13C metabolic flux analysis

Metabolic flux analysis using C-13-labeled substrates has become an important tool in metabolic engineering. It allows the detailed quantification of all intracellular fluxes in the central metabolism of a microorganism. The method has strongly evolved in recent years by the introduction of new experimental procedures, measurement techniques, and mathematical data evaluation methods. Many of these improvements require advanced skills in the application of nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry techniques on the one hand and coniputational and statistical experience on the other hand. This minireview summarizes these recent developments and sketches the major practical problems. An outlook to possible future developments concludes the text. (C) 2001 Academic Press.