Nitrogen stable isotope ratios of amino acids: metabolic pathways and application to food web studies

Ichiro Tayasu

Compound specific isotope analysis is one of the fascinating topics in isotope ecology. However, most of the knowledge in isotope ecology is based on the “bulk” analysis and little is known about compound specific isotopic fractionations. Metabolic map of biochemical reactions in living organisms is a key concept for understanding compound specific isotope ratios. In this talk, I review metabolic pathways of biochemical reactions regulating isotopic fractionations in microbes, plants and animals. Then, I focus on some research topics of the on-going project.