Metabonomics discovery of a compound from the microbiome of a genetically modified mouse with anti-obesity properties

Jeremy R. Everetta

Abstract

Metabolic profiling or metabonomics is an important systems biology methodology for disease diagnosis and prognosis. It is also an excellent methodology for the phenotyping of genetically modified mice. We recently used this technology in collaboration with the group of Professor Elizabeth Shephard at UCL, to investigate the metabolic phenotype of a genetically modified  mouse that had an unusual, lean phenotype. The genetic modification in this mouse caused a change in its microbiome, and the production by the microbiome, of a new metabolite X. We identified this compound by spectroscopic methods and subsequently showed it to have anti obesity properties and to be responsible for the lean clinical phenotype. This talk will provide an overview of this work and the properties of compound X.