Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of the ultraviolet screening pigment scytonemin: characteristic fragmentations

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/multistage mass spectrometry has been used to study the mass spectral fragmentation of the cyanobacterial sheath pigment scytonemin and its reduced counterpart. The two pigments exhibit characteristic fragment ions in their MS2 and MS3 spectra that are of value in confirming the identification of the structures in extracts from natural environments.

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of bacteriochlorophylls from Chlorobiaceae: characteristic fragmentations

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (APCI-LC/MS/MS) has been applied to the study of bacteriochlorophylls c, d, and e of phototrophic prokaryotes. Cultures of Chlorobiaceae containing bacteriochlorophyll c, d or e were examined using a high-resolution high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method and APCI-LC/MS/MS employing post-column addition of formic acid. The results reveal complex distributions of bacteriochlorophyll homologues, with some closely eluting species giving isobaric protonated molecules. On-line LC/MS/MS studies reveal characteristic fragment ions for bacteriochlorophylls c, d, and e. Fragmentations involving loss of the extended alkyl substituents that are unique to bacteriochlorophylls c, d and e and their derivatives have been rationalised by studying the phaeophorbides and the results applied to the direct study of the bacteriochlorophylls.

Quantification of oxygenated volatile organic compounds in seawater by membrane inlet-proton transfer reaction/mass spectrometry

The role of the ocean in the cycling of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) remains largely unanswered due to a paucity of datasets. We describe the method development of a membrane inlet-proton transfer reaction/mass spectrometer (MI-PTR/MS) as an efficient method of analysing methanol, acetaldehyde and acetone in seawater. Validation of the technique with water standards shows that the optimised responses are linear and reproducible. Limits of detection are 27 nM for methanol, 0.7 nM for acetaldehyde and 0.3 nM for acetone. Acetone and acetaldehyde concentrations generated by MI-PTR/MS are compared to a second, independent method based on purge and trap-gas chromatography/flame ionisation detection (P&T-GC/FID) and show excellent agreement. Chromatographic separation of isomeric species acetone and propanal permits correction to mass 59 signal generated by the PTR/MS and overcomes a known uncertainty in reporting acetone concentrations via mass spectrometry. A third bioassay technique using radiolabelled acetone further supported the result generated by this method. We present the development and optimisation of the MI-PTR/MS technique as a reliable and convenient tool for analysing seawater samples for these trace gases. We compare this method with other analytical techniques and discuss its potential use in improving the current understanding of the cycling of oceanic OVOCs.

Bacterioviridins: novel sedimentary chlorins providing evidence for oxidative processes affecting palaeobacterial communities

Of novel sedimentary transformation products of bacteriochlorophyll a, 7,8-didehydro derivatives (Bacterioviridins), has been identified using high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography-multistage mass spectrometry. The derivatives occur in a range of sediments including Priest Pot (UK), les Salines de la Trinital, Ebre delta (Spain), Sutton-on-the-Forest (UK) and Certes (France). The Bacterioviridins are products of oxidative transformation of bacteriochlorophyll a, and their presence in sediments indicates exposure of the bacterial community to oxygen.

A high resolution study of the chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll pigment distributions in a calcite/gypsum microbial mat

Application of a high resolution high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method to the study of a microbial mat system has permitted the identification of a greater number of pigments derived from green bacteria than reported in a previous study. Although the green bacteria found in the mat were identified as Chloroflexus-like, bacteriochlorophylls and bacteriophaeophytins c that can be attributed to Chloroflexaceae on the basis of literature reports account for less than 10% of the pigments derived from green bacteria in the mat. Analysis of the bacteriochlorophylls and bacteriophaeophytins c and d using atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry reveals complex depth profiles, signalling inputs from a number of organisms. The pigment compositions provide evidence for green bacteria living in close proximity to the living cyanobacterial mat. Depth profiles of pigments derived from green, purple and cyanobacteria indicate that the remnants of mats present in the deeper part of the section contain a record dominated by signatures from anoxygenic photoautotrophs.

A novel sedimentary chlorin: structural evidence for a chlorophyll origin for aetioporphyrins

A novel sedimentary transformation product of chlorophyll, purpurin-7 phytyl ester, has been identified by atmo- spheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry in sediments from Lake Baikal, Russia, Loch Ness and Priest Pot, UK. This product of oxidative transformation is an intermediate on the transformation pathway leading to sedimentary aetioporphyrins and its occurrence lends strong support to the view that aetiopor- phyrins derive mainly from precursor chlorophylls.

Quantification of glycine betaine, choline and trimethylamine N-oxide in seawater particulates: Minimisation of seawater associated ion suppression

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS, electrospray ionisation) method has been developed for the quantification of nitrogenous osmolytes (N-osmolytes) in the particulate fraction of natural water samples. Full method validation demonstrates the validity of the method for measuring glycine betaine (GBT), choline and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in particulates from seawater. Limits of detection were calculated as 3.5, 1.2 and 5.9 pg injected onto column (equivalent to 1.5, 0.6 and 3.9 nmol per litre) for GBT, choline and TMAO respectively. Precision of the method was typically 3% for both GBT and choline and 6% for TMAO. Collection of the particulate fraction of natural samples was achieved via in-line filtration. Resulting chromatography and method sensitivity was assessed and compared for the use of both glass fibre and polycarbonate filters during sample collection. Ion suppression was shown to be a significant cause of reduced instrument response to N-osmolytes and was associated with the presence of seawater in the sample matrix

Quantification of glycine betaine, choline and trimethylamine N-oxide in seawater particulates: Minimisation of seawater associated ion suppression

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS, electrospray ionisation) method has been developed for the quantification of nitrogenous osmolytes (N-osmolytes) in the particulate fraction of natural water samples. Full method validation demonstrates the validity of the method for measuring glycine betaine (GBT), choline and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in particulates from seawater. Limits of detection were calculated as 3.5, 1.2 and 5.9 pg injected onto column (equivalent to 1.5, 0.6 and 3.9 nmol per litre) for GBT, choline and TMAO respectively. Precision of the method was typically 3% for both GBT and choline and 6% for TMAO. Collection of the particulate fraction of natural samples was achieved via in-line filtration. Resulting chromatography and method sensitivity was assessed and compared for the use of both glass fibre and polycarbonate filters during sample collection. Ion suppression was shown to be a significant cause of reduced instrument response to N-osmolytes and was associated with the presence of seawater in the sample matrix