Table 1. Conditions for tandem mass spectrometry analysis of lipid species.
| Lipid class/subclass | Shorthand | Parent Ion | Fragmentation* | Collision Energy (V) | Example Species | Example Transition (m/z, Q1/Q3) | |
| Sphingosine | Sph | [M+H]+ | NL, 18.0 Da | 8 | Sph(d18:1) | 300.3 | 282.3 |
| Sphingosine-1-phosphate | S1P | [M+H]+ | Sphingoid specific^ | 11-16 | S1P(d18:1) | 380.2 | 264.3 |
| Dihydroceramide | dhCer | [M+H]+ | Sphingoid specific^ + H2O | 31 | dhCer(d18:1/24:0) | 652.7 | 284.3 |
| Ceramide | Cer | [M+H]+ | Sphingoid specific^ | 23-29 | Cer(d18:1/20:0) | 594.6 | 264.3 |
| Monohexosylceramide | HexCer | [M+H]+ | Sphingoid specific^ | 33 | HexCer(d18:1/24:0) | 812.7 | 264.3 |
| Dihexosylceramide | Hex2Cer | [M+H]+ | Sphingoid specific^ | 53 | Hex2Cer(d18:1/24:1) | 972.7 | 264.3 |
| Trihexosylcermide | Hex3Cer | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 264.3 | 57 | Hex3Cer(d18:1/20:0) | 1080.7 | 264.3 |
| GM3 ganglioside | GM3 | [M+H]+ | Sphingoid specific^ | 57 | GM3(d18:1/24:1) | 1263.8 | 264.3 |
| GM1 ganglioside | GM1 | [M+2H]2+ | PI, m/z 366.2 | 9 | GM1(d18:1/16:0) | 760.1 | 366.2 |
| Sulfatide | Sulfatide | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 264.3 | 56 | Sulfatide(d18:1/24:0) | 892.8 | 264.3 |
| Ceramide-1-phosphate | Cer1P | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 264.3 | 29 | Cer1P(d18:1/16:0) | 618.4 | 264.3 |
| Sphingomyelin | SM | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 184.1 | 25 | SM(d34:1) | 703.6 | 184.1 |
| Phosphatidylcholine | PC | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 184.1 | 21 | PC(34:2) | 758.6 | 184.1 |
| Alkylphosphatidylcholine | PC(O) | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 184.1 | 21 | PC(O-38:4) | 796.6 | 184.1 |
| Alkenylphosphatidylcholine | PC(P) | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 184.1 | 21 | PC(P-38:6) | 790.6 | 184.1 |
| Lysophosphatidylcholine | LPC | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 184.1 | 21 | LPC(16:0) | 496.3 | 184.1 |
| Lysoalkylphosphatidylcholine | LPC(O) | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 104.1 | 21 | LPC(O-18:0) | 510.4 | 104.1 |
| Lysoalkenylphosphatidylcholine | LPC(P) | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 104.1 | 21 | LPC(P-18:1) | 506.3 | 104.1 |
| Phosphatidylethanolamine |
PE |
[M+H]+ | NL, 141.0 Da | 17 | PE(36:2) | 744.6 | 603.6 |
| Alkylphosphatidylethanolamine | PE(O) | [M+H]+ | NL, 141.0 Da | 17 | PE(O-36:4) | 726.5 | 585.5 |
| Alkenylphosphatidylethanolamine | PE(P) | [M+H]+ | Acyl specific | 17 | PE(P-16:0/20:4) | 724.5 | 361.3 |
| Lysophosphatidylethanolamine | LPE | [M+H]+ | NL, 141.0 Da | 17 | LPE(20:4) | 502.3 | 361.3 |
| Lysoalkenylphosphatidylethanolamine | LPE(P) | [M+H]+ | NL, 171.9 Da | 19 | LPE(P-16:0) | 438.3 | 266.4 |
| Phosphatidylinositol | PI | [M+NH4]+ | NL, 277.0 Da | 17 | PI(32:1) | 826.5 | 549.5 |
| Lysophosphatidylinositol | LPI | [M+NH4]+ | NL, 277.0 Da | 17 | LPI(20:4) | 638.3 | 361.3 |
| Phosphatidylserine | PS | [M+H]+ | NL, 185.0 Da | 25 | PS(38:4) | 812.5 | 627.5 |
| Phosphatidylglycerol | PG | [M+NH4]+ | NL, 189.0 Da | 21 | PG(36:2) | 792.6 | 603.6 |
| Free cholesterol | COH* | [M+NH4]+ | PI, m/z 369.3 | 23 | COH | 369.4 | 161.2 |
| Cholesteryl ester |
CE |
[M+NH4]+ | PI, m/z 369.3 | 10 | CE(18:2) | 666.6 | 369.3 |
| Dehydrochoesteryl ester | DE | [M+NH4]+ | PI, m/z 367.3 | 12 | DE(18:1) | 666.6 | 367.3 |
| Acylcarnitines | AC | [M+H]+ | PI, m/z 85.1 | 30 | AC(16:0) | 400.4 | 85.1 |
| Diacylglycerol | DG | [M+NH4]+ | NL, fatty acid | 21 | DG(16:0_18:2) | 610.5 | 313.2 |
| Triacylglycerol | TG | [M+NH4]+ | NL, fatty acid | 21 | TG(54:3) [NL-18:1] | 902.8 | 603.5 |
| Alkyldiacylglycerol | TG(O) | [M+NH4]+ | NL, fatty acid | 21 | TG(O-52:2) [NL-16:0] | 862.8 | 589.5 |
| Ubiquinone | Ubiquinone | [M+NH4]+ | PI, m/z 197.0 | 17 | Ubiquinone | 880.7 | 197.0 |