Abstract
Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) is a very useful analytical technique for the selective and highly efficient profiling of polar and charged metabolites in a wide range of biological samples. Compared to other analytical techniques, the use of CE-MS in metabolomics is relatively low as the approach is still regarded as technically challenging and not reproducible. In this chapter, the possibilities of CE-MS for metabolomics are highlighted with special emphasis on the use of recently developed interfacing designs. The utility of CE-MS for targeted and untargeted metabolomics studies is demonstrated by discussing representative and recent examples in the biomedical and clinical fields. The potential of CE-MS for large-scale and quantitative metabolomics studies is also addressed. Finally, some general conclusions and perspectives are given on this strong analytical separation technique for probing the polar metabolome.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- APFO:
-
Ammonium perfluorooctanoate
- BGE:
-
Background electrolyte
- CEC:
-
Capillary electrochromatography
- CE-MS:
-
Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry
- CGE:
-
Capillary gel electrophoresis
- cIEF:
-
Capillary isoelectric focusing
- CZE:
-
Capillary zone electrophoresis
- EOF:
-
Electro-osmotic flow
- HILIC:
-
Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography
- ITP:
-
Isotachophoresis
- MEKC:
-
Micellar electrokinetic chromatography
- MSI:
-
Multi-segment injection
- NACE:
-
Non-aqueous CE
- SDS:
-
Sodium dodecyl sulphate
- TOF-MS:
-
Time-of-flight mass spectrometry
- μep:
-
Electrophoretic mobility
References
Ramautar R et al (2013) Human metabolomics: strategies to understand biology. Curr Opin Chem Biol 17(5):841–846
Wishart DS et al (2018) HMDB 4.0: the human metabolome database for. Nucleic Acids Res 46(D1):D608–D617
Psychogios N et al (2011) The human serum metabolome. PLoS One 6(2):e16957
Miggiels P et al (2018) Novel technologies for metabolomics: more for less. TrAC Trends Anal Chem 120:115323
Kuehnbaum NL, Britz-McKibbin P (2013) New advances in separation science for metabolomics: resolving chemical diversity in a post-genomic era. Chem Rev 113(4):2437–2468
Kohler I, Giera M (2017) Recent advances in liquid-phase separations for clinical metabolomics. J Sep Sci 40(1):93–108
Gika HG et al (2014) Current practice of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in metabolomics and metabonomics. J Pharm Biomed Anal 87:12–25
Buscher JM et al (2009) Cross-platform comparison of methods for quantitative metabolomics of primary metabolism. Anal Chem 81(6):2135–2143
Tang DQ et al (2016) HILIC-MS for metabolomics: an attractive and complementary approach to RPLC-MS. Mass Spectrom Rev 35(5):574–600
Fukai K et al (2016) Metabolic profiling of total physical activity and sedentary behavior in community-dwelling men. PLoS One 11(10):e0164877
Harada S et al (2018) Reliability of plasma polar metabolite concentrations in a large-scale cohort study using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. PLoS One 13(1):e0191230
Soga T et al (2003) Quantitative metabolome analysis using capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry. J Proteome Res 2(5):488–494
Kok MGM, Somsen GW, de Jong GJ (2014) The role of capillary electrophoresis in metabolic profiling studies employing multiple analytical techniques. TrAC Trends Anal Chem 61:223–235
Kok MG, Somsen GW, de Jong GJ (2015) Comparison of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry and hydrophilic interaction chromatography-mass spectrometry for anionic metabolic profiling of urine. Talanta 132:1–7
Ramautar R (2017) Resolving volume-restricted metabolomics using Sheathless capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Lc Gc Europe 30(12):658–661
Ruta J et al (2010) A systematic investigation of the effect of sample diluent on peak shape in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr A 1217(52):8230–8240
Ramautar R et al (2011) Metabolic profiling of human urine by CE-MS using a positively charged capillary coating and comparison with UPLC-MS. Mol BioSyst 7(1):194–199
Naz S, Garcia A, Barbas C (2013) Multiplatform analytical methodology for metabolic fingerprinting of lung tissue. Anal Chem 85(22):10941–10948
Ibanez C et al (2012) CE/LC-MS multiplatform for broad metabolomic analysis of dietary polyphenols effect on colon cancer cells proliferation. Electrophoresis 33(15):2328–2336
Klein J et al (2014) Comparison of CE-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS sequencing demonstrates significant complementarity in natural peptide identification in human urine. Electrophoresis 35(7):1060–1064
Drouin N et al (2018) Effective mobility as a robust criterion for compound annotation and identification in metabolomics: toward a mobility-based library. Anal Chim Acta 1032:178–187
Ramautar R, Somsen GW, de Jong GJ (2009) CE-MS in metabolomics. Electrophoresis 30(1):276–291
Ramautar R et al (2011) CE-MS for metabolomics: developments and applications in the period 2008-2010. Electrophoresis 32(1):52–65
Ramautar R, Somsen GW, de Jong GJ (2013) CE-MS for metabolomics: developments and applications in the period 2010–2012. Electrophoresis 34(1):86–98
Ramautar R, Somsen GW, de Jong GJ (2015) CE-MS for metabolomics: developments and applications in the period 2012–2014. Electrophoresis 36(1):212–224
Ramautar R, Somsen GW, de Jong GJ (2017) CE-MS for metabolomics: developments and applications in the period 2014–2016. Electrophoresis 38(1):190–202
Ramautar R, Somsen GW, de Jong GJ (2019) CE-MS for metabolomics: developments and applications in the period 2016–2018. Electrophoresis 40(1):165–179
Ramautar R (2016) Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for clinical metabolomics. Adv Clin Chem 74:1–34
Jellum E, Thorsrud AK, Time E (1991) Capillary electrophoresis for diagnosis and studies of human disease, particularly metabolic disorders. J Chromatogr 559(1–2):455–465
Jellum E et al (1997) Diagnostic applications of chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl 689(1):155–164
Jellum E, Dollekamp H, Blessum C (1996) Capillary electrophoresis for clinical problem solving: analysis of urinary diagnostic metabolites and serum proteins. J Chromatogr B Biomed Appl 683(1):55–65
Barbas C et al (1998) Quantitative determination of short-chain organic acids in urine by capillary electrophoresis. Clin Chem 44(6 Pt 1):1340–1342
Mayboroda OA et al (2007) Amino acid profiling in urine by capillary zone electrophoresis – mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1159(1–2):149–153
Soga T et al (2002) Simultaneous determination of anionic intermediates for Bacillus subtilis metabolic pathways by capillary electrophoresis electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 74(10):2233–2239
Moreno-Gonzalez D et al (2013) Micellar electrokinetic chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry employing a volatile surfactant for the analysis of amino acids in human urine. Electrophoresis 34(18):2615–2622
Wu Q et al (2014) Pressurized CEC coupled with QTOF-MS for urinary metabolomics. Electrophoresis 35(17):2470–2478
Silvertand LH et al (2008) Recent developments in capillary isoelectric focusing. J Chromatogr A 1204(2):157–170
Huhn C et al (2010) Relevance and use of capillary coatings in capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 396(1):297–314
Ramautar R (2018) Chapter 3 Capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry using non-covalently coated capillaries for metabolic profiling of biological samples. In Capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry for metabolomics 2018, The Royal Society of Chemistry, pp 53–65
Ramautar R (2018) Chapter 4 Capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry for metabolomics using new interfacing designs. In Capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry for metabolomics 2018, The Royal Society of Chemistry, pp 66–82
Zhao SS et al (2012) Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for analysis of complex samples. Proteomics 12(19–20):2991–3012
Hirayama A, Wakayama M, Soga T (2014) Metabolome analysis based on capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. TrAC Trends Anal Chem 61:215–222
Drouin N, Rudaz S, Schappler J (2018) New supported liquid membrane for electromembrane extraction of polar basic endogenous metabolites. J Pharm Biomed Anal 159:53–59
Smith RD, Udseth HR (1988) Capillary zone electrophoresis-MS. Nature 331(6157):639–640
Klampfl CW (2008) Special issue: capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Electrophoresis 29(10):1955
Miksik I (2019) Coupling of CE-MS for protein and peptide analysis. J Sep Sci 42(1):385–397
Tycova A, Ledvina V, Kleparnik K (2017) Recent advances in CE-MS coupling: instrumentation, methodology, and applications. Electrophoresis 38(1):115–134
Bonvin G, Schappler J, Rudaz S (2012) Capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry interfaces: fundamental concepts and technical developments. J Chromatogr A 1267:17–31
Wenz C et al (2015) Interlaboratory study to evaluate the robustness of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for peptide mapping. J Sep Sci 38(18):3262–3270
Ramautar R et al (2008) Capillary electrophoresis-time of flight-mass spectrometry using noncovalently bilayer-coated capillaries for the analysis of amino acids in human urine. Electrophoresis 29(12):2714–2722
Chalcraft KR et al (2009) Virtual quantification of metabolites by capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry: predicting ionization efficiency without chemical standards. Anal Chem 81(7):2506–2515
Baidoo EE et al (2008) Capillary electrophoresis-fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry for the identification of cationic metabolites via a pH-mediated stacking-transient isotachophoretic method. Anal Chem 80(9):3112–3122
Ramautar R et al (2012) Enhancing the coverage of the urinary metabolome by Sheathless capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 84(2):885–892
Causon TJ et al (2014) Addition of reagents to the sheath liquid: a novel concept in capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1343:182–187
Bonvin G, Rudaz S, Schappler J (2014) In-spray supercharging of intact proteins by capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry using sheath liquid interface. Anal Chim Acta 813:97–105
Lindenburg PW et al (2015) Developments in interfacing designs for CE-MS: towards enabling tools for proteomics and metabolomics. Chromatographia 78(5–6):367–377
Maxwell EJ et al (2010) Decoupling CE and ESI for a more robust interface with MS. Electrophoresis 31(7):1130–1137
Lindenburg PW et al (2014) Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry using a flow-through microvial interface for cationic metabolome analysis. Electrophoresis 35(9):1308–1314
Busnel JM et al (2010) High capacity capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: coupling a porous Sheathless Interface with transient-Isotachophoresis. Anal Chem 82(22):9476–9483
Klampfl CW (2009) CE with MS detection: a rapidly developing hyphenated technique. Electrophoresis 30(Suppl 1):S83–S91
Simpson DC, Smith RD (2005) Combining capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry for applications in proteomics. Electrophoresis 26(7–8):1291–1305
Hirayama A et al (2018) Development of a sheathless CE-ESI-MS interface. Electrophoresis 39(11):1382–1389
Moini M (2007) Simplifying CE-MS operation. 2. Interfacing low-flow separation techniques to mass spectrometry using a porous tip. Anal Chem 79(11):4241–4246
Zhang W et al (2019) Utility of sheathless capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for metabolic profiling of limited sample amounts. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 1105:10–14
Liu JX et al (2014) Analysis of endogenous nucleotides by single cell capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Analyst 139(22):5835–5842
Genchi G (2017) An overview on D-amino acids. Amino Acids 49(9):1521–1533
Sánchez-López E et al (2016) Enantioseparation of the constituents involved in the phenylalanine-tyrosine metabolic pathway by capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1467:372–382
Lee S et al (2019) Chiral separation of intact amino acids by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry employing a partial filling technique with a crown ether carboxylic acid. J Chromatogr A 1586:128–138
Geiser L, Rudaz S, Veuthey J-L (2005) Decreasing analysis time in capillary electrophoresis: validation and comparison of quantitative performances in several approaches. Electrophoresis 26(12):2293–2302
Geiser L, Rudaz S, Veuthey J-L (2003) Validation of capillary electrophoresis – mass spectrometry methods for the analysis of a pharmaceutical formulation. Electrophoresis 24(17):3049–3056
Kuehnbaum NL, Kormendi A, Britz-McKibbin P (2013) Multisegment injection-capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry: a high-throughput platform for metabolomics with high data fidelity. Anal Chem 85(22):10664–10669
DiBattista A et al (2017) High throughput screening method for systematic surveillance of drugs of abuse by multisegment injection-capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 89(21):11853–11861
DiBattista A et al (2017) Temporal signal pattern recognition in mass spectrometry: a method for rapid identification and accurate quantification of biomarkers for inborn errors of metabolism with quality assurance. Anal Chem 89(15):8112–8121
Azab S, Ly R, Britz-McKibbin P (2019) Robust method for high-throughput screening of fatty acids by multisegment injection-nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry with stringent quality control. Anal Chem 91(3):2329–2336
Ouyang Y et al (2018) Negative-ion mode capillary isoelectric focusing mass spectrometry for charge-based separation of acidic oligosaccharides. Anal Chem 91(1):846–853
Portero EP, Nemes P (2019) Dual cationic-anionic profiling of metabolites in a single identified cell in a live Xenopus laevis embryo by microprobe CE-ESI-MS. Analyst 144(3):892–900
Sánchez-López E et al (2019) Sheathless CE-MS based metabolic profiling of kidney tissue section samples from a mouse model of Polycystic Kidney Disease. Sci Rep 9(1):806
Rochat B (2017) Proposed confidence scale and ID score in the identification of known-unknown compounds using high resolution MS data. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 28(4):709–723
Sumner LW et al (2007) Proposed minimum reporting standards for chemical analysis Chemical Analysis Working Group (CAWG) Metabolomics Standards Initiative (MSI). Metabolomics 3(3):211–221
van Rijswijk M et al (2017) The future of metabolomics in ELIXIR [version 2; peer review: 3 approved]. F1000 Research 2017, 6(ELIXIR):1649. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.12342.2
Guijas C et al (2018) METLIN: a technology platform for identifying knowns and unknowns. Anal Chem 90(5):3156–3164
Gonzalez-Pena D et al (2017) Metabolomic fingerprinting in the comprehensive study of liver changes associated with onion supplementation in Hypercholesterolemic Wistar rats. Int J Mol Sci 18(2):267. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18020267
Macedo AN et al (2017) The sweat metabolome of screen-positive cystic fibrosis infants: revealing mechanisms beyond impaired chloride transport. ACS Cent Sci 3(8):904–913
Gulersonmez MC et al (2016) Sheathless capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for anionic metabolic profiling. Electrophoresis 37(7–8):1007–1014
Gonzalez-Ruiz V et al (2018) ROMANCE: a new software tool to improve data robustness and feature identification in CE-MS metabolomics. Electrophoresis 39(9–10):1222–1232
Gagnebin Y et al (2019) Toward a better understanding of chronic kidney disease with complementary chromatographic methods hyphenated with mass spectrometry for improved polar metabolome coverage. J Chromatogr B 1116:9–18
Gonzalez-Ruiz V et al (2017) Unravelling the effects of multiple experimental factors in metabolomics, analysis of human neural cells with hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography hyphenated to high resolution mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1527:53–60
DiBattista A et al (2019) Metabolic signatures of cystic fibrosis identified in dried blood spots for newborn screening without carrier identification. J Proteome Res 18(3):841–854
Acknowledgements
Dr. Rawi Ramautar would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Vidi grant scheme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO Vidi 723.016.003).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Drouin, N., Ramautar, R. (2021). Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry for Metabolomics: Possibilities and Perspectives. In: Colnaghi Simionato, A.V. (eds) Separation Techniques Applied to Omics Sciences. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 1336. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77252-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77252-9_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-77251-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-77252-9
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)