A High-Throughput Method for the Quantitative Determination of Free Amino Acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Amino acids are the building blocks for protein synthesis and the precursors for many biomolecules, such as glutathione and S-adenosylmethionine. Their intracellular concentrations provide valuable information about the overall metabolic state of the cell, as they are closely connected to carbon and nitrogen metabolism and are tightly regulated to meet cellular demands in ever-changing environments. Here, we describe a fast and simple method enabling metabolic profiling for free amino acids for large numbers of yeast strains. Metabolites are extracted with boiling ethanol and, without further conditioning, analyzed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS). Several hundred samples can be prepared in a single day with an analytical runtime of 3.25 min. This method is valuable for functional characterization, identification of metabolic regulators and processes, or monitoring of biotechnological processes.