Monday, April 19, 2010
2-23

Imaging matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) of poplar stem

Seokwon Jung1, Yanfeng Chen2, M. Cameron Sullards1, and Art J. Ragauskas3. (1) School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BioEnergy Science Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, 500 10th street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, (2) School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 315 Ferst Dr., 0501 IBB, Atlanta, GA 30332, (3) School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute of Paper Science and Technology, BioEnergy Science Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, 500 10th St., Atlanta, GA 30332

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) was used to illustrate the spatial distribution of cellulose on the surface of cross-sectioned poplar stem after acid hydrolysis.  Mass spectra of the treated poplar stem represented series of intense fragment peaks containing 162 Da mass differences between adjacent peaks.  As the glucose content of the treated poplar stem by bulk carbohydrate analysis indicated ~96%, the intense peaks must be produced by cellulose.  Moreover mass spectra of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH-101) in (+)ve mode MALDI-MS was also identical to that of the treated poplar stem.  To achieve imaging MALDI-MS of the treated poplar stem, the oscillating capillary nebulizer (OCN) was employed as matrix deposition on the sample surface.  The molecular images represented spatial distribution of cellulose on the treated poplar stem, which were highly correlated with a microphotograph of the rastered sample by SEM.  This result suggests that imaging MALDI-MS technique is a powerful tool for surface characterization in plant cell wall providing high spatial mass distribution.

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