Figure 1.

Triangular arrangement illustrating the genotype × environment × phenotype interactions, with the metabolome at the core, bridging the gap between the genotype and phenotype. The metabolome is the final recipient of biological information flow and carries imprints of genetic and environmental factors. It is more sensitive to perturbations in both metabolic fluxes and enzyme activity than either the transcriptome or proteome and is thus a reflection of the phenotype. Quantitative, global measurements of the metabolome therefore provide an exploration of cellular metabolism, revealing patterns and functional signatures of the biochemical landscape and cellular physiology of the system under consideration [8,9,10].