Volatile compound profiling for the identification of Gram-negative bacteria by ion-molecule reaction-mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of applied microbiology Vol. 113; no. 5; pp. 1097 - 1105
• Main Authors: Dolch, M.E., Hornuss, C., Klocke, C., Praun, S., Villinger, J., Denzer, W., Schelling, G., Schubert, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2012; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Acinetobacter; Bacteriological Techniques - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-Negative Bacteria - classification; Gram-Negative Bacteria - growth & development; headspace gas analysis; ion-molecule reaction-mass spectrometry; Mass spectrometry; Mass Spectrometry - methods; micro-organism metabolism; Microbiology; Pathology; Principal Component Analysis; Serratia marcescens; Species Specificity; volatile compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Volatile compound; Applied microbiology; Identification; Metabolism; volatile compounds; Headspace; headspace gas analysis; Microorganism; Gram-negative bacteria; ion-molecule reaction―mass spectrometry; Mass spectrometry; Gram negative bacteria; micro-organism metabolism
• ISSN: 1364-5072; 1365-2672
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05414.x

Aims Fast and reliable methods for the early detection and identification of micro‐organism are of high interest. In addition to established methods, direct mass spectrometry–based analysis of volatile compounds (VCs) emitted by micro‐organisms has recently been shown to allow species differentiation. Thus, a large number of pathogenic Gram‐negative bacteria, which comprised Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Serratia marcescens, were subjected to headspace VC composition analysis using direct mass spectrometry in a low sample volume that allows for automation. Methods and Results Ion‐molecule reaction–mass spectrometry (IMR‐MS) was applied to headspace analysis of the above bacterial samples incubated at 37°C starting with 102 CFU ml−1. Measurements of sample VC composition were performed at 4, 8 and 24 h. Microbial growth was detected in all samples after 8 h. After 24 h, species‐specific mass spectra were obtained allowing differentiation between bacterial species. Conclusions IMR‐MS provided rapid growth detection and identification of micro‐organisms using a cumulative end‐point model with a short analysis time of 3 min per sample. Significance and impact of the study Following further validation, the presented method of bacterial sample headspace VC analysis has the potential to be used for bacteria differentiation.