{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T06:35:50Z","timestamp":1781850950717,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,16]],"date-time":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1684195200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Project of Risk Assessment for Quality and Safety of Special Agro-products","award":["GPFP201701003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GPFP201701003"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Alanine transaminase (ALT) is an important amino acid-metabolizing enzyme in silkworm Bombyx mori L., and is mainly involved in transferring glutamate to alanine (serving as an essential precursor in silk protein synthesis) through transamination. Therefore, it is generally believed that silk protein synthesis in the silk gland and the cocoon quantity increase with the increase in ALT activity to a certain extent. Here, a novel analytical method was developed to determine the ALT activity in several key tissues of Bombyx mori L. including the posterior silk gland, midgut, fat body, middle silk gland, trachea and hemolymph, by combining the direct-analysis-in-real-time (DART) ion source with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. In addition, a traditional ALT activity assay, the Reitman\u2013Frankel method, was also used to measure ALT activity for comparison. The ALT activity results obtained via the DART-MS method are in good agreement with those obtained via the Reitman\u2013Frankel method. However, the present DART-MS method provides a more convenient, rapid and environmentally friendly quantitative method for ALT measurement. Especially, this method can also monitor ALT activity in different tissues of Bombyx mori L. in real time.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules28104131","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,17]],"date-time":"2023-05-17T01:58:06Z","timestamp":1684288686000},"page":"4131","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["The Study of Alanine Transaminase Activity in Tissues of Silkworm (Bombyx mori) via Direct Analysis in Real-Time (DART) Mass Spectrometry"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7886-8841","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guohua","family":"Wu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China"},{"name":"College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lei","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianjun","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agriculture, Anshun University, Anshun 561000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wushuang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1685-919X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lin","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bozhi","family":"Tang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charles C.","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ASPEC Technologies Limited, Beijing 100101, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101948","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aspen.2022.101948","article-title":"Study of compensatory growth based on different nutrition conditions of Bombyx mori","volume":"25","author":"Dai","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Asia Pac. Entomol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5103","DOI":"10.1021\/pr800383r","article-title":"Comparative proteomic analysis between the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori) reared on fresh mulberry leaves and on artificial diet","volume":"7","author":"Zhou","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Proteome Res."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"609","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2012.05.061","article-title":"Titanium dioxide nanoparticles relieve biochemical dysfunctions of fifth-instar larvae of silkworms following exposure to phoxim insecticide","volume":"89","author":"Li","year":"2012","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pestbp.2006.08.005","article-title":"Biochemical changes in haemolymph of silkworm larvae due to pyriproxyfen residue","volume":"88","author":"Etebari","year":"2007","journal-title":"Pestic. Biochem. Phys."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1265","DOI":"10.1002\/jssc.201301267","article-title":"Simultaneous quantitation of nucleosides, nucleobases, amino acids, and alkaloids in mulberry leaf by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry","volume":"37","author":"Zhang","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Sep. Sci."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6147","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.analchem.7b00943","article-title":"Quantification of endogenous cholesterol in human serum on paper using direct analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry","volume":"89","author":"Hsieh","year":"2017","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"372","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.analchem.6b04348","article-title":"Advances in ionization for mass spectrometry","volume":"89","author":"Peacock","year":"2017","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3101","DOI":"10.1039\/C7AN00700K","article-title":"Ambient mass spectrometry in metabolomics","volume":"142","author":"Clendinen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Analyst"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.5478\/MSL.2015.6.1.1","article-title":"Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry: A powerful tool for fast analysis","volume":"6","author":"Liu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Mass Spectrom. Lett."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2297","DOI":"10.1021\/ac050162j","article-title":"Versatile new ion source for the analysis of materials in open air under ambient conditions","volume":"77","author":"Cody","year":"2005","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2070","DOI":"10.1021\/jasms.2c00178","article-title":"Next-generation infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization source for mass spectrometry imaging and high-throughput screening","volume":"33","author":"Knizner","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.6023\/cjoc201209016","article-title":"Rapid identification of synthetic compounds in natural repellent products by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry","volume":"33","author":"Qi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Chin. Org. Chem."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1600","DOI":"10.1039\/C4AY02566K","article-title":"A novel approach to determine the tyrosine concentration in human plasma by DART-MS\/MS","volume":"7","author":"Song","year":"2015","journal-title":"Anal. Methods"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4851","DOI":"10.1039\/C7AY01177F","article-title":"Direct quantitative analysis of the natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the stratum corneum by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS)","volume":"9","author":"Maeno","year":"2017","journal-title":"Anal. Methods"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aca.2010.11.040","article-title":"Principal component directed partial least squares analysis for combining nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry data in metabolomics: Application to the detection of breast cancer","volume":"686","author":"Gu","year":"2011","journal-title":"Anal. Chim. Acta"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2262","DOI":"10.1158\/1055-9965.EPI-10-0126","article-title":"Rapid mass spectrometric metabolic profiling of blood sera detects ovarian cancer with high accuracy","volume":"19","author":"Zhou","year":"2010","journal-title":"Cancer Epidem. Biomar."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.1007\/s11306-013-0495-z","article-title":"Application of direct analysis in real time ionization-mass spectrometry (DART-MS) in chicken meat metabolomics aiming at the retrospective control of feed fraud","volume":"9","author":"Cajka","year":"2013","journal-title":"Metabolomics"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2016.02.041","article-title":"Identification of polypropylene glycols and polyethylene glycol carboxylates in flowback and produced water from hydraulic fracturing","volume":"323","author":"Thurman","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Hazard."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1039\/B911040B","article-title":"Rapid identification of stabilisers in polypropylene using time-of-flight mass spectrometry and DART as ion source","volume":"135","author":"Haunschmidt","year":"2010","journal-title":"Analyst"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1859","DOI":"10.1002\/rcm.6274","article-title":"Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry for the rapid identification of four highly hazardous pesticides in agrochemicals","volume":"26","author":"Wang","year":"2012","journal-title":"Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1101","DOI":"10.1021\/ac8022108","article-title":"Observation of molecular ions and analysis of nonpolar compounds with the direct analysis in real time ion source","volume":"81","author":"Cody","year":"2009","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116716","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijms.2021.116716","article-title":"Hand-powered ionization methods for the mass spectrometric detection of small molecules","volume":"470","author":"Li","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Mass Spectrom."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2638","DOI":"10.1021\/ac3026702","article-title":"Direct peel monitoring of xenobiotics in fruit by direct analysis in real time coupled to a linear quadrupole ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometer","volume":"85","author":"Farre","year":"2013","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpba.2015.06.010","article-title":"Rapid determination of 1-deoxynojirimycin in Morus alba L. leaves by direct analysis in real time (DART) mass spectrometry","volume":"114","author":"Xu","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Pharmaceut. Biomed."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"150","DOI":"10.1097\/MOH.0000000000000647","article-title":"Proteomic\/transcriptomic analysis of erythropoiesis","volume":"128","author":"Brand","year":"2021","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Hematol."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jproteome.5b00821","article-title":"Analyses of the molecular mechanisms associated with silk production in silkworm by iTRAQ-based proteomics and RNA-sequencing-based transcriptomics","volume":"15","author":"Wang","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Proteome Res."}],"container-title":["Molecules"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1420-3049\/28\/10\/4131\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T19:36:21Z","timestamp":1760124981000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1420-3049\/28\/10\/4131"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,16]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5]]}},"alternative-id":["molecules28104131"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/molecules28104131","relation":{},"ISSN":["1420-3049"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1420-3049","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,16]]}}}