Submicron 3-D mass spectrometry imaging reveals an asymmetric molecular distribution on chemotaxing cells. Article

Castellanos, Anthony, Gomer, Richard H, Fernandez-Lima, Francisco. (2022). Submicron 3-D mass spectrometry imaging reveals an asymmetric molecular distribution on chemotaxing cells. . 11 1017. 10.12688/f1000research.124273.1

cited authors

  • Castellanos, Anthony; Gomer, Richard H; Fernandez-Lima, Francisco

abstract

  • Background: Dictyostelium discoideum is a ~10 µm diameter unicellular eukaryote that lives on soil surfaces. When starved, D. discoideum cells aggregate into streams of cells in a process called chemotaxis. In this report, we studied D. discoideum cells during chemotaxis using 3D - mass spectrometry imaging (3D-MSI). Methods: The 3D-MSI consisted of the sequential generation of 2D molecular maps using burst alignment coupled to delayed extraction time-of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) combined with a soft sputtering beam to access the different layers. Results: Molecular maps with sub-cellular high spatial resolution (~300 nm) indicated the presence of ions at m/z = 221 and 236 at the front and sides, but reduced levels at the back, of cells moving toward of aggregation streams. The 3D-MSI also detected an ion at m/z = 240 at the edges and back, but reduced levels at the front, of aggregating cells. Other ions showed an even distribution across the cells. Conclusions: Together, these results demonstrate the utility of sub-micron MSI to study eukaryotic chemotaxis.

publication date

  • January 1, 2022

keywords

  • Dictyostelium
  • Eukaryotic Cells
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Ions
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Medium

  • Electronic-eCollection

start page

  • 1017

volume

  • 11