Lipid mapping on single-cell level by imaging mass spectrometry (IMS)

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07355
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cell biology
• Research Institution: Kanagawa University of Human Services
• Principal Investigator: KIMURA Yoshishige 神奈川県立保健福祉大学, 保健福祉学部, 准教授 (90274703)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SETOU Mitsutoshi 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (20302664)
• Research Collaborator: ISHIZAKI Itsuko ; SANADA Noriaki ; KANEKO Tomomi
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 質量分析イメージング法 / C. エレガンス / モデル生物 / 生体分子 / メタボローム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, our goal is to reveal the cellar distribution of biomolecules of C. elegans (a commonly used model organism for the life science) by application of IMS approach. Since C. elegans is a small animal, we have used TRIFT V, TOF-SIMS (Time-of-Flight Secondary Mass Spectrometry) system (ULVAC-PHI, Inc) and TOF-SIMS (IONTOF GmbH), which enables us to obtain nanoscale microstructure. Distribution images of fatty acids and amino acids on single-cell level were obtained using the frozen sections of C. elegans fixed by paraformaldehyde (PFA) cleaned by sputtering of Ar gas cluster ion beam (Ar-GCIB). The images with higher resolution were successfully obtained by the principal component analysis image fusion of TOF-SIMS and microscopic images. In addition, important secondary ions with lower intensity were effectively detected by pixel reduction.

Free Research Field

生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

脂質，アミノ酸などのタンパク質以外の生体分子はこれまで可視化する方法が少なく，分子の局在情報の取得が困難であった．本研究の研究成果により，生命科学の分野で広く用いられているモデル動物で質量分析イメージング法が利用できるようになった．今後，細胞レベルでの多くの生体分子の局在プロファイルの決定機構とその役割を明らかにすることが可能になり，将来的にはヒトを含めた高等動物に還元され，疾病の発病機構の解明や創薬などにつながることが期待される．