Systemic analysis shows that cold exposure modulates triglyceride accumulation and phospholipid distribution in mice.

Environmental exposure to cold is increasingly being associated with changes in metabolism. We developed and tested the hypothesis that exposure to cold drives systemic effects in lipid metabolism. Specifically, (i) that energy storage and provision adapts to the cold by altering triglyceride distribution and (ii) that membranes adapt to cold conditions by becoming more unsaturated.

Systemic analysis of lipid metabolism from individuals to multi-organism systems.

Lipid metabolism is recognised as being central to growth, disease and health. Lipids, therefore, have an important place in current research on globally significant topics such as food security and biodiversity loss. However, answering questions in these important fields of research requires not only identification and measurement of lipids in a wider variety of sample types than ever before, but also hypothesis-driven analysis of the resulting 'big data'.

A co-ordinated transcriptional programme in the maternal liver supplies long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to the conceptus using phospholipids.

The long and very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are preferentially transported by the mother to the fetus. Failure to supply LC-PUFAs is strongly linked with stillbirth, fetal growth restriction, and impaired neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, dietary supplementation during pregnancy is unable to simply reverse these outcomes, suggesting imperfectly understood interactions between dietary fatty acid intake and the molecular mechanisms of maternal supply.

Sterol and lipid metabolism in bees.

Background: Bees provide essential pollination services for many food crops and are critical in supporting wild plant diversity. However, the dietary landscape of pollen food sources for social and solitary bees has changed because of agricultural intensification and habitat loss. For this reason, understanding the basic nutrient metabolism and meeting the nutritional needs of bees is becoming an urgent requirement for agriculture and conservation.

Metabolomic insights into maternal and neonatal complications in pregnancies affected by type 1 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: Type 1 diabetes in pregnancy is associated with suboptimal pregnancy outcomes, attributed to maternal hyperglycaemia and offspring hyperinsulinism (quantifiable by cord blood C-peptide). We assessed metabolomic patterns associated with risk factors (maternal hyperglycaemia, diet, BMI, weight gain) and perinatal complications (pre-eclampsia, large for gestational age [LGA], neonatal hypoglycaemia, hyperinsulinism) in the Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Women with Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy Trial (CONCEPTT).

Methods: A total of 174 CONCEPTT participants gave ≥1 non-fasting serum sample for the biorepository at 12 gestational weeks (147 women), 24 weeks (167 women) and 34 weeks (160 women) with cord blood from 93 infants.