If metabolites have been identified, which are significantly changed, it is of interest, how these metabolites belong together. Therefore, these metabolites are usually mapped into charts of biochemical pathways. The most popular collection of biochemical pathways can be found in the KEGG database. It is often visible, that complete pathways are affected. In addition, results from genomics and proteomics can be mapped into the same pathways. This allows the combination of high-level information from all three "-omics" technologies and opens the door for combined interpretations of these technologies. It is easier to combine the high-level information of the different technologies on pathway basis than the combination of raw data, as the raw data of the different technologie are too heterogenous in respect to size, reproducibility, probability, time, and many more. Changes of pathways often allow setting up theories about biochemical effects, which can be investigated by follow-up experiments (for example investigating possibly affected tissue).
Mapping of significantly changed metabolites into pathway charts. This allows linking metabonomic changes with changes of proteins and genes.
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