Optimal Tracers for Parallel Labeling Experiments and ¹³C Metabolic Flux Analysis: A New Precision and Synergy Scoring System

Crown, S.B.; Long, C.P.; Antoniewicz, M.R.

Antoniewicz MR and colleagues have developed a new scoring scheme to identify optimal ¹³C tracers in single and parallel labeling experiments of metabolic flux analysis (MFA) studies. The scheme is based on precision and synergistic metrics that, for the first time, accounts for nonlinear flux intervals and avoids biases due to flux value normalization. The metrics were evaluated against hundreds of labeling schemes through extensive in silico simulations and in vivo labeling experiments of E. coli measured by GC-MS. Matched findings revealed the double-labeled glucose tracers (1,6-¹³C) and (1,2-¹³C) to be optimal for MFA of E. coli.