Lipid pheromones play a significant role in the behavior and ecology of many insects. The characterization of pheromone structures is a significant challenge due to their low abundance and ephemeral nature. Here we present a method for the analysis of lipid molecules from single pheromone glands of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) using Direct Analysis in Real Time mass spectrometry (DART MS). Our results reveal that DART MS analysis of single tissues generates reproducible, species-specific lipid profiles comprised of fatty acids, wax esters, diacylglycerides and triacylglycerides. In addition, the ion source temperature and application of a solvent wash can cause significant qualitative and quantitative changes in the mass spectral profile. Lastly, we show that untargeted chemical fingerprinting of the gland can be used to accurately categorize species according to phylogenetic subgroup or genotype. Collectively, our findings indicate that DART MS is a rapid and powerful method for characterizing a broad range of lipids in tissues with minimal preparation. The application of direct tissue DART MS will expand the “secretome” of molecules produced by pheromone glands. In addition to its direct relevance to chemical ecology, the method could potentially be used in pharmaceutical studies for the screening and detection of tissue-specific drug metabolites.

中文翻译：

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通过实时质谱直接分析对昆虫信息素腺体进行原位脂质分析

脂质信息素在许多昆虫的行为和生态学中起着重要作用。由于信息素结构的低丰度和短暂性，信息素结构的表征是一项重大挑战。在这里，我们提出了一种分析果蝇单信息素腺体脂质分子的方法（果蝇）使用实时质谱直接分析 (DART MS)。我们的结果表明，单个组织的 DART MS 分析生成可重现的、物种特异性的脂质谱，包括脂肪酸、蜡酯、甘油二酯和甘油三酯。此外，离子源温度和溶剂清洗的应用会导致质谱图发生显着的定性和定量变化。最后，我们展示了腺体的非靶向化学指纹识别可用于根据系统发育亚群或基因型对物种进行准确分类。总的来说，我们的研究结果表明，DART MS 是一种快速而强大的方法，可以用最少的准备工作来表征组织中的各种脂质。直接组织 DART MS 的应用将扩大信息素腺体产生的分子的“分泌组”。除了与化学生态学直接相关外，该方法还可能用于药物研究，以筛选和检测组织特异性药物代谢物。