Imaging Sterols and Oxysterols in Mouse Brain Reveals Distinct Spatial Cholesterol Metabolism

Abstract

Dysregulated cholesterol metabolism is implicated in a number of neurological disorders. Many sterols, including cholesterol and its precursors and metabolites, are biologically active and important for proper brain function. However, spatial cholesterol metabolism in brain and the resulting sterol distributions are poorly defined. To better understand cholesterol metabolism in situ across the complex functional regions of brain, we have developed on-tissue enzyme-assisted derivatisation in combination with micro-liquid-extraction for surface analysis and liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry to image sterols in tissue slices (10 {micro}m) of mouse brain. The method provides sterolomic analysis at 400 {micro}m spot diameter with a limit of quantification of 0.01 ng/mm2. It overcomes the limitations of previous mass spectrometry imaging techniques in analysis of low abundance and difficult to ionise sterol molecules, allowing isomer differentiation and structure identification. Here we demonstrate the spatial distribution and quantification of multiple sterols involved in cholesterol metabolic pathways in wild type and cholesterol 24S-hydroxylase knock-out mouse brain. The technology described provides a powerful tool for future studies of spatial cholesterol metabolism in healthy and diseased tissues.\n\nSignificanceThe brain is a remarkably complex organ and cholesterol homeostasis underpins brain function. It is known that cholesterol is not evenly distributed across different brain regions, however, the precise map of cholesterol metabolism in the brain remains unclear. If cholesterol metabolism is to be correlated with brain function it is essential to generate such a map. Here we describe an advanced mass spectrometry imaging platform to reveal spatial cholesterol metabolism in situ at 400 {micro}m resolution on 10 {micro}m tissue slices from mouse brain. We mapped, not only cholesterol, but also other biologically active sterols arising from cholesterol turnover in both wild type and mice lacking cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (Cyp46a1), the major cholesterol metabolising enzyme.