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Toward spatially resolved metabolomics

Nature Chemical Biology volume 16, pages 1039–1040 (2020)Cite this article

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Coherent Raman imaging enables mapping of chemical features at subcellular resolution, setting the stage for tracking lipids and other metabolites in intact living systems.

Despite tremendous progress in metabolomics, lack of spatial resolution severely limits most current approaches to characterizing the chemical makeup of living systems. In a typical metabolomics experiment, homogenized tissue (or entire worms, flies, leaves, etc.) is extracted and then analyzed by LC-MS or NMR, and any information about the spatial distribution, though critically important for understanding the biological roles of any of the detected molecules, is lost. In the case of proteins, the importance of localization is obvious; for example, nuclear and cytosolic localization of a transcription factor may each result in opposite phenotypes. Similarly, different cellular and subcellular localization patterns of metabolites may be associated with considerably different biology. For example, spatial and temporal partitioning of NAD+ underlies many of its metabolic and signaling functions1; tracking the localization and transport patterns of lactate has provided important insights in cancer metabolism2; and subcellular concentration or confinement of secondary metabolites is often essential for their biosynthesis and function3.

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Fig. 1: Imaging of anaesthetized worms via BCARS reveals chemically distinct classes of lipid droplets in the intestine and epidermis and enables the tracking of lipid turnover.

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  1. Boyce Thompson Institute and Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Bennett W. Fox & Frank C. Schroeder

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  1. Bennett W. Fox
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  2. Frank C. Schroeder
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Correspondence to Frank C. Schroeder.

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Fox, B.W., Schroeder, F.C. Toward spatially resolved metabolomics. Nat Chem Biol 16, 1039–1040 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-020-00650-0

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