title: METscout: a pathfinder exploring the landscape of metabolites, enzymes and transporters.
abstract: METscout (http://metscout.mpg.de) brings together metabolism and gene expression landscapes. It is a MySQL relational database linking biochemical pathway information with 3D patterns of gene expression determined by robotic in situ hybridization in the E14.5 mouse embryo. The sites of expression of ∼1500 metabolic enzymes and of ∼350 solute carriers (SLCs) were included and are accessible as single cell resolution images and in the form of semi-quantitative image abstractions. METscout provides several graphical web-interfaces allowing navigation through complex anatomical and metabolic information. Specifically, the database shows where in the organism each of the many metabolic reactions take place and where SLCs transport metabolites. To link enzymatic reactions and transport, the KEGG metabolic reaction network was extended to include metabolite transport. This network in conjunction with spatial expression pattern of the network genes allows for a tracing of metabolic reactions and transport processes across the entire body of the embryo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genes and Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geffers
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tetzlaff
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eichele
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D020407:Internet; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins