Development of compound-specific isotope analysis of sugars: for illustrating nutritional cycles between sugars and amino acids in organisms

Recent studies have suggested that stable isotope analysis of individual amino acids (AAs) can be used to identify the fate of organic matter in the trophic transfer and the resource utilization of organisms in the food web, with a considerably small error, for diverse marine and terrestrial settings. Such identification have been increasingly advanced by understanding the isotopic fractionation of amino acids (and their precursors and products) associated with metabolic processes in organisms. One of major organic molecules that have used for life energy sources as well as precursors and products of amino acids is ‘glucose’, and it is simply expected that the carbon isotope ratios of glucose can be useful for better understanding the isotope ratios of non-essential amino acids associated with biosynthesis and metabolic loading in consumer species. However, the isotope analysis of sugars, including glucose, by using isotope ratio mass spectrometry/gas chromatography (GC/IRMS) is still challenging, because of technical difficulties in preparation for the isotope analysis including the artificial isotopic fractionation during derivatization of sugars. Here, we review (1) potential of the carbon isotope analysis of sugars for better understanding the nutritional cycle between sugars and amino acids in organisms, (2) the carbon isotope analysis of sugars on the GC/IRMS system, and (3) the challenges for reducing the technical difficulties.

Primary Presenter: Hyuntae Choi, Hokkaido University (htchoi@lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp)

Authors:

Hyuntae Choi, Hokkaido University  (htchoi@lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp)