1 research outputs found
Multimodal MSI in Conjunction with Broad Coverage Spatially Resolved MS<sup>2</sup> Increases Confidence in Both Molecular Identification and Localization
One critical aspect
of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is the need
to confidently identify detected analytes. While orthogonal tandem
MS (e.g., LC–MS<sup>2</sup>) experiments from sample extracts
can assist in annotating ions, the spatial information about these
molecules is lost. Accordingly, this could cause mislead conclusions,
especially in cases where isobaric species exhibit different distributions
within a sample. In this Technical Note, we employed a multimodal
imaging approach, using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization
(MALDI)-MSI and liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA)-MS<sup>2</sup>I, to confidently annotate and localize a broad range of metabolites
involved in a tripartite symbiosis system of moss, cyanobacteria,
and fungus. We found that the combination of these two imaging modalities
generated very congruent ion images, providing the link between highly
accurate structural information onfered by LESA and high spatial resolution
attainable by MALDI. These results demonstrate how this combined methodology
could be very useful in differentiating metabolite routes in complex
systems