Plant Lipidomics using UPLC Coupled to Ion Mobility MS

Lipids – one of the most abundant classes of macromolecules – modulate key functions in plants, including photosynthesis, immunity and pathogen infection. Alterations in lipid composition have been linked to both genetic and environmental factors. A global lipid analysis could allow to uncover roles for lipids in plant response to stresses and to identify in vivo functions of genes involved in lipid metabolism.

The challenge with global lipid analysis is the chemical complexity and the large range of concentrations of thousands of lipid species that are present in plants. In this study, we developed a robust workflow for global lipid profiling, which employs UPLC®/ion mobility/time-of-flight (TOF) MS^E (HDMS^E) for the high throughput and automated identification of lipids. The use of UPLC coupled to HDMS^E provides multiple degrees of orthogonal separation, delivering unprecedented peak capacity required for the confident identification of lipid species in a biological mixture.

Our strategy for plant lipidomic analysis can be applied in phenotype fingerprinting, functional genomics, and nutritional and dietary research.