03-08-2013, 04:28 PM
High-throughput ‘omics’ approaches for gene, metabolite and microbial identification
ABSTRACT
Due to revolutionary improvements in high-through put DNA sequencing technologies, close to 1000 microbial genomes from almost all known major phylogenetic lineages have been fully sequenced, and many more are nearing completion. The computational-based annotation and comparative genomic analyses of DNA sequences have provided biologists with information regarding gene function, genome structures, biological pathways, metabolic and regulatory networks, and evolution of microbial genomes, which has greatly enhanced our understanding of microbial metabolism. However, to fully elucidate microbial metabolism and its responses to environmental factors, it is necessary to include functional characterization and accurate quantification of all levels of gene products, mRNA, proteins and metabolites, as well as their interaction. In the past decade, significant efforts in improving analytical technologies pertaining to measuring mRNA, proteins and metabolites have been made. These efforts have led to the generation of several new ‘omics’ research fields: transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, interactomics and so on (Fig. 1). In general, all experimental ‘omics’ approaches can be considered to share three major features in contrast to traditional procedures.