Direct non-invasive observation of metabolism in living cells by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract

Applications of ¹³C nmr in following the metabolism and fate of ¹³C enriched substrates in whole cells are described. Studies on the elaboration of coproporphyrinogens I (2a) and III (2b) from [5-¹³C]-δ-aminolevulinic acid (1) and [11-¹³C-porphobilinogen (PBG, 3), in Rhodopseudomonasspheroides and Propionibacteriumshermanii, respectively, the randomization of ¹³C from [3-¹³C]-propionate by P. shermanii, the biosynthesis of citrate, gentisalcohol (4), and patulin (5) from [2-¹³C]-acetate by Penicilliumurticae, and the anaerobic metabolism of [1-¹³C]-glucose in rabbit erythrocytes are reported.