In MALDI-TOF identification of Gram-negative bacteria, which biomolecule is used for detection?

In MALDI-TOF identification of Gram-negative bacteria, which biomolecule is used for detection?

• A. Carbohydrates
• B. Ribosomal proteins
• C. Nucleotides
• D. Fatty acids

Answer: (B)

In MALDI-TOF identification of bacteria, the detection relies on ribosomal proteins. These proteins are abundant and small, producing strong, reproducible peaks in the low-mass range that create a distinctive mass fingerprint for each organism. The instrument measures the mass-to-charge ratios of ionized molecules, and the resulting spectrum—dominated by ribosomal proteins—can be matched to a reference database to identify the species. Carbohydrates, nucleotides, and fatty acids don’t provide the stable, distinctive fingerprints MALDI-TOF uses, and are not the primary basis for this identification method.

In MALDI-TOF identification of bacteria, the detection relies on ribosomal proteins. These proteins are abundant and small, producing strong, reproducible peaks in the low-mass range that create a distinctive mass fingerprint for each organism. The instrument measures the mass-to-charge ratios of ionized molecules, and the resulting spectrum—dominated by ribosomal proteins—can be matched to a reference database to identify the species. Carbohydrates, nucleotides, and fatty acids don’t provide the stable, distinctive fingerprints MALDI-TOF uses, and are not the primary basis for this identification method.