Exploring the Impact of Homocysteine Supplementation on Avian Embryonic Metabolism Through Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Analysis
Résumé
Embryonic malformations are often attributed to environmental factors, including folate deficiency. Avian models can recapitulate human folate deficiencies by adding homocysteine into the egg. However, how this treatment impacts the metabolite levels during embryonic development remains poorly understood.
This project aims to fill this gap by studying how the supplementation of homocysteine affects the metabolite
composition across various matrices.
We used our expertise in mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to develop a method for sample preparation
and analysis on the different parts of the egg: yolk, white, and embryo, in order to study the impact of
homocysteine supplementation on metabolite profiles during embryonic development. Samples were analyzed
using HILIC technology on a Vanquish-QExactive+ coupling (Thermo) in ESI-NEG and ESI-POS, full scan mode and
targeted reprocessing on 150 metabolites.
Our preliminary results show satisfactory metabolic coverage, with 103 metabolites detected across the 3
matrices studied. The next quantitative study of 60 samples will show the impact of homocysteine
supplementation at different doses, on the metabolism of these 3 matrices at different stages of embryonic
development. It will allow us to determine the dynamics of metabolite levels in homocysteine-supplemented
eggs across developmental time.