Determination of picomolar levels of methylmercury complexes with low molecular mass thiols by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and online preconcentration

Author:

Liem-Nguyen Van,Nguyen-Ngoc Hoang-Tung,Adediran Gbotemi A.,Björn Erik

Abstract

AbstractMethylmercury (MeHg) is one of the most potent neurotoxins. It is produced in nature through the methylation of inorganic divalent mercury (HgII) by phylogenetically diverse anaerobic microbes. The mechanistic understanding of the processes that govern the extent of bacterial export of MeHg, its bioaccumulation, and bio-toxicity depends on accurate quantification of its species, especially its complexation with low molecular mass thiols; organometallic complexes that are difficult to detect and measure in natural conditions. Here, we report the development of a novel analytical method based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to determine 13 MeHg complexes with important thiol compounds which have been observed in the environment and in biological systems. By using online preconcentration via solid phase extraction (SPE), the method offers picomolar (12–530 pM) detection limits, the lowest reported so far for the determination of MeHg compounds. Among three different SPE materials, a weak cation exchange phase showed the best efficiency at a low pH of 2.5. We further report the presence of MeHg-cysteine, MeHg-cysteamine, MeHg-penicillamine, MeHg-cysteinylglycine, and MeHg-glutamylcysteine as the predominant MeHg–thiol complexes in the extracellular milieu of an important HgII methylating bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA, exposed to 100 nM of HgII.

Funder

Umeå Universitet

Kempe Foundations

Swedish Mercury Management Research Framework

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Subject

Biochemistry,Analytical Chemistry

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3