Novel approach to enhance sensitivity while retaining morphology in fragile tissue sections for mass spectrometry imaging.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) imaging is an effective tool for investigating the distribution of molecules. However, cryosections are made from non-fixed tissues, causing difficulties in preparing sections from fragile, high-water content tissues such as those from tadpoles. Here, we introduce a new method for preparing cryosections using an adhesive tape followed by transfer onto glass slides for MALDI-MS imaging. Signals obtained from the transferred sections were higher than those from other sections, and the transferred sections had high optical quality. This novel approach could be an effective tool for MALDI-MS imaging of aquatic animals.