A Multidimensional Workflow for Comprehensive Xenometabolome Profiling by Integrating TIMS-PASEF with LC-HRMS and Biotransformation-Informed Suspect and Nontarget Screening
) supporting conjugation site assignment for the dominant O-S-4MeBT and O-G-4MeBT isomers. The combination of TIMS with the Parallel Accumulation Serial Fragmentation (PASEF) acquisition further reduced spectral complexity, enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, and improved MS/MS coverage (70%), generating high-quality analytical evidence crucial for structural elucidation. To leverage these analytical dimensions, we developed a data processing strategy that leverages in-silico-based suspect screening and biotransformation-informed nontarget screening. In this regard, we introduce two novel frameworks; the "Building Blocks" (BB) concept which interprets unknown bio-TPs as modular assemblies of parent- and pathway-derived substructures, and the "Spectral Characteristics Knowledgebase" (SCKB), which use known biotransformation MS/MS motifs to provide structural insights and facilitate unknown identification. Our results demonstrated the identification of all previously known 4-MeBT bio-TPs with enhanced confidence (O-Sulfate- and O-Glucuronide-4MeBT) and the discovery of 29 new bio-TP features across 12 bio-TP classes, highlighting its efficacy in unraveling complex xenobiotic metabolism. Among these, a putative dimerization product (4-MeBT-263) was reported for the first time in zebrafish. Overall, this workflow has the potential to advance the understanding of bio-TP formation and detoxification processes in xenometabolome studies.
Authors
- Dimitrios Ε. Damalas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2997-7566)
- Nikolaos S Thomaidis
Institutions
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Analytical Chemistry
- Published
- 2026-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c08213
- Primary Topic
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation