Modifier-concept of colorectal carcinogenesis: Lipidomics as a technical tool in pathway analysis

Figure 1 The modifier concept of colorectal carcinogenesis. The important key points in enterocytic life span, proliferation and apoptosis, are connected by basal molecular pathways. Such pathways, as well as cell behavior determining molecular entities such as the genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and lipidome, are exposed to cellular stress and act as modifiers. In addition to enterocytes, the intestinal stem cells are affected by this evolutionary principle. The aberrant modification of pathways is suggested as an important variable in colorectal carcinogenesis. The term nutrigenome of tumor cells reflects the genome modification of malignant cells by dietary components with expression of so-called modifier genes as demonstrated in APC mice.

Figure 2 Summary of the lipidomics work flow - lipid extraction and analysis. TLC: Thin layer chromatography; GC: Gas chromatography; HPLC: High pressure liquid chromatography; ESI: Electrospray ionization; MALDI-TOF: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of flight.