The rapid identification of intact microorganisms using mass spectrometry

Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria continue to emerge, increasing the need for their fast and accurate identification. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), has become a prominent technique in biological mass spectrometry. We report the ap...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature biotechnology 1996-11, Vol.14 (11), p.1584-1586
Main Authors: Claydon, Martin A, Davey, Simon N, Edwards-Jones, Valeria, Gordon, Derek B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology
Bacteriology
Bioinformatics
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology
Biomedicine
Biotechnology
Coumaric Acids - analysis
Drug Resistance, Microbial
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gram-Negative Bacteria - chemistry
Gram-Positive Bacteria - chemistry
Life Sciences
Microbiology
Reproducibility of Results
research-article
Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization - methods
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Summary:Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria continue to emerge, increasing the need for their fast and accurate identification. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), has become a prominent technique in biological mass spectrometry. We report the application of MALDI-TOF-MS for the identification of intact Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms taken directly from culture. Analysis of bacteria from a single colony is possible, allowing the screening of mixed cultures. Sample preparation is simple and the analysis automated, providing spectra within minutes. The spectra obtained allow identification of microorganisms from different genera, different species, and from different strains of the same species. The procedure provides a unique mass spectral fingerprint of the microorganism, produced from desorbed components of the cell wall. Consistent data were obtained from subcultures grown for 3-day and 6-day periods, from the same cultures 1 day later and from fresh subcultures 2 months later.
ISSN:1087-0156
1546-1696
DOI:10.1038/nbt1196-1584