Multiple bond 13C-13C spin-spin coupling provides complementary information in a 13C NMR isotopomer analysis of glutamate.

Most 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) isotopomer analyses relate a metabolic index of interest to populations of 13C isotopomers as reported by one-bond 13C-13C spin-spin couplings. Metabolic conditions that produce highly enriched citric acid cycle intermediates often lead to 13C NMR spectra of metabolites such as glutamate that show extra multiplets due to long-range couplings. It can be demonstrated from 13C NMR spectra of hearts perfused with mixtures of acetate plus propionate that multiplets in glutamate C2 arising from 3J25 coupling provide a direct readout of acetyl-CoA fractional enrichment (FC1 and FC3), while multiplets in glutamate C5 arising from 2J35 and 3J25 couplings quantitatively reflect enrichment of the anaplerotic substrate.