Versatile high-throughput lipidomics: Characterization and expansion of the E. coli lipid collection

In Chapter 1 many different lipids are introduced, and their functions besides structural functions are introduced and discussed. Mass spectrometry for lipid analysis is discussed, moreover the model organism Escherichia coli (E. coli) and its lipid metabolism are introduced. Chapter 2 describes the current state-of-the-art lipidomic analysis using LC-MS for glycerophospholipids. A novel high-throughput lipidomic platform is developed and used for comprehensive functional characterization of E. coli lipid-genes in Chapter 3. This lipidomic platform is also applicable to other organisms, as shown for HeLa cell cultures in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5 the foreign lipid triacylglycerol is introduced in E. coli and storage of this neutral lipid is investigated. Chapter 6 describes how cardiolipin synthases can produce and metabolize foreign lipid classes including PC and phosphatidyl-alcohols. The overall findings are summarized and discussed in Chapter 7.