In the chemical sciences, methylation denotes the addition of a methyl group on a substrate, or the substitution of an atom by a methyl group. Methylation is a form of alkylation, with a methyl group replacing a hydrogen atom. These terms are commonly used in chemistry, biochemistry, soil science, and the biological sciences.
Pterin is a heterocyclic compound composed of a pteridine ring system, with a "keto group" and an amino group on positions 4 and 2 respectively. It is structurally related to the parent bicyclic heterocycle called pteridine. Pterins, as a group, are compounds related to pterin with additional substituents. Pterin itself is of no biological significance.
Spermidine synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of the propylamine group from S-adenosylmethioninamine to putrescine in the biosynthesis of spermidine. The systematic name is S-adenosyl 3-(methylthio)propylamine:putrescine 3-aminopropyltransferase and it belongs to the group of aminopropyl transferases. It does not need any cofactors. Most spermidine synthases exist in solution as dimers.
Methyltransferases are a large group of enzymes that all methylate their substrates but can be split into several subclasses based on their structural features. The most common class of methyltransferases is class I, all of which contain a Rossmann fold for binding S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM). Class II methyltransferases contain a SET domain, which are exemplified by SET domain histone methyltransferases, and class III methyltransferases, which are membrane associated. Methyltransferases can also be grouped as different types utilizing different substrates in methyl transfer reactions. These types include protein methyltransferases, DNA/RNA methyltransferases, natural product methyltransferases, and non-SAM dependent methyltransferases. SAM is the classical methyl donor for methyltransferases, however, examples of other methyl donors are seen in nature. The general mechanism for methyl transfer is a SN2-like nucleophilic attack where the methionine sulfur serves as the leaving group and the methyl group attached to it acts as the electrophile that transfers the methyl group to the enzyme substrate. SAM is converted to S-Adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) during this process. The breaking of the SAM-methyl bond and the formation of the substrate-methyl bond happen nearly simultaneously. These enzymatic reactions are found in many pathways and are implicated in genetic diseases, cancer, and metabolic diseases. Another type of methyl transfer is the radical S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) which is the methylation of unactivated carbon atoms in primary metabolites, proteins, lipids, and RNA.
Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) is an enzyme found primarily in the adrenal medulla that converts norepinephrine (noradrenaline) to epinephrine (adrenaline). It is also expressed in small groups of neurons in the human brain and in selected populations of cardiomyocytes.
In enzymology, a 3-demethylubiquinone-9 3-O-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In the field of enzymology, a betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase also known as betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) is a zinc metallo-enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from trimethylglycine and a hydrogen ion from homocysteine to produce dimethylglycine and methionine respectively:
In enzymology, a methanol-5-hydroxybenzimidazolylcobamide Co-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.90) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a methionine S-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a protein-glutamate O-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a sterol 24-C-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a tRNA guanosine-2'-O-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a 2-oxopropyl-CoM reductase (carboxylating) (EC 1.8.1.5) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, coenzyme-B sulfoethylthiotransferase, also known as methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) or most systematically as 2-(methylthio)ethanesulfonate:N-(7-thioheptanoyl)-3-O-phosphothreonine S-(2-sulfoethyl)thiotransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the final step in the formation of methane. It does so by combining the hydrogen donor coenzyme B and the methyl donor coenzyme M. Via this enzyme, most of the natural gas on earth was produced. Ruminants produce methane because their rumens contain methanogenic prokaryotes (Archaea) that encode and express the set of genes of this enzymatic complex.
The enzyme methylthioribulose 1-phosphate dehydratase (EC .2.1.109) catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a methenyltetrahydromethanopterin cyclohydrolase (EC 3.5.4.27) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a formylmethanofuran-tetrahydromethanopterin N-formyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Methyl halide transferase is an enzyme with systematic name S-adenosylmethionine:iodide methyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Methylamine-corrinoid protein Co-methyltransferase is an enzyme with systematic name monomethylamine:5-hydroxybenzimidazolylcobamide Co-methyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Tetrahydrosarcinapterin synthase is an enzyme with systematic name tetrahydromethanopterin:alpha-L-glutamate ligase (ADP-forming). This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
