Non-contact protein microarray fabrication using a procedure based on liquid bridge formation

Contemporary microarrayers of contact or non-contact format used in protein microarray fabrication still suffer from a number of problems, e.g. generation of satellite spots, inhomogeneous spots, misplaced or even absent spots, and sample carryover. In this paper, a new concept of non-contact sample deposition that reduces such problems is introduced. To show the potential and robustness of this pressure-assisted deposition technique, different sample solutions known to cause severe problems or to be even impossible to print with conventional microarrayers were accurately printed. The samples included 200 mg mL^–1 human serum albumin, highly concentrated sticky cell adhesion proteins, pure high-salt cell-lysis buffer, pure DMSO, and a suspension of 5-μm polystyrene beads. Additionally, a water-immiscible liquid fluorocarbon, which was shown not to affect the functionality of the capture molecules, was employed as a lid to reduce evaporation during microarray printing. The fluorocarbon liquid lid was shown to circumvent hydrolysis of water-sensitive activated surfaces during long-term deposition procedures.     

New method for resolving the enantiomeric composition of 2-methyltetrols in atmospheric organic aerosols

In order to facilitate the determination of the primary and secondary origin of atmospheric organic aerosols, a novel method involving chiral capillary gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry has been developed and validated. The method was focused on the analysis of 2-methylerythritol and 2-methylthreitol, considered to be tracers of secondary organic aerosols from the oxidation of atmospheric isoprene. The method was validated by performing various tests using authentic standards, including pure enantiomeric standards. The result showed that the analytical method itself does not affect the enantiomeric composition of the samples analyzed. The method was applied on atmospheric aerosols from a boreal forest collected in Aspvreten, Sweden and on laboratory samples obtained from liquid phase oxidation of isoprene and smog chamber experiments. Aerosol samples contained one enantiomer of 2-methylerythritol in significantly larger quantities than the others. In contrast, the liquid-phase oxidation of isoprene and its gas-phase oxidation in the smog chamber produced all enantiomers in equal quantities. The results obtained where the enantiomer fraction, EF, is larger than 0.50 suggest that 2-methyltetrols in atmospheric aerosols may also have biological origin. Information about the differences between enantiomer fractions obtained using this method brings new insights in the area of atmospheric aerosols.     

Capillary electrophoretic separation and fractionation of hydrophobic peptides onto a pre-structured matrix assisted laser desorption/ ionization target for mass spectrometric analysis

A CE separation of hydrophobic peptides followed by fractionation onto a prestructured MALDI target and off-line MS analysis was performed. An improved and partially automated manufacturing procedure of the previously described MALDI target is presented. This target is structurally coated with silicone and especially developed for hydrophobic peptides and proteins. Here, the target plate was designed specifically for the CE fraction collection. Different solvents were evaluated to meet the requirements of peptide solubility and compatibility to both the CE and MALDI methods and to the fractionation procedure. CE-MALDI-MS analysis of nine highly hydrophobic peptides from cyanogen bromide-digested bacteriorhodopsin is demonstrated.     

Membrane protein and peptide sample handling for MS analysis using a structured MALDI target

Different sample handling methods for hydrophobic proteins and peptides were evaluated in association with the utilization of a structured matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionization (MALDI) target for increased sensitivity. The fluorinated organic solvent hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) was used for the solubilization of both the full-length protein bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and a cyanogen bromide digest thereof, and compared to the performance of the non-ionic detergents octyl--d-glucopyranoside (OG), dodecyl--d-maltoside (DM), and Triton X-100. A concentrating effect was seen when using the structured MALDI plate for BR dissolved in all the different detergents, of which OG generated the best-quality spectra for the full-length integral membrane protein as well as for the hydrophobic peptides. However, the uneven analyte distribution obtained with the detergent preparations required selective and thus time-consuming acquisition of spectra. When instead HFIP was used as sample solvent, a tenfold increase in sensitivity was achieved for full-length BR. Addition of acids to the HFIP-solubilized sample, or to the MALDI matrix solution, improved the signals for a few of the peptides, while degrading the spectra of others. Consequently, the addition of acid could be used as a complementary sample preparation method for hydrophobic peptides. On-target washing to remove contaminants (e.g., salt) was performed, and a recrystallization protocol for signal improvement specifically suited for hydrophobic peptides is described. Results from digestion and solubilization in different micro centrifuge tubes were examined to determine the influence of different materials on the possible sample loss due to wall adhesion. Studies of sample solution storage times suggest immediate analysis after solubilization to obtain best results.     

SPE and HPLC/UV of resin acids in colophonium-containing products

A new method, involving SPE and HPLC/UV diode-array detection (DAD), was developed for the quantification of colophonium components in different consumer products, such as cosmetics. Colophonium is a common cause of contact dermatitis since its components can oxidize into allergens on exposure to air. Three different resin acids were used as markers for native and oxidized colophonium, abietic acid (AbA), dehydroabietic acid (DeA), and 7-oxodehydroabietic acid (7-O-DeA). The SPE method, utilizing a mixed-mode hydrophobic and anion exchange retention mechanism, was shown to yield very clean extracts. The use of a urea-embedded C(12) HPLC stationary phase improved the separation of the resin acids compared to common C(18). Concentrations higher than 2 mg/g of both AbA and DeA were detected in wax strips. In this product also 7-O-DeA, a marker for oxidized colophonium, was detected at a level of 28 microg/g. The LODs were in the range of 7-19 microg/g and the LOQs 22-56 microg/g. The method is simple to use and can be applied on many types of technical products, not only cosmetics. For the first time, a method for technical products was developed, which separates AbA from pimaric acid.     

Off-line integration of CE and MALDI-MS using a closed-open-closed microchannel system

In this work, a new technique for off-line hyphenation between CE and MALDI-MS is presented. Two closed fused-silica capillaries were connected via a silicon chip comprising an open microcanal. The EOF in the system was evaluated using mesityloxide or leucine-enkephalin as a sample and with a running buffer that rendered the analyte neutrally charged. Comparison was made between the EOF in a closed system (first capillary solely included in the electrical circuit) and in a closed-open system (first capillary and microcanal included in the electrical circuit). It was concluded that the experimental values of the EOF agreed with the theory. The influence of the capillary outer diameter on the peak dispersion was investigated using a closed-open-closed system (first capillary, microcanal and second capillary included in the electrical circuit). It was clearly seen that a capillary with 375 microm od induced considerably higher peak dispersion than a 150 microm od capillary, due to a larger liquid dead volume in the connection between the first capillary outlet and the microcanal. Mass spectrometric analysis has also been performed following CE separation runs in a closed-open-closed system with cytochrome c and lysozyme as model proteins. It was demonstrated that a signal distribution profile of the separated analytes could be recorded over a 30 mm long microcanal.     

Study of structural and electronic transport properties of Ce-doped LaMnO3

The structural and electronic transport properties of La_1−x Ce _x MnO₃ (x=0.0–1.0) have been studied. All the samples exhibit orthorhombic crystal symmetry and the unit cell volume decreases with Ce doping. They also make a metal-insulator transition (MIT) and transition temperature increases with increase in Ce concentration up to 50% doping. The system La_0.5Ce_0.5MnO₃ also exhibits MIT instead of charge-ordered state as observed in the hole doped systems of the same composition.