Characterization of Aspergillus spores by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

• Published in: Rapid communications in mass spectrometry 2000-01, Vol.14 (24), p.2393-2400
• Main Authors: Li, Tzu-Ying, Liu, Biing-Hui, Chen, Yu-Chie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aspergillus - chemistry; Aspergillus - classification; Aspergillus - cytology; Aspergillus - metabolism; Cell Wall - chemistry; Coumaric Acids - metabolism; Crops, Agricultural - microbiology; Species Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization - methods; Spores, Fungal - chemistry; Spores, Fungal - classification; Spores, Fungal - cytology; Spores, Fungal - metabolism
• ISSN: 0951-4198; 1097-0231
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0231(20001230)14:24<2393::AID-RCM178>3.0.CO;2-9

The intact fungal spores of several strains of four Aspergillus species, Aspergillus flavus, A. oryzae, A. parasiticus, and A. sojae, were directly analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Very simple MALDI mass spectra are obtained by directly mixing spores with a matrix such as α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid or sinapinic acid. The mass spectra are obtained from the ablation of cell walls of spores owing to the acidity of the matrix solution. The MALDI results show that aflatoxigenic strains and non‐aflatoxigenic strains have different mass peak profiles. Furthermore, the MALDI results of non‐aflatoxigenic A. flavus and A. parasiticus spores resemble those of the closely related A. oryzae and A. sojae spores, respectively. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.