Physiological and metabolic flux screening of Saccharomyces cerevisiae single knockout mutants on different carbon sources

A novel method for high-throughput stoichiometric and metabolic flux profiling was developed and a set of deletion mutants of S. cerevisiae, which are known to be involved in central carbon metabolism were selected and investigated on glucose, galactose and fructose. On glucose and fructose, the growth was predominantly fermentative and on galactose, respiration was more active. mae1D strain did not show any significant growth phenotype on glucose, however, it had highest PPP flux on galactose, which could be due to redirection of NADPH production to the PPP. On fructose, mae1D strain had highest oxygen uptake rate with very low ethanol yield, which could be due to reduced PPP flux and to maintain NADPH levels either via NADPH specific -isocitrate dehydrogenase or -aldehyde dehydro-genase. imp2\u27D strain had lowest PPP flux and very high respiratory activity on galactose; and pck1D strain had lowest PPP flux on glucose, which might also point to a possible activation of malic enzyme. On fructose, hxt17D strain had highest sugar consumption and ethanol production rates and imp2\u27D strain had highest ethanol yield. The functional prediction of hypothetical genes by utilising this quantitative data using computational analyses suggested a possible role in glycolysis or pyruvate metabolism for YBR184W and low affinity transporter role for YIL170W.Es wurde eine neue Hochdurchsatzmethode für die Charakterisierung der Stöchiometrie und der metabolischen Flüsse entwickelt und auf ausgewählte Deletionsmutanten des Zentralstoffwechsels von S. cerevisiae angewendet, wobei Glucose, Galactose und Fructose als Substrate eingesetzt wurden. Während auf Glucose und Fructose das Wachstum vorwiegend fermentativ war, war es auf Galactose mehr respirativ. Der mae1D Stamm zeigte keinen Phänotyp auf Glucose, hatte aber auf Galactose einen sehr hohen Fluss in den Pentosephosphatweg (PPP) mit entsprechend hoher Bereitstellung von NADPH und auf Fructose die höchste Sauerstoffaufnahmerate mit zugleich sehr niedriger Ethanolausbeute, was auf einen reduzierten Fluss in den PPP und verstärkte Bildung von NADPH über die Isocitratdehydrogenase oder die Aldehyddehydrogenase hindeutet. Der imp2\u27D Stamm hatte einen sehr niedrigen PPP-Fluss und starke Respiration auf Galactose. Der pck1D Stamm hatte die niedrigsten PPP Fluss auf Glucose, was auf eine Aktivierung des Malatenzyms hindeutet. Auf Fructose zeigte der hxt17D Stamm höchste Zuckerverbrauchs- und Ethanolproduktionsraten und imp2\u27D hatte die höchste Ethanolausbeute. Numerische Analysen erlaubten eine erste Vorhersage möglicher Funktionen zweier hypothetischer Gene, in der Glykolyse oder im Pyruvatmetabolismus für YBR184W und als niedrig affinen Transporter für YIL170W

Simultaneous measurement of folate cycle intermediates in different biological matrices using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The folate cycle is an essential metabolic pathway in the cell, involved in nucleotide synthesis, maintenance of the redox balance in the cell, methionine metabolism and re-methylation reactions. Standardised methods for the measurement of folate cycle intermediates in different biological matrices are in great demand. Here we describe a rapid, sensitive, precise and accurate liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/ MS) method with a wide calibration curve range and a short run time for the simultaneous determination of folate cycle metabolites, including tetrahydrofolic acid (THF), 5-methyl THF, 5-formyl THF, 5,10-methenyl THF, 5,10-methylene THF, dihydrofolic acid (DHF) and folic acid in different biological matrices. Extraction of folate derivatives from soft and hard tissue samples as well as from adherent cells was achieved using homogenisation in buffer, while extraction from the whole blood and plasma relied on the anion exchange solid-phase extraction (SPE) method. Chromatographic separation was completed using a Waters Atlantis dC(18) 2.0 x 100 mm, 3-mu column with a gradient elution using formic acid in water (0.1% v/v) and acetonitrile as the mobile phases. LC gradient started with 95% of the aqueous phase which was gradually changed to 95% of the organic phase during 2.70 min in order to separate the selected metabolites. The analytes were separated with a run time of 5 min at a flow rate of 0.300 mL/min and detected using a Waters Xevo-TQS triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) at positive polarity. The instrument response was linear over a calibration range of 0.5 to 2500ng/mL (r(2) > 0.980). The developed bioanalytical method was thoroughly validated in terms of accuracy, precision, linearity, recovery, sensitivity and stability for tissue and blood samples. The matrix effect was compensated by using structurally similar isotope labelled internal standard (IS), C-13(5)-methyl THF, for all folate metabolites. However, not all folate metabolites can be accurately quantified using this method due to their high interconversion rates especially at low pH. This applies to 5,10-methylene THF which interconverts into THF, and 5,10-methenyl-THF interconverting into 5-formyl-THF. Using this method, we measured folate cycle intermediates in mouse bone marrow cells and plasma, in human whole blood; in mouse muscle, liver, heart and brain samples.Peer reviewe

Validation and Automation of a High-Throughput Multitargeted Method for Semiquantification of Endogenous Metabolites from Different Biological Matrices Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The use of metabolomics profiling to understand the metabolism under different physiological states has increased in recent years, which created the need for robust analytical platforms. Here, we present a validated method for targeted and semiquantitative analysis of 102 polar metabolites that cover major metabolic pathways from 24 classes in a single 17.5-min assay. The method has been optimized for a wide range of biological matrices from various organisms, and involves automated sample preparation and data processing using an inhouse developed R-package. To ensure reliability, the method was validated for accuracy, precision, selectivity, specificity, linearity, recovery, and stability according to European Medicines Agency guidelines. We demonstrated an excellent repeatability of retention times (CV 0.980) in their respective wide dynamic concentration ranges (CV <3%), and concentrations (CV <25%) of quality control samples interspersed within 25 batches analyzed over a period of one year. The robustness was demonstrated through a high correlation between metabolite concentrations measured using our method and the NIST reference values (R-2 = 0.967), including cross-platform comparability against the BIOCRATES AbsoluteIDQp180 kit (R-2 = 0.975) and NMR analyses (R-2 = 0.884). We have shown that our method can be successfully applied in many biomedical research fields and clinical trials, including epidemiological studies for biomarker discovery. In summary, a thorough validation demonstrated that our method is reproducible, robust, reliable, and suitable for metabolomics studies.Peer reviewe

Simultaneous Measurement of Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Intermediates in Different Biological Matrices Using Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Quantitation and Comparison of TCA Cycle Intermediates in Human Serum, Plasma, Kasumi-1 Cell and Murine Liver Tissue

The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is a central part of carbon and energy metabolism, also connecting to glycolysis, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. The quantitation of the TCA cycle intermediate within one method is lucrative due to the interest in central carbon metabolism profiling in cells and tissues. In addition, TCA cycle intermediates in serum have been discovered to correspond as biomarkers to various underlying pathological conditions. In this work, an Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry-based quantification method is developed and validated, which takes advantage of fast, specific, sensitive, and cost-efficient precipitation extraction. Chromatographic separation is achieved while using Atlantis dC18 2.1 mm × 100 mm, particle size 3-μm of Waters column with a gradient elution mobile phase while using formic acid in water (0.1% v/v) and acetonitrile. Linearity was clearly seen over a calibration range of: 6.25 to 6400 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for malic acid; 11.72 to 12,000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for cis-aconitic acid and L-aspartic acid; 29.30 to 30,000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for isocitric acid, l-serine, and l-glutamic acid; 122.07 to 125,000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for citric acid, glycine, oxo-glutaric acid, l-alanine, and l-glutamine; 527.34 to 540,000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for l-lactic acid; 976.56 to 1,000,000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for d-glucose; 23.44 to 24,000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for fumaric acid and succinic acid; and, 244.14 to 250,000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.980) for pyruvic acid. Validation was carried out, as per European Medicines Agency (EMA) “guidelines on bioanalytical method validation”, for linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LLOQ), recovery, matrix effect, and stability. The recoveries from serum and tissue were 79–119% and 77–223%, respectively. Using this method, we measured TCA intermediates in serum, plasma (NIST 1950 SRM), and in mouse liver samples. The concentration found in NIST SRM 1950 (n = 6) of glycine (246.4 µmol/L), l-alanine (302.4 µmol/L), and serine (92.9 µmol/L)

IMPDH2 : a new gene associated with dominant juvenile-onset dystonia-tremor disorder

The aetiology of dystonia disorders is complex, and next-generation sequencing has become a useful tool in elucidating the variable genetic background of these diseases. Here we report a deleterious heterozygous truncating variant in the inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase gene (IMPDH2) by whole-exome sequencing, co-segregating with a dominantly inherited dystonia-tremor disease in a large Finnish family. We show that the defect results in degradation of the gene product, causing IMPDH2 deficiency in patient cells. IMPDH2 is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo biosynthesis of guanine nucleotides, a dopamine synthetic pathway previously linked to childhood or adolescence-onset dystonia disorders. We report IMPDH2 as a new gene to the dystonia disease entity. The evidence underlines the important link between guanine metabolism, dopamine biosynthesis and dystonia.Peer reviewe

Syöpä muuttaa solunulkoisten vesikkelien metabolista sormenjälkeä

Cancer alters cell metabolism. How these changes are manifested in the metabolite cargo of cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) remains poorly understood. To explore these changes, EVs from prostate, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), colon cancer cell lines, and control EVs from their noncancerous counterparts were isolated by differential ultracentrifugation and analyzed by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), electron microscopy (EM), Western blotting, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Although minor differences between the cancerous and non-cancerous cell-derived EVs were observed by NTA and Western blotting, the largest differences were detected in their metabolite cargo. Compared to EVs from noncancerous cells, cancer EVs contained elevated levels of soluble metabolites, e.g., amino acids and B vitamins. Two metabolites, proline and succinate, were elevated in the EV samples of all three cancer types. In addition, folate and creatinine were elevated in the EVs from prostate and CTCL cancer cell lines. In conclusion, we present the first evidence in vitro that the altered metabolism of different cancer cells is reflected in common metabolite changes in their EVs. These results warrant further studies on the significance and usability of this metabolic fingerprint in cancer.Peer reviewe

Endogenous and xenobiotic metabolic stability of primary human hepatocytes in long-term 3D spheroid cultures revealed by a combination of targeted and untargeted metabolomics

Adverse reactions or lack of response to medications are important concerns for drug development programs. However, faithful predictions of drug metabolism and toxicity are difficult because animal models show only limited translatability to humans. Furthermore, current in vitro systems, such as hepatic cell lines or primary human hepatocyte (PHH) 2-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures, can be used only for acute toxicity tests because of their immature phenotypes and inherent instability. Therefore, the migration to novel phenotypically stable models is of prime importance for the pharmaceutical industry. Novel 3-dimensional (3D) culture systems have been shown to accurately mimic in vivo hepatic phenotypes on transcriptomic and proteomic level, but information about their metabolic stability is lacking. Using a combination of targeted and untargeted high-resolution mass spectrometry, we found that PHHs in 3D spheroid cultures remained metabolically stable for multiple weeks, whereas metabolic patterns of PHHs from the same donors cultured as conventional 2D monolayers rapidly deteriorated. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic differences between donors were maintained in 3D spheroid cultures, enabling studies of interindividual variability in drug metabolism and toxicity. We conclude that the 3D spheroid system is metabolically stable and constitutes a suitable model for in vitro studies of long-term drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics.Peer reviewe

Effect of High-Carbohydrate Diet on Plasma Metabolome in Mice with Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Complex III Deficiency

Mitochondrial disorders cause energy failure and metabolic derangements. Metabolome profiling in patients and animal models may identify affected metabolic pathways and reveal new biomarkers of disease progression. Using liver metabolomics we have shown a starvation-like condition in a knock-in (Bcs1l(c.232A>G)) mouse model of GRACILE syndrome, a neonatal lethal respiratory chain complex III dysfunction with hepatopathy. Here, we hypothesized that a high-carbohydrate diet (HCD, 60% dextrose) will alleviate the hypoglycemia and promote survival of the sick mice. However, when fed HCD the homozygotes had shorter survival (mean +/- SD, 29 +/- 2.5 days, n = 21) than those on standard diet (33 +/- 3.8 days, n = 30), and no improvement in hypoglycemia or liver glycogen depletion. We investigated the plasma metabolome of the HCD- and control diet-fed mice and found that several amino acids and urea cycle intermediates were increased, and arginine, carnitines, succinate, and purine catabolites decreased in the homozygotes. Despite reduced survival the increase in aromatic amino acids, an indicator of liver mitochondrial dysfunction, was normalized on HCD. Quantitative enrichment analysis revealed that glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism, and urea cycle were also partly normalized on HCD. This dietary intervention revealed an unexpected adverse effect of high-glucose diet in complex III deficiency, and suggests that plasma metabolomics is a valuable tool in evaluation of therapies in mitochondrial disorders.Peer reviewe

Purine metabolism is dysregulated in patients with major depressive disorder

Peer reviewe

Biobanking for Metabolomics and Lipidomics in Precision Medicine

Non peer reviewe