Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) produced GeneMAP, a platform that analyzes the role of genes involved in metabolism. The platform discovered a gene that is important for mitochondrial choline transport.

Metabolic reactions play crucial roles in life-sustaining chemical reactions, such as nutrient absorption, waste disposal, and energy production. Approximately 20% of genes that code for proteins are involved in metabolism. However, many of these genes have unknown molecular substrates due to a wide variety of structure and function of proteins.

Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) combined genomics and metabolism to develop the GeneMAP discovery platform, which can identify the role of proteins with unknown substrates. The platform can study existing gene-metabolite associations as well as reveal new ones. Their results also showed that the GeneMAP-derived metabolic networks may be utilized to deduce the biochemical properties of uncharacterized metabolites. Their research demonstrates great potential in the field of health and medicine.

For more information, read the news article of VUMC.