Orbitrap mass spectrometry for monitoring the ganglioside pattern in human cerebellum development and aging.

We have developed here a superior approach based on high-resolution (HR) mass spectrometry (MS) for monitoring the changes occurring with development and aging in the composition and structure of cerebellar gangliosidome. The experiments were focused on the comparative screening and structural analysis of gangliosides expressed in fetal and aged cerebellum by Orbitrap MS with nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI) in the negative ion mode. The employed ultrahigh-resolution MS platform allowed the discrimination, without the need of previous separation, of 159 ions corresponding to 120 distinct species in the native ganglioside mixtures from fetal and aged cerebellar biopsies, many more than detected before, when MS platforms of lower resolution were employed.

Trends in Glycolipid Biomarker Discovery in Neurodegenerative Disorders by Mass Spectrometry.

Considering the devastating effects of neurodegenerative disorders and the increasing number of people affected by them, an early diagnosis even presymptomatic, prior to serious mental deterioration is necessary. Therefore, screening for biomarkers, especially glycolipids, in the biological matrices, either tissues or body fluids has proven to be of a great help in establishing an early diagnosis of the disease.The present chapter, divided into three parts, highlights the implementation and modern applications of the most avant-garde mass spectrometry (MS) techniques characterized by speed, sensitivity and data accuracy for de novo identification and monitoring of glycolipids with potential biomarker role.

Gangliosidome of human anencephaly: A high resolution multistage mass spectrometry study.

Widely dispersed throughout the entire body tissues, gangliosides (GGs) are essential components of neuronal cell membranes, where exhibit a vital role in neuronal function and brain development, directly influencing the neural tube formation, neurogenesis, neurotransmission, etc. Due to several factors, partial or complete closing faults of the fetal neural tube may occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, generating a series of neural tube defects (NTD), among which anencephaly. The absence in anencephaly of the forebrain and skull bones determines the exposure to the amniotic fluid of the remaining brain tissue and the spinal cord, causing the degeneration of the nervous system tissue.