Complementary precursor ion and neutral loss scan mode tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of glycerophosphatidylethanolamine lipids from whole rat retina

Abstract

A "shotgun" tandem mass spectrometry (MS) approach involving the use of multiple lipid-class-specific precursor ion and neutral loss scan mode experiments has been employed to identify and characterize the glycerophosphatidylethanolamine (GPEtn) lipids that were present within a crude lipid extract of a normal rat retina, obtained with minimal sample handling prior to analysis. Characterization of these lipids was performed by complementary analysis of their protonated and deprotonated precursor ions, as well as their various ionic adducts (e.g., Na+, Cl-), using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. Notably, the application of novel precursor ion and neutral loss scans of m/z 164 and m/z 4..