows to retrospectively screen for many analogues and metabolites using its full-scan capabilities but also untargeted screening through the use of metabolomics software. Figure

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Rapid detection of pesticides not amenable to multi-residue methods by flow injection–tandem mass spectrometry

Flow injection combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was investigated for the rapid detection of highly polar pesticides that are not amenable to multi-residue methods because they do not partition into organic solvents and require dedicated chromatographic conditions. The pesticides included in this study were amitrole, chlormequat, cyromazine, daminozide, diquat, ethephon, fosetyl-Al, glufosinate, glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid, maleic hydrazide, mepiquat and paraquat. The composition of the flow-injection solvent was optimized to achieve maximum MS/MS sensitivity. Instrumental limits of detection varied between <0.05 and 1 pg. Fruit, vegetable, cereal, milk and kidney samples were extracted with water (1 % formic acid in case of paraquat/diquat) and ten times diluted in either methanol/0.1 % formic acid, methanol/0.1 % ammonia or acetonitrile/0.1 % ammonia, depending on the pesticide. The ion suppression observed depended strongly on both the matrix and the pesticide. This could be largely compensated for by matrix-matched calibration, but more accurate quantification was obtained by using isotopically labelled standards (commercially available for most of the pesticides studied). The method detection limits ranged from 0.02 mg/kg for chlormequat and mepiquat to 2 mg/kg for maleic hydrazide and were 0.05–0.2 mg/kg for most other pesticide/matrix combinations. This was sufficiently low to test compliance with EU maximum residue limits for many relevant pesticide/commodity combinations. The method substantially reduces the liquid chromatography–MS/MS capacity demand which for many laboratories is prohibitive for inclusion of these pesticides in their monitoring and surveillance programmes. Figure

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A novel electrochemical DNA biosensor construction based on layered CuS–graphene composite and Au nanoparticles

A novel CuS–graphene (CuS-Gr) composite was synthesized to achieve excellent electrochemical properties for application as a DNA electrochemical biosensor. CuS-Gr composite was prepared by a hydrothermal method, in which two-dimensional graphene served as a two-dimensional conductive skeleton to support CuS nanoparticles. A sensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor was fabricated by immobilizing single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) labeled at the 5′ end using 6-mercapto-1-hexane (HS-ssDNA) on the surface of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) to form ssDNA-S–AuNPs/CuS-Gr, and hybridization sensing was done in phosphate buffer. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed for the characterization of the modified electrodes. Differential pulse voltammetry was applied to monitor the DNA hybridization using an [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/4? solution as a probe. Under optimum conditions, the biosensor developed exhibited a good linear relationship between the current and the logarithm of the target DNA concentration ranging from 0.001 to 1 nM, with a low detection limit of 0.1 pM (3σ/S). The biosensor exhibited high selectivity to differentiate one-base-mismatched DNA and three-base-mismatched DNA. The results indicated that the sensing platform based on CuS-Gr provides a stable and conductive interface for electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization, and could easily be extended to the detection of other nucleic acids. Graphical abstracts

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