In Situ Molecular Analysis of Plant Tissues by Live Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry

• Published in: Analytical chemistry (Washington) Vol. 84; no. 12; pp. 5221 - 5228
• Main Authors: Lorenzo Tejedor, Mónica, Mizuno, Hajime, Tsuyama, Naohiro, Harada, Takanori, Masujima, Tsutomu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 19.06.2012
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Applied sciences; Cell Survival; Cells; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Flowers & plants; Global environmental pollution; Mass spectrometry; Mass Spectrometry - methods; Metabolites; Molecules; Nanotechnology; Pelargonium - cytology; Pelargonium - metabolism; Plant Leaves - cytology; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Pollution; Single-Cell Analysis - methods; Spectrometric and optical methods; Microscope; Plant tissue; High resolution; Vegetals; Metabolite; Sample; In situ; Use; Plant leaf; Electrospray; Direct method; Molecules; Plant; Sample preparation; Ionization; Morphology; Environment; Peak; Mass spectrometry; Tool
• ISSN: 0003-2700; 1520-6882
• DOI: 10.1021/ac202447t

We report the development of a rapid, direct molecular analysis of live, single plant cells viewed under a video microscope in their natural environment. A nanoelectrospray tip was used to extract the contents of a single leaf, stem, or petal cell from Pelargonium zonale, and the samples were analyzed on an Orbitrap mass spectrometer by nanoelectrospray ionization. Around a thousand m/z peaks belonging to metabolites and other compounds in each sample were obtained and processed by using statistical tools to find the cell specific molecular peaks. Hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis was performed to confirm the structure of specific metabolites from the analyzed samples. This method is useful for identifying specific molecules in live single cells from plant tissue and will allow different cell types and stages from different sites in the plant to be compared with morphological observations.