Description:
<p>Drosophila melanogaster strain Oregon-R* was grown on standard medium supplemented with [ U-<sup>13</sup> C<sub>6</sub>]glucose. One to two days after hatching, flies were extracted with water. Glucose was isolated chromatographically from the extract and was analyzed by <sup>13</sup> C NMR spectroscopy. All <sup>13</sup> C signals of the isolated glucose were multiplets arising by <sup>13</sup> C<sup>13</sup> C coupling. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the coupling constants and heavy isotope shifts in glucose, the integrals of individual <sup>13</sup> C signal patterns afforded the concentrations of certain groups of <sup>13</sup> C isotopologs. These data were deconvoluted by a genetic algorithm affording the abundances of all single-labeled and of 15 multiply labeled isotopologs. Among the latter group, seven isotopologs were found at concentrations >0.1 mol % with [1,2-<sup>13</sup> C<sub>2</sub>]glucose as the most prominent species. The multiply <sup>13</sup> C-labeled glucose isotopologs are caused by metabolic remodeling of the proffered glucose via a complex network of catabolic and anabolic processes involving glycolysis and/or passage through the pentose phosphate, the Cori cycle and/or the citrate cycle. The perturbation method described can be adapted to a wide variety of experimental systems and isotope-labeled precursors.</p>