A roadmap for interpreting 13C metabolite labeling patterns from cells

• Published in: Current opinion in biotechnology 2015-08, Vol.34, p.189-201
• Main Authors: Buescher, Joerg M, Antoniewicz, Maciek R, Boros, Laszlo G, Burgess, Shawn C, Brunengraber, Henri, Clish, Clary B, DeBerardinis, Ralph J, Feron, Olivier, Frezza, Christian, Ghesquiere, Bart, Gottlieb, Eyal, Hiller, Karsten, Jones, Russell G, Kamphorst, Jurre J, Kibbey, Richard G, Kimmelman, Alec C, Locasale, Jason W, Lunt, Sophia Y, Maddocks, Oliver DK, Malloy, Craig, Metallo, Christian M, Meuillet, Emmanuelle J, Munger, Joshua, Nöh, Katharina, Rabinowitz, Joshua D, Ralser, Markus, Sauer, Uwe, Stephanopoulos, Gregory, St-Pierre, Julie, Tennant, Daniel A, Wittmann, Christoph, Vander Heiden, Matthew G, Vazquez, Alexei, Vousden, Karen, Young, Jamey D, Zamboni, Nicola, Fendt, Sarah-Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biomedical research; isotope labeling; metabolism; metabolites
• ISSN: 0958-1669; 1879-0429
• DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2015.02.003

•13C tracer analysis can be used to probe intracellular metabolism in cells.•Steady state labeling patterns can quantify nutrient contributions.•Steady state labeling patterns can inform about pathway activities.•Dynamic labeling patterns combined with metabolite levels can quantify some fluxes.•Analysis of multiple metabolites and various tracers enhances information output. Measuring intracellular metabolism has increasingly led to important insights in biomedical research. 13C tracer analysis, although less information-rich than quantitative 13C flux analysis that requires computational data integration, has been established as a time-efficient method to unravel relative pathway activities, qualitative changes in pathway contributions, and nutrient contributions. Here, we review selected key issues in interpreting 13C metabolite labeling patterns, with the goal of drawing accurate conclusions from steady state and dynamic stable isotopic tracer experiments.