Metabolomic profiling reveals that Drosophila melanogaster larvae with the y mutation have altered lysine metabolism

Mohammed Al Bratty; Venkateswara R Chintapalli; Julian A T Dow; Tong Zhang; David G Watson

doi:10.1016/j.fob.2012.07.007

Metabolomic profiling reveals that Drosophila melanogaster larvae with the y mutation have altered lysine metabolism

FEBS Open Bio. 2012 Jul 26:2:217-21. doi: 10.1016/j.fob.2012.07.007. Print 2012.

Authors

Mohammed Al Bratty¹, Venkateswara R Chintapalli, Julian A T Dow, Tong Zhang, David G Watson

Affiliation

¹ Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, 161, Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK.

Abstract

Yellow (y) encodes a protein which is closely similar to major royal jelly proteins produced by bees. However, the function of y remains largely unknown. Metabolomic profiling was carried out on third instar Oregon R (OR) and yellow (y) Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Phenylalanine, tyrosine and DOPA were all elevated in y as might be expected since the mutation blocks melanin biosynthesis. The most consistent effects were related to lysine metabolism, with the lysine metabolite saccharopine being much higher in y. In addition, lysine acetate was elevated, and the levels of methyl lysines were lower, in y than in OR.

Keywords: DCE, dopachrome conversion enzyme; DHI, 5,6-dihydroxyindole; DOPA, dihydroxyphenylalanine; Fourier transform mass spectrometry; Histones; Metabolomics; OR, Oregon R; SDH, saccharopine dehydrogenase; Saccharopine; Yellow mutation; dLKR, Drosophila lysine ketoglutarate reductase; y, yellow.