The direct sampling of analytes from surfaces under atmospheric conditions followed by mass spectrometric analysis is an ever expanding area of scientific research. Atmospheric pressure surface sampling and ionization techniques for mass spectrometry (MS) offer the ability to interrogate samples that could not be studied under vacuum conditions required of more traditional MS surface analysis techniques. The geometry and nature of materials or surfaces that can be analyzed has been greatly expanded as a result. This dissertation characterizes and shows applications of liquid microjunction surface sampling probe (LMJ-SSP) electrospray ionization systems. The presented work compares traditional analytical work flows with novel analytical workflows utilizing LMJ-SSP-MS technology. The increase of throughput and/or chemical information without the sacrifice of analytical figures of merit is shown and discussed. The readout of analytical surfaces; surfaces where analyte has ended up on a surface in a traditional work flow and not just placed there, constitutes the focus of what is presented in the preceding work. Finally the prospects for spatial liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) as a powerful analytical technology „in wait‟ is discussed and supported by the presented data.

Résumé : L’imagerie par spectrométrie de masse est une technique sans marquage permettant la détection et la localisation de protéines à partir de coupes de tissus. Afin de répondre à des problématiques biologiques, le nombre de protéines identifiées doit être amélioré. Une stratégie consiste à réaliser une micro-jonction liquide sur des régions particulières des coupes de tissus afin d’extraire les peptides issus de la digestion in situ des protéines. Plus de 1500 protéines ont identifié sur une zone de 650µm, correspondant à environ 1900 cellules. Une corrélation entre ces données avec celles générées par MSI a augmenté le nombre de protéines localisées. Afin d’obtenir dans le même temps, la localisation et l’identification de protéines, une méthode consiste à réaliser la microdissection de l’ensemble de la coupe après l’avoir déposée sur une lame recouverte de prafilm. Parafilm-Assisted Microdissection (PAM) a également été appliquée à l’étude de l'expression différentielle de protéines dans des tumeurs de prostate. Les résultats identifiés glutamate oxaloacétate transférase 2 (GOT2) en tant que biomarqueur de protéine candidate impliquée dans le métabolisme du glucose, en plus de celles qui ont déjà été indiqué précédemment. Réunis ensemble, ces méthodes MS d'analyses directes fournissent un moyen robuste d’étude de protéines dans leur état natif afin de fournir des indications sur leur rôle dans des systèmes biologiques. // Abstract : Mass spectrometry-based methods for direct tissue analysis, such as MS imaging, are label-free techniques that permit the detection and localization of proteins on tissue sections. There is a need to improve the number of protein identifications in these techniques for them to comprehensively address biological questions. One strategy to obtain high protein IDs is to realize liquid microjunction on localized regions of tissue sections to extract peptides from the in situ digestion of proteins. More than 1500 proteins were identified in a 650μm spot, corresponding to about 1900 cells. Matching these IDs with those from MSI increased the number of localized proteins. In order to achieve simultaneous identification and localization of proteins, a method consisting of microdissecting entire tissue sections mounted on parafilmcovered slides was developed. Spectral counting was then used to quantify identified proteins, and the values were used to generate images. Parafilm-Assisted Microdissection (PAM) was also used to examine the differential expression of proteins on prostate tumors. Results identified glutamate oxaloacetate transferase 2 (GOT2) as a candidate protein biomarker involved in glucose metabolism, in addition to those that have already been reported previously. Taken together, these direct MS analysis methods provide a robust means of analyzing proteins in their native state and are expected to provide insights to their role in biological systems.