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

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-), identified from this experiment were then employed to rapidly characterize the fatty acyl chain substituents of the GPEtn lipids.