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Applications in Medicine, Food, and Plant Science
Shimadzu Review 82[1・2] (2025)
Abstract
This article outlines advances in mass spectrometry imaging (MSI)-based enzyme histochemistry and some applications. Mass spectrometry imaging is an innovative technique that can visualize enzyme activity in situ beyond the abilities of conventional enzyme histochemistry. MSI-based enzyme histochemistry is uncovering new findings in a wide variety of fields, such as medicine, food science, and plant science. The first part of this article provides an overview of MSI-based enzyme histochemistry in medicine and food science, describing its use in the study of cholinesterase, choline acetyltransferase, and dipeptidyl peptidase B. The second part of this article provides specific example applications in plant science, describing studies that use the iMScope QT imaging mass microscope to visualize glutamic acid decarboxylase activity in legumes, barley, and bananas. These studies demonstrate that MSI-based enzyme histochemistry is a powerful tool in revealing the role of enzymes in physiological phenomena such as germination, stress response, and maturation.
1Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan
2Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, The University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan
3The University of Osaka and Shimadzu Analytical Innovation Laboratory, The University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan
4Healthcare Solution Unit, Solutions Center of Excellence, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan
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