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Perceiving the chemical language of Gram-negative bacteria: listening by high-resolution mass spectrometry

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Abstract

Gram-negative bacteria use N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) as their command language to coordinate population behavior during invasion and colonization of higher organisms. Although many different bacterial bioreporters are available for AHLs monitoring, in which a phenotypic response, e.g. bioluminescence, violacin production, and β-galactosidase activity, is exploited, mass spectrometry (MS) is the most versatile detector for rapid analysis of AHLs in complex microbial samples, with or without prior separation steps. In this paper we critically review recent advances in the application of high-resolution MS to analysis of the quorum sensing (QS) signaling molecules used by Gram-negative bacteria, with much emphasis on AHLs. A critical review of the use of bioreporters in the study of AHLs is followed by a short methodological survey of the capabilities of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), including Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) MS and quadrupole time-of-flight (qTOF) MS. Use of infusion electrospray ultrahigh-resolution FTICR MS (12 Tesla) enables accurate mass measurements for determination of the elemental formulas of AHLs in Acidovorax sp. N35 and Burkholderia ubonensis AB030584. Results obtained by coupling liquid chromatography with a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap-FTICR mass spectrometer (LC–LTQ-FTICRMS, 7-T) for characterization of acylated homoserine lactones in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa are presented. UPLC–ESI-qTOF MS has also proved to be suitable for identification of 3O-C10HSL in Pseudomonas putida IsoF cell culture supernatant. Aspects of sample preparation and the avoidance of analytical pitfalls are also emphasized.

LC separation and FTICR MS identification of 3-oxo-C12-HSL in bacterial isolates of P. aeruginosa (strain ATCC 9027)

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Abbreviations

ACN:

Acetonitrile

AHLs:

N-Acyl-homoserine lactones

amu:

Atomic mass unit expressed in Da

DPD:

4,5-Dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione

EI:

Electron impact

ESI:

Electrospray ionization

FA:

Formic acid

FTICR:

Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance

HRMS:

High-resolution mass spectrometry

LC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

LTQ:

Quadrupole linear ion trap

MeOH:

Methanol

MS:

Mass spectrometry

m/z :

Mass over charge

QS:

Quorum sensing

qTOF:

Quadrupole time-of-flight

UPLC:

Ultra-pressure liquid chromatography

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable and insightful suggestions. This work was performed by use of the instrumental facilities of CIGAS Center funded by the EU (project no. 2915/12), the Regione Basilicata, and the University of Basilicata.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Campus Universitario, Via E. Orabona 4, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Tommaso R. I. Cataldi

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy

    Giuliana Bianco

  3. Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, HelmholtzZentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

    Juliano Fonseca & Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin

  4. Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Technische Universität München, Alte Akademie 10, 85354, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany

    Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin

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  1. Tommaso R. I. Cataldi
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  2. Giuliana Bianco
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  3. Juliano Fonseca
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  4. Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
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Correspondence to Tommaso R. I. Cataldi.

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Published in the special issue Analytical Science in Italy with guest editor Aldo Roda.

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Cataldi, T.R.I., Bianco, G., Fonseca, J. et al. Perceiving the chemical language of Gram-negative bacteria: listening by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 405, 493–507 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-6371-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-6371-2

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