title: MS-based metabolomics facilitates the discovery of in vivo functional small molecules with a diversity of biological contexts.
abstract: In vivo small molecules as necessary intermediates are involved in numerous critical metabolic pathways and biological processes associated with many essential biological functions and events. There is growing evidence that MS-based metabolomics is emerging as a powerful tool to facilitate the discovery of functional small molecules that can better our understanding of development, infection, nutrition, disease, toxicity, drug therapeutics, gene modifications and host-pathogen interaction from metabolic perspectives. However, further progress must still be made in MS-based metabolomics because of the shortcomings in the current technologies and knowledge. This technique-driven review aims to explore the discovery of in vivo functional small molecules facilitated by MS-based metabolomics and to highlight the analytic capabilities and promising applications of this discovery strategy. Moreover, the biological significance of the discovery of in vivo functional small molecules with different biological contexts is also interrogated at a metabolic perspective.
authors.affiliation: Innovative Drug Research Centre & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China.
authors.forename: Leyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Wenna
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Zee
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Upton
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019295:Computational Biology; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D055432:Metabolomics; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D054852:Small Molecule Libraries