Semiconstant-time P,H-COSY NMR: analysis of complex mixtures of phospholipids originating from Helicobacter pylori

Analytical Evaluation of Low-Field 31P NMR Spectroscopy for Lipid Analysis

We investigate the potential of ³¹P NMR with simple, maintenance-free benchtop spectrometers to probe phospholipids in complex mixtures. ³¹P NMR-based lipidomics has become an important topic in a wide range of applications in food- and health-sciences, and the continuous improvements of compact, maintenance- and cryogen-free instruments opens new opportunities for NMR routine analyses. A prior milestone is the evaluation of the analytical performance provided by ³¹P NMR at low magnetic field. To address this, we assess the ability of state-of-the-art benchtop NMR spectrometers to detect, identify, and quantify several types of phospholipids in mixtures. Relying on heteronuclear cross-polarization experiments, phospholipids can be detected in 2 h with a limit of detection of 0.5 mM at 1 T and 0.2 mM at 2 T, while the headgroups of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and phosphatidyl-glycerol (PG) can be unambiguously assigned based on 2D ¹H-³¹P total correlated spectroscopy (TOCSY) spectra. Furthermore, two quantitative methods to obtain absolute concentrations are proposed and discussed, and the performance is evaluated regarding precision and accuracy.

Microscale Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Extracellular Metabolites in Live Multicellular Tumor Spheroids

Extracellular compounds in tumors play critical roles in intercellular communication, tumor proliferation, and cancer cell metastasis. However, the lack of appropriate techniques leads to limited studies of extracellular metabolite. Here, we introduced a microscale collection device, the Micro-funnel, fabricated from biocompatible fused silica capillary. With a small probe size (∼25 μm), the Micro-funnel can be implanted into live multicellular tumor spheroids to accumulate the extracellular metabolites produced by cancer cells. Metabolites collected in the Micro-funnel device were then extracted by a microscale sampling and ionization device, the Single-probe, for real-time mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. We successfully detected the abundance change of anticancer drug irinotecan and its metabolites inside spheroids treated under a series of conditions. Moreover, we found that irinotecan treatment dramatically altered the composition of extracellular compounds. Specifically, we observed the increased abundances of a large number of lipids, which are potentially related to the drug resistance of cancer cells. This study provides a novel way to detect the extracellular compounds inside live spheroids, and the successful development of our technique can benefit the research in multiple areas, including the microenvironment inside live tissues, cell-cell communication, biomarker discovery, and drug development.

NMR-based metabolite profiling of human milk: A pilot study of methods for investigating compositional changes during lactation

Low-molecular-weight metabolites in human milk are gaining increasing interest in studies of infant nutrition. In the present study, the milk metabolome from a single mother was explored at different stages of lactation. Metabolites were extracted from sample aliquots using either methanol/water (MeOH/H2O) extraction or ultrafiltration. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used for metabolite identification and quantification, and multi- and univariate statistical data analyses were used to detect changes over time of lactation. Compared to MeOH/H2O extraction, ultrafiltration more efficiently reduced the interference from lipid and protein resonances, thereby enabling the identification and quantification of 36 metabolites. The human milk metabolomes at the early (9-24 days after delivery) and late (31-87 days after delivery) stages of lactation were distinctly different according to multi- and univariate statistics. The late lactation stage was characterized by significantly elevated concentrations of lactose, choline, alanine, glutamate, and glutamine, as well as by reduced levels of citrate, phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, and N-acetylglucosamine. Our results indicate that there are significant compositional changes of the human milk metabolome also in different phases of the matured lactation stage. These findings complement temporal studies on the colostrum and transitional metabolome in providing a better understanding of the nutritional variations received by an infant.

The sodium/proline transporter PutP of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is cause of chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer and gastric carcinoma in humans. L-proline is a preferred energy source of the microaerophilic bacterium. Previous analyses revealed that HpputP and HpputA, the genes that are predicted to play a central role in proline metabolism as they encode for the proline transporter and proline dehydrogenase, respectively, are essential for stomach colonization. Here, the molecular basis of proline transport in H. pylori by HpPutP was investigated experimentally for the first time. Measuring radiolabeled substrate transport in H. pylori and E. coli heterologously expressing HpputP as well as in proteoliposomes reconstituted with HpPutP, we demonstrate that the observed proline transport in H. pylori is mediated by HpPutP. HpPutP is specific and exhibits a high affinity for L-proline. Notably, L-proline transport is exclusively dependent on Na⁺ as coupling ion, i.e., Na⁺/L-proline symport, reminiscent to the properties of PutP of E. coli even though H. pylori lives in a more acidic environment. Homology model-based structural comparisons and substitution analyses identified amino acids crucial for function. HpPutP-catalyzed proline uptake was efficiently inhibited by the known proline analogs 3,4-dehydro-D,L-proline and L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid.

Two-dimensional ³¹P,¹H NMR spectroscopic profiling of phospholipids in cheese and fish

Phospholipids (PLs) comprise an important lipid class in food because of their technological use as emulsifiers and their nutritional value. This study used one-dimensional (31)P NMR and two-dimensional (2D) (31)P,(1)H COSY NMR spectroscopy for the determination of the PL composition of cheese and fish after liquid-liquid enrichment. This extraction step enabled the identification of 10 PLs in cheese and 9 PLs in fish by 2D (31)P,(1)H NMR. Variations in the (31)P shifts indicated differences in the fatty acids attached to the individual PLs. The total PL content in cheese fat and fish oil ranged from 0.3 to 0.4% and from 5 to 12%, respectively. Phosphatidylcholine was the most prominent PL in both matrices (up to 65%). Minor PLs (limit of detection = 4 nmol, i.e. 500 μL of an 8 μM solution) were identified in forms of phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylglycerol. Specific cross couplings and (1)H fine structures in the 2D (31)P,(1)H NMR spectra proved to be valuable for the assignment and verification of known and uncommon PLs in the samples.

Lipids are required for the development of Brazil nut allergy: the role of mouse and human iNKT cells

BACKGROUND

Lipids are required for mice sensitization to Ber e 1, Brazil nut major allergen. Here, we characterized different lipid fractions extracted from Brazil nuts and the lipid-binding ability of Ber e 1. Further, we determined their in vivo ability to induce Ber-specific anaphylactic antibodies and the role of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells in this process.

METHODS

Wild-type (WT) and iNKT cell-deficient mice were sensitized with Ber e 1 and specific lipid fractions, and anaphylactic antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA). The lipid-binding characteristic of Ber e 1 (Ber) was established by using fluorescent probes and (15) N-labeled NMR. In vitro production of IL-4 was determined in Ber/lipid C-stimulated mouse iNKT cells and human T-cell lines containing NKTs primed with CD1d+C1R transfectants by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively.

RESULTS

Only one specific lipid fraction (lipid C), containing neutral and common phospholipids, induced Ber anaphylactic antibodies in mice. Ber e 1 has a lipid-binding site, and our results indicated an interaction between Ber e 1 and lipid C. iNKT-deficient mice produced lower levels of anaphylactic antibodies than WT mice. In vitro, Ber/lipid C-stimulated murine iNKT cells produced IL-4 but not IFN-gamma. Human T-cell lines derived from nut-allergic patients produced IL-4 to Ber/lipid C in a CD1d- and dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

Lipid fraction C from Brazil nut presents an essential adjuvant activity to Ber e 1 sensitization, and iNKT cells play a critical role in the development of Brazil nut-allergic response.

High-resolution characterization of organic phosphorus in soil extracts using 2D 1H-31P NMR correlation spectroscopy

Organic phosphorus (P) compounds represent a major component of soil P in many soils and are key sources of P for microbes and plants. Solution NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) is a powerful technique for characterizing organic P species. However, (31)P NMR spectra are often complicated by overlapping peaks, which hampers identification and quantification of the numerous P species present in soils. Overlap is often exacerbated by the presence of paramagnetic metal ions, even if they are in complexes with EDTA following NaOH/EDTA extraction. By removing paramagnetic impurities using a new precipitation protocol, we achieved a dramatic improvement in spectral resolution. Furthermore, the obtained reduction in line widths enabled the use of multidimensional NMR methods to resolve overlapping (31)P signals. Using the new protocol on samples from two boreal humus soils with different Fe contents, 2D (1)H-(31)P correlation spectra allowed unambiguous identification of a large number of P species based on their (31)P and (1)H chemical shifts and their characteristic coupling patterns, which would not have been possible using previous protocols. This approach can be used to identify organic P species in samples from both terrestrial and aquatic environments increasing our understanding of organic P biogeochemistry.

Versatile (1)H-(31)P-(31)P COSY 2D NMR techniques for the characterization of polyphosphorylated small molecules

Di- and triphosphorylated small molecules represent key intermediates in a wide range of biological and chemical processes. The importance of polyphosphorylated species in biology and medicine underscores the need to develop methods for the detection and characterization of this compound class. We have reported two-dimensional HPP-COSY spectroscopy techniques to identify diphosphate-containing metabolic intermediates at submillimolar concentrations in the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway. (1) In this work, we explore the scope of HPP-COSY-based techniques to characterize a diverse group of small organic molecules bearing di- and triphosphorylated moieties. These include molecules containing P-O-P and P-C-P connectivities, multivalent P(III)-O-P(V) phosphorus nuclei with widely separated chemical shifts, as well as virtually overlapping (31)P resonances exhibiting strong coupling effects. We also demonstrate the utility of these experiments to rapidly distinguish between mono- and diphosphates. A detailed protocol for optimizing these experiments to achieve best performance is presented.

Biochemical and functional characterization of Helicobacter pylori vesicles

Helicobacter pylori can cause peptic ulcer disease and/or gastric cancer. Adhesion of bacteria to the stomach mucosa is an important contributor to the vigour of infection and resulting virulence. H. pylori adheres primarily via binding of BabA adhesins to ABO/Lewis b (Leb) blood group antigens and the binding of SabA adhesins to sialyl-Lewis x/a (sLex/a) antigens. Similar to most Gram-negative bacteria, H. pylori continuously buds off vesicles and vesicles derived from pathogenic bacteria often include virulence-associated factors. Here we biochemically characterized highly purified H. pylori vesicles. Major protein and phospholipid components associated with the vesicles were identified with mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. A subset of virulence factors present was confirmed by immunoblots. Additional functional and biochemical analysis focused on the vesicle BabA and SabA adhesins and their respective interactions to human gastric epithelium. Vesicles exhibit heterogeneity in their protein composition, which were specifically studied in respect to the BabA adhesin. We also demonstrate that the oncoprotein, CagA, is associated with the surface of H. pylori vesicles. Thus, we have explored mechanisms for intimate H. pylori vesicle–host interactions and found that the vesicles carry effector-promoting properties that are important to disease development.