The emerging field of lipidomics has been made possible because of advances in mass spectrometry, and in particular tandem mass spectrometry of lipid ions generated by electrospray ionization. The ability to carry out basic biochemical studies of lipids using electrospray ionization is predicated upon understanding the behaviour of lipid derived ions following collision induced decomposition and mechanisms of product ion formation. During the past 20 years, a wealth of information has been generated about lipid molecules that are now analysed by mass spectrometry, however there is no central source where one can obtain basic information about how these very diverse biomolecules behave following collisional activation. This book brings together, in one volume, this information so that investigators considering using tandem mass spectrometry to structurally characterize lipids or to quantitate their occurrence in a biological matrix, will have a convenient source to review mechanism of decomposition reactions related to the diversity of lipid structures. A separate chapter is devoted to each of seven major lipid classes including fatty acids, eicosanoids and bioactive lipid mediators, fatty acyl esters and amides, glycerol esters, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and steroids. Mechanistic details are provided for understanding the pathways of formation of major product ions and ions used for structural characterization. In most cases specific ancillary information has been critical to understand the pathways, including isotope labeling and high resolution analysis of precursor and product ions. For a few specific examples such data is missing and pathways are proposed as a means to initiate further mass spectral experiments to prove or disprove pathway hypotheses. While this work largely centres on the lipid biochemistry of animal (mammalian) systems, general principles can be taken from the specific examples and applied to lipid biochemistry found in plants, fungi, prokaryotes and archeal organisms.

This volume in the well-established Methods in Enzymology series features methods for the study of lipids using mass spectrometry techniques. Articles in this volume cover topics such as Qualitative Analysis and Quantitative Assessment of Changes in Neutral Glycerol Lipid Molecular Species within Cells; Glycerophospholipid identification and quantitation by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; Detection and Quantitation of Eicosanoids via High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry; Structure-specific, quantitative methods for "lipidomic" analysis of sphingolipids by tandem mass spectrometry; Analysis of Ubiquinones, Dolichols and Dolichol Diphosphate-Oligosaccharides by Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry; Extraction and Analysis of Sterols in Biological Matrices by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry; The Lipid Maps Initiative in Lipidomics; Basic analytical systems for lipidomics by mass spectrometry in Japan; The European Lipidomics Initiative Enabling technologies; Lipidomic analysis of Signaling Pathways; Bioinformatics for Lipidomics; Mediator Lipidomics: Search Algorithms for Eicosanoids, Resolvins and Protectins; A guide to biochemical systems modeling of sphingolipids for the biochemist; and Quantitation and Standardization of Lipid Internal Standards for Mass Spectroscopy.

Over the last decade, scientific and engineering interests have been shifting from conventional ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) to field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS). Differential Ion Mobility Spectrometry: Nonlinear Ion Transport and Fundamentals of FAIMS explores this new analytical technology that separates and characterizes ions by the difference between their mobility in gases at high and low electric fields. It also covers the novel topics of higher-order differential IMS and IMS with alignment of dipole direction. The book relates the fundamentals of FAIMS and other nonlinear IMS methods to the physics of gas-phase ion transport. It begins with the basics of ion diffusion and mobility in gases, covering the main attributes of conventional IMS that are relevant to all IMS approaches. Building on this foundation, the author reviews diverse high-field transport phenomena that underlie differential IMS. He discusses the conceptual implementation and first-principles optimization of FAIMS as a filtering technique, emphasizing the dependence of FAIMS performance metrics on instrumental parameters and properties of ion species. He also explores ion reactions in FAIMS caused by field heating and the effects of inhomogeneous electric field in curved FAIMS gaps. Written by an accomplished scientist in the field, this state-of-the-art book supplies the foundation to understand the new technology of nonlinear IMS methods.

Covers the area of lipidomics from fundamentals and theory to applications Presents a balanced discussion of the fundamentals, theory, experimental methods and applications of lipidomics Covers different characterizations of lipids including Glycerophospholipids; Sphingolipids; Glycerolipids and Glycolipids; and Fatty Acids and Modified Fatty Acids Includes a section on quantification of Lipids in Lipidomics such as sample preparation; factors affecting accurate quantification; and data processing and interpretation Details applications of Lipidomics Tools including for Health and Disease; Plant Lipidomics; and Lipidomics on Cellular Membranes

Murphy presents over 80 complete mass spectra of these lipid substances and more than 120 detailed mechanistic schemes describing the fragmentation pathways observed in these mass spectra. The author also demonstrates the use of mass spectrometry for quantitative assays of the lipids discussed and the application of specific ion measurement as a strategy to enhance sensitivity and specificity.

This detailed volume covers conventional MS-based “shotgun lipidomics” by which samples are introduced by infusion or loop injection, as well as LC-MS-based lipidomics, which are becoming increasingly important due to the ever-increasing demand for a complete and precise lipid analysis of the complex and diversified lipids in nature. The volume features protocols applying chemical reactions, the on-line photochemical reactions combined with various MS methods for comprehensive characterization of various lipid classes, and quantification of specific and rare lipids. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Mass Spectrometry-Based Lipidomics: Methods and Protocols serves as an invaluable guide for biochemists and mass spectroscopists who are interested in lipid studies.

Chemical Derivatization in Gas Chromatography

This well-known and highly successful book was first published in 1973 and has been completely re-written in subsequent editions (published in 1982 and 2003). This new Fourth Edition has become necessary because of the pace of developments in mass spectrometry of intact lipids, which has given recognition of lipid analysis and ‘lipidomics’ as a distinct science. To bring the book up to date with these developments, author William W. Christie is joined by co-author Xianlin Han. Although devoting considerable space to mass spectrometry and lipidomics, Lipid analysis remains a practical guide, in one volume, to the complexities of the analysis of lipids. As in past editions, it is designed to act as a primary source, of value at the laboratory bench rather than residing on a library shelf. Lipid analysis deals with the isolation, separation, identification and structural analysis of glycerolipids, including triacylglycerols, phospholipids, sphingolipids, and the various hydrolysis products of these. The chapters follow a logical sequence from the extraction of lipids to the isolation and characterization of particular lipid classes and of molecular species of each, and to the mass spectrometric analysis of lipids and lipidomics. The new influence of mass spectrometry is due mainly to the development of electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Most emphasis in this book is placed on ESI, which is enabling structural characterization of different lipid classes and the identification of novel lipids and their molecular species.

This book attempts to analyze the latest discoveries in sphingolipid biology and how the alteration of their metabolism leads to altered signaling events and to the development of pathobiological disorders, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, diabetes, inflammation and infectious diseases.

Lipidomics is one of the emerging ‘omics’ techniques with growing importance in bioscience. Discussing interesting standard and non-standard techniques relevant to the measurement and analysis of lipids by mass spectrometry, this book will provide a guide to the possibilities of the techniques. It will introduce the reader to exciting new methods that allow isomer differentiation, improve sensitivity, allow spatial location and go beyond annotation of simply matching a mass to a database entry. The book is written and edited by the some of the world leaders in the field of lipid mass spectrometry and will have international appeal in industry and academia for analytical chemists, biochemists and biotechnologists. Furthermore, it will provide a useful resource for anyone interested in lipid structure characterization particularly for graduates and postgraduates who require a starting point for their projects.