Complementarity of GC-MS and LC-MS analyses for determination of carbohydrate profiles of vegetative cells and spores of bacilli

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance anion-exchange (HPAE) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) provide complementary information when used to characterize whole-cell carbohydrate profiles. Neutral and aminosugars are profiled (when analyzed as alditol acetates) by GC-MS. Whilst neutral and acidic sugars are detected in native form by HPAE LC-MS. The power of these complementary approaches is particularly well illustrated in the analysis of B. subtilis and the genetically related organism B. atrophaeus. Vegetative cells grown under phosphate-rich conditions, vegetative cells grown under phosphate-limiting conditions and spores are quite distinct in their carbohydrate composition. The totality of these six (three GC-MS and three LC-MS) carbohydrate profiles for each organism provides a powerful tool for characterization of the physiological status of the cell and for species identification. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.