Towards integrative functional genomics using yeast as a reference model metabolomic analysis in the post-genomic era

Abstract

Metabolites have been the subject of investigation since the early stages of modern biology. Thus, classical studies on identification of enzymes and metabolic intermediates performed in yeast in the 1920s-1930s (e.g. Embden-Meyerhoff unified theory of glycolysis, citric acid cycle, AMP, ATP) constitute the foundations of modern enzymology and biochemistry (Lehninger, 1975; Alberts et al, 2002). The main interest of these studies focused on the elucidation of the complete map of central metabolic pathways and intermediary metabolites of an organism. This objective, satisfactorily fulfilled for the case of a few organisms (bacteria, yeast), may constitute a major task in more complex organisms (e. g. plants, mammalian cells), with particular metabolites (e.g. secondary metabolites and regulatory compounds) still to be identified. For the case of eukaryotes, yeast central metabolic pathways and methods for determination of metabolites are used as a reference from which to approach more complex biological systems (Gancedo and Gancedo, 1973; Saez and Lagunas, 1976; Rose and Harrison, 1987-1995; Fell, 1997; Alberts etaU 2002). © 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved.