Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42182470›Full record

ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026

Alkamines reveal a hidden layer of steroid and drug metabolism.

Julius Agongo, Subhaskar R Panga, Shipei Xing, Vincent Charron-Lamoureux, Harsha Gouda, Yasin El Abiead, Megan R Nelson, Abubaker Patan, Marvic Carrillo Terrazas, Kine Eide Kvitne and 35 more

Abstract readPreprint
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

45 authors.

Julius AgongoSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-0115-1997
Subhaskar R PangaSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7422-4782
Shipei XingSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Vincent Charron-LamoureuxSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Harsha GoudaSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Yasin El AbieadBOKU University, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Analytical Chemistry; Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-4392-7706
Megan R NelsonSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Abubaker PatanSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Marvic Carrillo TerrazasDepartment of Pathology, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8830-5161
Kine Eide KvitneSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8118-7660
Jeong In SeoSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0365-925X
Prajit RajkumarSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-5538-5270
Sadie GiddingsSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Helena Mannochio-RussoSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4961-2353
Jasmine ZemlinSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Ipsita MohantyDepartment of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University; University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Marta Sala-ClimentDepartment of Medicine, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.
Zhewen HuSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-0763-3754
Victoria DelaraySkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-3201-2578
Simpa K YeboahDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Haoqi Nina ZhaoSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3908-630X
Andrés M Caraballo-RodríguezSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5499-2728
Claire E WilliamsDepartment of Biology, University of Nevada; Reno, NV 89557 USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8970-0032
Candace L WilliamsField Projects International, Escondido, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1711-1183
Wilhan D Gonçalves NunesSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0609-6678
Kathleen DorresteinSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Jennifer CaoDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Isabelle ShepherdDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Rachel BockDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Nathaniel RoethlerDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Adrian JinichSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Lindsey A BurnettDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Jeremy CarverSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Robert N DevineDepartment of Chemistry, Saint Louis University; 3501 Laclede Ave, St Louis, MO, 63103, USA.
Christopher K ArnattDepartment of Chemistry, Saint Louis University; 3501 Laclede Ave, St Louis, MO, 63103, USA.
Iain A MurrayDepartment of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University; University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Rob KnightDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Monica GumaDepartment of Medicine, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-1951-9411
Lee R HageyDepartment of Medicine, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.
Gary PerdewDepartment of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University; University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Nuno BandeiraSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Mingxun WangDepartment of Computer Science, University of California; Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
Hiutung ChuDepartment of Pathology, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Dionicio SiegelSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Pieter C DorresteinSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California; San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Funding

REPRODUCTIVE SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAMK12HD000849 · NICHD · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Danny J Schust · 1988 to 2026
$33.2M
UC San Diego FIRST ProgramU54CA272220 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Deborah L Wingard · 2022 to 2026
$21.2M
Study the Treg-IL-27 axis in immune regulationR01AI188710 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI CHU, HIUTUNG, LU, LI-FAN · 2025 to 2025
$3.0M
Collaborative Microbial Metabolite CenterU24DK133658 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI PIETER C DORRESTEIN · 2022 to 2026
$2.9M
Reverse Metabolomics for the Discovery of Disease Associated Microbial MoleculesR01DK136117 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI PIETER C DORRESTEIN · 2023 to 2026
$2.9M
Bacterial adaptions in host-microbe interactions.R01AI167860 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Hiutung Chu · 2022 to 2026
$2.8M
Uncovering the roles of oxysterols in neuropathic painR01NS128004 · NINDS · SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY · PI Christopher K Arnatt, DANIELA SALVEMINI · 2022 to 2026
$2.2M
600 MHz NMR spectrometer with 1.7mm micro-cryoprobeS10OD032266 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI DUGGAN, BRENDAN MICHAEL · 2023 to 2023
$1.8M
Development of selective GPR34 antagonists for the treatment of neuropathic painR61NS138976 · NINDS · SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY · PI ARNATT, CHRISTOPHER K, SALVEMINI, DANIELA · 2024 to 2024
$1.5M
Mapping Xenobiotic Metabolism by the Human Gut MicrobiomeK99ES037746 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI ZHAO, HAOQI NINA · 2025 to 2025
$95k
NCI NIH HHS U54 CA272220NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI167860NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI188710NICHD NIH HHS K12 HD000849NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK136117NIDDK NIH HHS U24 DK133658NIEHS NIH HHS K99 ES037746NIH HHS S10 OD032266NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS128004NINDS NIH HHS R61 NS138976
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biomedical research overlooks most genes in favor of a well-studied minority, yet whether analogous blind spots exist in metabolomics remains unknown. We show that reductive amination, forming secondary amines from aldehydes or ketones and amines, generates a previously hidden class of metabolites we term alkamines. Multiplexed synthesis of 8,475 alkamines combined with MS/MS searches across 1.7 billion spectra identified 1,626 candidates across multiple species and organs. Of these, 56 were confirmed in biological samples, including 27 steroid- and 12 drug-derived alkamines matching prescription patterns. Notably, 77% of synthesized alkamines are absent from PubChem. This combinatorial logic likely explains why alkamines have evaded detection and suggests drug metabolism frameworks substantially underestimate drug-derived metabolite diversity. Reductive amination is an overlooked route modifying steroids, bile acids, and xenobiotics.

Identifiers

PMID42182470
PMCPMC13192845

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.