Mapping an Atlas of Tissue-Specific Drosophila melanogaster Metabolomes by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Metabolomics can provide exciting insights into organismal function, but most work on simple models has focussed on the whole organism metabolome, so missing the contributions of individual tissues. Comprehensive metabolite profiles for ten tissues from adult Drosophila melanogaster were obtained here by two chromatographic methods, a hydrophilic interaction (HILIC) method for polar metabolites and a lipid profiling method also based on HILIC, in combination with an Orbitrap Exactive instrument. Two hundred and forty two polar metabolites were putatively identified in the various tissues, and 251 lipids were observed in positive ion mode and 61 in negative ion mode. Although many metabolites were detected in all tissues, every tissue showed characteristically abundant metabolites which could be rationalised against specific tissue functions. For example, the cuticle contained high levels of glutathione, reflecting a role in oxidative defence; the alimentary canal (like vertebrate gut) had high levels of acylcarnitines for fatty acid metabolism, and the head contained high levels of ether lipids. The male accessory gland uniquely contained decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine. These data thus both provide valuable insights into tissue function, and a reference baseline, compatible with the FlyAtlas.org transcriptomic resource, for further metabolomic analysis of this important model organism, for example in the modelling of human inborn errors of metabolism, aging or metabolic imbalances such as diabetes.

Drosophilaas a model to study obesity and metabolic disease

“…Moreover, advances in analytical technology increasingly compensate for the disadvantage of the fly being a small model organism. Some examples of these analytical technologies are direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry in whole flies (Chiang et al, 2016), tissue-and hemolymph-specific mass spectrometry analyses (Chintapalli et al, 2013;Musselman et al, 2016), in situ lipid profiling in Drosophila sections using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization mass spectrometry imaging for comprehensive lipid composition analysis of individual fly organs (Niehoff et al, 2014), and the use of optical coherence tomography for non-invasive monitoring of Drosophila heart function (Men et al, 2016a).…”

How close are we to complete annotation of metabolomes?

“…in S. cerevisiae [19]. An atlas of tissue-specific metabolomes has also been initiated for Drosophila melanogaster , including both polar and lipophilic metabolites [20]. …”

Sexual dimorphism in the Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) metabolome increases throughout development

“…Drosophila melanogaster has been cited as a particularly useful insect model for metabolomic studies (e.g. Chintapalli et al, 2013), and recent studies have identifi ed many interesting patterns of metabolome variation in this species: for example, variation across the sexes (Hoffmann et al, 2014) and with age (Sarup et al, 2012;Hoffmann et al, 2014), as well as metabolic plasticity to various environmental factors as adults (Overgaard et al, 2007;Colinet et al, 2012;Laye et al, 2015;Williams et al, 2015) and as larvae (Kostal et al, 2011).…”