COUPLING METABOLOMIC AND PROTEOMIC APPROACHES IN PROFILING ENDOBIOTICS METABOLISM

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Endobiotics are small molecules formed in the body that exert essential biological roles in development and adult physiology. The maintenance of such roles is ensured by adequate levels of synthesis and metabolism. However, the exact contribution of metabolism in the control of endobiotics activities is still unclear, since the researchers working in this field face a major limitation: i.e. the absence of accurate methods for the selective and sensitive measurement of metabolic enzymes. In the last 5 years, novel state of-the-art technologies, such as LC-MS/MS, have favoured the emergence of novel scientific disciplines named proteomic and metabolomic. A significant part of these disciplines is dedicated to the specific identification of proteins and endobiotics. The purpose of this novel research program is to associate these new disciplines in order to generate a series of quantification tools (called preotomic/metabolomic pairs) that will be useful in investigating how genetic and environmental factors can alter the metabolism and function of biologically active endogenous substances. Indeed, these tools will provide for the first time the possibility of deciphering the exact contribution of each metabolic enzyme in the cellular response to genetic or environmental challenges.