Anion-Exchange Chromatography Coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry: A Powerful Tool for Merging Targeted and Non-Targeted Metabolomics

Schwaiger, M.; Rampler, E.; Hermann, G.; et al.

To help overcome the analytical challenges of ion-pairing-MS and GC-MS, Schwaiger et al. developed an innovative analytical workflow involving fast-scale anion-exchange chromatography and high resolution MS for simultaneous targeted/non-targeted metabolomic analysis. The approach utilized a fully C-labeled yeast extract as an internal standard for absolute quantitation and metabolic profiling of cancer cells in a single analytical run. The classes of metabolites qualified/quantified included (but was not limited to) organic acids, nucleotides, and sugar phosphates. Excellent figures of merit were achieved in both analysis modes, with quantifications of a 45-metabolite panel spanning a four order of magnitude concentration range (5 nM to 50 µM). Overall, this integrative approach opens up new opportunities for central carbon metabolism interrogations.