Ionic matrices for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry analysis of microRNA biomarkers

Abstract

The use of ionic matrices (IMs) was evaluated as an alternative to conventional matrices to analyze microRNAs (miRNAs) by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). 2, 4, 6-Trihydroxyacetophenone (THAP), 6-aza-2-thiothymine (ATT) and 3-hydroxypicolinic acid (3-HPA) and their IMs with pyridine (PYR) and butylamine (BA) were studied to analyze a standard mixture of miRNAs: miR-21, let-7g and iso-miR-16. Among all the studied matrices, ATT-PYR at 75 mg/mL in acetonitrile (MeCN):H2O (50:50, v/v) was selected as the optimal. Furthermore, addition of ammonium citrate dibasic (AC) as signal enhancer was mandatory to obtain an appropriate miRNA detection. ATT-PYR provided the best sensitivity, with limit of detection (LOD) up to 5 nM (equivalent to 1 fmol in the spot) and excellent spot-to-spot repeatability due to the improved homogeneity of the spots compared to the conventional matrices. The applicability of the established method to direct, multiplex and untargeted analysis of miRNAs in serum samples was also investigated.