Spatially resolved isotope tracing reveals tissue metabolic activity. Author Lin Wang, Xi Xing, Xianfeng Zeng, RaElle Jackson, Tara TeSlaa, Osama Al-Dalahmah, Laith Samarah, Katharine Goodwin, Lifeng Yang, Melanie McReynolds, Xiaoxuan Li, Jeremy Wolff, Joshua Rabinowitz, Shawn Davidson Publication Year 2022 Type Journal Article Abstract Isotope tracing has helped to determine the metabolic activities of organs. Methods to probe metabolic heterogeneity within organs are less developed. We couple stable-isotope-labeled nutrient infusion to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (iso-imaging) to quantitate metabolic activity in mammalian tissues in a spatially resolved manner. In the kidney, we visualize gluconeogenic flux and glycolytic flux in the cortex and medulla, respectively. Tricarboxylic acid cycle substrate usage differs across kidney regions; glutamine and citrate are used preferentially in the cortex and fatty acids are used in the medulla. In the brain, we observe spatial gradations in carbon inputs to the tricarboxylic acid cycle and glutamate under a ketogenic diet. In a carbohydrate-rich diet, glucose predominates throughout but in a ketogenic diet, 3-hydroxybutyrate contributes most strongly in the hippocampus and least in the midbrain. Brain nitrogen sources also vary spatially; branched-chain amino acids contribute most in the midbrain, whereas ammonia contributes in the thalamus. Thus, iso-imaging can reveal the spatial organization of metabolic activity. Keywords Animals, Male, Gluconeogenesis, Diet, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Carbon Isotopes, Glycolysis, Brain, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Enzymes, Kidney, Single-Cell Analysis, Nitrogen Isotopes, Glutamic Acid, Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization, Molecular Imaging, Tricarboxylic Acids, Workflow Journal Nat Methods Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 223-230 Date Published 02/2022 ISSN Number 1548-7105 DOI 10.1038/s41592-021-01378-y Alternate Journal Nat Methods PMID 35132243 PubMedGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML