RNAi-based biosynthetic pathway screens to identify in vivo functions of non-nucleic acid-based metabolites such as lipids.

ABSTRACT: The field of metabolomics continues to catalog new compounds, but their functional analysis remains technically challenging, and roles beyond metabolism are largely unknown. Unbiased genetic/RNAi screens are powerful tools to identify the in vivo functions of protein-encoding genes, but not of nonproteinaceous compounds such as lipids. They can, however, identify the biosynthetic enzymes of these compounds-findings that are usually dismissed, as these typically synthesize multiple products. Here, we provide a method using follow-on biosynthetic pathway screens to identify the endpoint biosynthetic enzyme and thus the compound through which they act. The approach is based on the principle that all subsequently identified downstream biosynthetic enzymes contribute to the synthesis of at leas

SUBMITTER: Zhang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5597045 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature