Localization of Fatty Acids with Selective Chain Length by Imaging Time‐of‐Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Localization of fatty acids in biological tissues was made by using TOF-SIMS (time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry). Two cell-types with a specific fatty acid distribution are shown. In rat cerebellum, different distribution patterns of stearic acid (C18:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), and oleic acid (C18:1) were found. Stearic acid signals were observed accumulated in Purkinje cells with high intensities inside the cell, but not in the nucleus region. The signals colocalized with high intensity signals of the phosphocholine head group, indicating origin from phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin. In mouse intestine, high palmitic acid signals were found in the secretory crypt cells together with high levels of phosphorylinositol colocalized in the crypt region. Palmitic acid was also seen in the intestinal lumen that contains high amounts of mucine, which is known to be produced in the crypt cells. Linoleic acid signals (C18:2) were low in the crypt region and high in the villus region. Oleic acid signals were seen in the villi and stearic acid signals were ubiquitous with no specific localization in the intestine. We conclude that the results obtained by using imaging TOF-SIMS are consistent with known brain and intestine biochemistry and that the localization of fatty acids is specific in differentiated cells.

Lipid mapping of colonic mucosa by cluster TOF-SIMS imaging and multivariate analysis in cftr knockout mice

“…Our results seem to be in agreement with a recent report based on TOF-SIMS imaging of rat duodenum ( 46 ). In this seminal study, strong signals corresponding to C16:0 and to the PI polar head ( m/z With respect to vE changes, a defi cit in serum vE in CF patients, attributed to intestinal malabsorption, is widely accepted ( 65,66 ).…”

“…PC1-4, principal component 1-4. 241) were found in the Lieberkühn crypt region; whereas the C18:2 signal was weak in the crypt and strong in the villus, C18:1 was predominant in villi, and C18:0 was ubiquitous ( 46 ). In our study, C18:2, an essential fatty acid, was mainly found in the epithelial border ( Fig.…”

The chemical composition of animal cells reconstructed from 2D and 3D ToF-SIMS analysis

“…Most successful in terms of publications are the following three subjects: (1) investigations on the miscibility of lipids and proteins in Langmuir-Blodgett films in cooperation with two biophysics groups [28][29][30][31]. (2) Tissue slide analysis is performed by and/or in close co-operation with the group of Hakan Nygrenas will be shown by him in this session [32][33][34]. (3) In close cooperation with biochemistry groups of the University of Muenster we study animal cells from in vitro culture by ToF-SIMS analysis [26,35].…”

ToF‐SIMS analysis of myocardial infarcted tissue

“…For positive ion spectra, Fig. 1(a) + (m/z 184, phosphocholine) [7,11] are associated with the control and MSCtreated MI tissues, not with the MI tissue, as the positive scores correspond to the positive loadings and vice versa ( Fig. 1(b)).…”