Acid-base-driven matrix-assisted mass spectrometry for targeted metabolomics.

The ability to charge huge biomolecules without breaking them apart has made matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry an indispensable tool for biomolecular analysis. Conventional, empirically selected matrices produce abundant matrix ion clusters in the low-mass region (<500 Da), hampering the application of MALDI-MS to metabolomics. An ionization mode of MAILD, a rational protocol for matrix selection based on Brønsted-Lowry acid-base theory and its application to metabolomics, biological screening/profiling/imaging, and clinical diagnostics is illustrated. Numerous metabolites, covering important metabolic pathways (Krebs' cycle, fatty acid and glucosinolate biosynthesis), were detected in extracts, biofluids, and/or in biological tissues (Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and human blood). This approach moves matrix selection from "black art" to rational design and sets a paradigm for small-molecule analysis via MALDI-MS.