Analysis of Whole Bacterial Cells by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
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Anal. Chem. 2003, 75, 2746-2752 Analysis of Whole Bacterial Cells by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Hookeun Lee² and S. Kim Ratanathanawongs Williams* Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401 Karen L. Wahl and Nancy B. Valentine Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352 The purpose of this study is to develop a novel bacterial be a more universal approach for microorganism analysis since analysis method by coupling the flow field-flow fraction- molecular weight information can be obtained regardless of the ation (flow FFF) separation technique with detection by type of bacterium present. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI- (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. The composition of TOF) mass spectrometry has been demonstrated as a potentially carrier liquid used for flow FFF was selected based on rapid and accurate identification method for bacteria.5-15 The retention of bacterial cells and compatibility with the majority of bacterial analyses using MALDI-TOF are based on MALDI process. The coupling of flow FFF and MALDI- mass spectral patterns derived from cellular proteins. The mass TOF MS was demonstrated for P. putida and E. coli. spectral patterns of different bacteria are unique, which provides Fractions of the whole cells were collected after separation a basis for bacterial identification.16 Successful identification of by FFF and further analyzed by MALDI-MS. Each fraction, bacteria in a mixture of up to three components was demon- collected over different time intervals, corresponded to strated.16 However, this identification approach was challenged different sizes and possibly different growth stages of when one component was present in lower concentrations. Since bacteria. The bacterial analysis by flow FFF/MALDI-TOF MALDI is a competitive ionization process, it will be difficult to MS was completed within 1 h with only preliminary detect the signature peaks from complex sample matrixes unless optimization of the process. the mass spectrometric analysis is preceded by a separation or isolation method to simplify the sample. One approach we are Rapid and accurate identification of pathogenic bacteria is investigating is the preseparation of the intact bacterial cells prior extremely important in flagging food and beverage contamination, diagnosing disease, and signaling environmental biohazards. The (5) Holland, R. D.; Wilkes, J. G.; Rafii, F.; Sutherland, J. B.; Persons, C. C.; analysis of bacteria present in complex sample matrixes usually Voorhees, K. J.; Lay, J. O., Jr. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 1996, 10, consists of a separation or isolation step followed by enumeration 1227-1232. and identification. However, conventional culturing techniques for (6) Krishnamurthy, T.; Ross, P. L.; Rajamani, U. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 1996, 10, 883-888. enumeration take anywhere from hours to days. Thus, new (7) Welham, K. J.; Domin, M. A.; Scannell, D. E.; Cohen, E.; Ashton, D. S. Rapid methods for rapid detection and identification are being pursued Commun. Mass Spectrom. 1998, 12, 176-180. including nucleic acid sequence-based techniques such as poly- (8) Krishnamurthy, T.; Ross, P. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 1996, 10, 1992-1996. 1,2 merase chain reaction and antibody-based methods such as (9) Holland, R. D.; Burns, G.; Persons, C. C.; Rafii, F.; Sutherland, J. B.; Lay, J. enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays3,4 for specific detection of O., Jr. Proc. 45th ASMS Conf. Mass Spectrom. Allied Top., Palm Springs, known organisms. Many of the current approaches, e.g., antibody- CA, 1997; p 1353. (10) Wang, Z.; Russon, L.; Li, L.; Roser, D. C.; Long, S. R. Rapid Commun. Mass based methods, have limited usefulness in a broad spectrum Spectrom. 1998, 12, 456-464. approach to microorganism identification since a priori knowledge (11) Holland, R. D.; Duffy, C. R.; Rafii, F.; Sutherland, J. B.; Heinze, T. M.; Holder, of the organisms of concern is required. Mass spectrometry may C. L.; Voorhees, K. J.; Lay, J. O., Jr. Anal. Chem. 1999, 71, 3226-3230. (12) Demirev, P. A.; Ho, Y.-P.; Ryzhov, V.; Fenselau, C. Anal. Chem. 1999, 71, * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Fax: (303) 273-3629. 2732-2738. ² Institute for Systems Biology, 1441N 34th St., Seattle, WA 98103. (13) Winkler, M. A.; Uher, J.; Cepa, S. Anal. Chem. 1999, 71, 3416-3419. (1) Chen, J.; Johnson, R.; Griffiths, M. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1998, 64, 147- (14) Rose, N. L.; Sporns, P.; McMullen, L. Y. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1999, 152. 65, 2238-2242. (2) Waller, D. F.; Ogata, S. A. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2000, 66, 4115-4118. (15) Hathout, Y.; Demirev, P. A.; Ho, Y.-P.; Bundy, J. L.; Ryzhov, V.; Sapp, L.; (3) Johnson, R. P.; Durham, R. J.; Johnson, S. T.; MacDonald, L. A.; Jeffrey, S. Stutler, J.; Jackman, J.; Fenselau, C. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1999, 65, R.; Butman, B. T. EHEC-Tek. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1995, 61, 386- 4313-4319. 388. (16) Jarman, K. H.; Cebula, S. T.; Saenz, A. J.; Petersen, C. E.; Valentine, N. B.; (4) Milley, D. G.; Sekla, L. H. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1993, 59, 4223-4229. Wahl, K. L. Anal. Chem. 2000, 72, 1217-1223. 2746 Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 75, No. 11, June 1, 2003 10.1021/ac020698u CCC: $25.00 © 2003 American Chemical Society Published on Web 05/30/2003 to MALDI-MS. Conventional separation techniques such as high- combinations of field and separation mode give rise to different performance liquid chromatography and gel electrophoresis have FFF techniques. been used for the analysis of bacterial cell extracts prior to MALDI- In this study, flow (or cross-flow) FFF was used to fractionate TOF MS.17,18 However, these techniques are not successful for bacterial cells prior to MALDI-TOF analyses. The cross-flow ªfieldº dealing with intact bacterial particles. In addition, size exclusion interacts with sample components through positive displacement. chromatography is one of the most widely used techniques for This leads to two features that make flow FFF unique among the macromolecular fractionation but is not a suitable technique for FFF family. First, flow FFF is universally applicable since the biological particles that would plug the column. Capillary elec- cross-flow sweeps everything to the accumulation wall, and thus, trophoresis, which separates bacteria on the basis of differences there is no requirement on sample properties; e.g., the sample in electrophoretic mobilities, has been shown to yield rapid (<10 species must be charged in order to use electrical FFF. Second, min) and high-efficiency separations (>106 plates/m).19-24 The in the absence of differentiating interactions between the cross- electrophoretic mobilities are dependent upon surface properties flow ªfieldº and the sample components, the flow FFF separation of bacteria and the solution in which the bacteria are sus- process occurs as a result of differences in diffusion coefficients. pended.20,22 Hence, care must be taken in the preparation of The smaller faster diffusing components occupy equilibrium microbes and microbial solutions.20,22 This can be a difficult positions further from the channel accumulation wall and are endeavor because of the complexity of microbes and the variety eluted prior to larger size components. Hence, flow FFF separa- of environments in which they are found. tions are based solely on the size of the sample species, making In the present study, we demonstrate the feasibility of a novel this technique particularly suited for complex samples that also approach of separating intact bacterial cells using flow field-flow have distributions in density, charge, etc. This simplifies the fractionation (flow FFF) as a precursor to MALDI-MS analysis. interpretation of flow FFF results. FFF is a family of elution techniques capable of performing high- Previous FFF studies for bacteria were performed using resolution separation and characterization of particles and mac- sedimentation FFF (centrifugal force is the external field).32-35 romolecules ranging in size from 1 nm to 100 µm.25,26 Retention These works involved submicrometer-sized bacteria and the in most types of FFF is based on differences in the physicochem- normal mode separation mechanism. High-resolution separations ical properties such as size, density, charge, and composition. were achieved, but each run required 50-100 min. Typically, these Field-flow fractionation uses a thin, ribbonlike, open channel times can be reduced by increasing the channel flow rate or through which sample components are transported by a carrier decreasing the field strength. Alternately, the hyperlayer mech- liquid. The separation occurs by differential migration in the anism can be invoked to yield high-speed separations.36 In the stream of the carrier flowing through the channel. The flow profile hyperlayer mode, high channel flow rates generate hydrodynamic in such a channel is parabolic with the fastest flow velocity at the lift forces that propel sample away from the accumulation wall.37 center of the channel. Different transverse distributions of sample The distance between the particle and the wall is determined by components in the parabolic flow profile are induced by counter- the balance between lift forces and the cross-flow-induced force action between diffusion of components and an external field as shown in Figure 1. Larger particles experience greater lift forces applied perpendicular to the separation axis. The external field and elute earlier than the smaller particle. Compared to the normal drives the sample to the accumulation wall of the channel while mode mechanism that was used in the previous FFF studies, this the diffusion causes migration of the sample away from the wall. hyperlayer mode is capable of high-resolution separations in very Each component will be transported at a different velocity short times. Hence, this is the separation mechanism of choice depending on its equilibrium position in the channel.