Liquid chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry based environmental metabolomics for the analysis of Pseudomonas putida Bacteria in potable water

• Metabolomics method to assess biofilm risk based on bacterial activity.
• PLS-DA used to classify samples and identify metabolite features.
• Biomarkers identified indicative of bacterial growth (Pseudomonas putida).
• Biomarkers identified indicative of interaction with solid and soluble Fe.

Water supply biofilms have the potential to harbour waterborne diseases, accelerate corrosion, and contribute to the formation of tuberculation in metallic pipes. One particular species of bacteria known to be found in the water supply networks is Pseudomonas sp., with the presence of Pseudomonas putida being isolated to iron pipe tubercles. Current methods for detecting and analysis pipe biofilms are time consuming and expensive. The application of metabolomics techniques could provide an alternative method for assessing biofilm risk more efficiently based on bacterial activity. As such, this paper investigates the application of metabolomic techniques and provides a proof-of-concept application using liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–ToF-MS) to three biologically independent P. putida samples, across five different growth conditions exposed to solid and soluble iron (Fe). Analysis of the samples in +ESI and −ESI mode yielded 887 and 1789 metabolite features, respectively. Chemometric analysis of the +ESI and −ESI data identified 34 and 39 significant metabolite features, respectively, where features were considered significant if the fold change was greater than 2 and obtained a p-value less than 0.05. Metabolite features were subsequently identified according to the Metabolomics Standard Initiative (MSI) Chemical Analysis Workgroup using analytical standards and standard online LC–MS databases. Possible markers for P. putida growth, with and without being exposed to solid and soluble Fe, were identified from a diverse range of different chemical classes of metabolites including nucleobases, nucleosides, dipeptides, tripeptides, amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, and phospholipids.