Sandbox Reserved 497: Difference between revisions

Line 8:

==Introduction==

Dimethylsulfoniproprionate (DMSP) is a common metabolite produced by marine microorganisms and it acts as a significant carbon and sulfur source for marine bacteria. Degradation of DMSP occurs by either the cleavage pathway or the demethylation pathway <ref> Reisch, C.R., Moran, M.A., Whitman, W.B. (2008). Dimethylsulfoniopropionate-Dependent Demethylase (DmdA) from Pelagibacter ubique and Silicibacter pomeroyi. J. Bacteriol. 190: 8018-8024. </ref>. Understanding both of these degradation pathways is essential due to the key role of DMSP and its degradation product, dimethylsulfide (DMS), in the environmental sulfur cycle <ref>Malin, G. (2006). New Pieces for the Marine Sulfur Cycle Jigsaw. Science. 314: 607-608.</ref>. The demethylation pathway is characterized by the conversion of DMSP into methylmercaptopropionate (MMPA). Recent research has identified dimethylsulfoniopropionate-dependendent demethylase (DmdA) as the inital enzyme in the demethylation pathway. DmdA facilitates the conversion of DMSP into MMPA by acting as a methyl transferase. ~~While~~ the ~~exact~~ mechanism ~~that~~ DmdA ~~uses to demethylate DMSP is still being researched~~, it is known that tetrahydrofolate (THF) is a cofactor in this enzymatic reaction.

Dimethylsulfoniproprionate (DMSP) is a common metabolite produced by marine microorganisms and it acts as a significant carbon and sulfur source for marine bacteria. Degradation of DMSP occurs by either the cleavage pathway or the demethylation pathway <ref> Reisch, C.R., Moran, M.A., Whitman, W.B. (2008). Dimethylsulfoniopropionate-Dependent Demethylase (DmdA) from Pelagibacter ubique and Silicibacter pomeroyi. J. Bacteriol. 190: 8018-8024. </ref>. Understanding both of these degradation pathways is essential due to the key role of DMSP and its degradation product, dimethylsulfide (DMS), in the environmental sulfur cycle <ref>Malin, G. (2006). New Pieces for the Marine Sulfur Cycle Jigsaw. Science. 314: 607-608.</ref>. The demethylation pathway is characterized by the conversion of DMSP into methylmercaptopropionate (MMPA). Recent research has identified dimethylsulfoniopropionate-dependendent demethylase (DmdA) as the inital enzyme in the demethylation pathway. DmdA facilitates the conversion of DMSP into MMPA by acting as a methyl transferase.

Because DmdA has only recently been isolated and characterized, there is still much that is unknown about the properties of DmdA. A proposed reaction mechanism for demethylation of DmdA has recently been published. Additionally, it is known that tetrahydrofolate (THF) is a cofactor in this enzymatic reaction and the key amino acids responsible for the binding of DMSP and THF to DmdA are in the process of being identified.

==Structure==

Sandbox Reserved 497: Difference between revisions

Navigation menu

Page actions

Page actions

Personal tools

Navigation

Search

Tools

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Introduction==
-Dimethylsulfoniproprionate (DMSP) is a common metabolite produced by marine microorganisms and it acts as a significant carbon and sulfur source for marine bacteria. Degradation of DMSP occurs by either the cleavage pathway or the demethylation pathway  <ref> Reisch, C.R., Moran, M.A., Whitman, W.B. (2008). Dimethylsulfoniopropionate-Dependent Demethylase (DmdA) from Pelagibacter ubique and Silicibacter pomeroyi. J. Bacteriol. 190: 8018-8024. </ref>. Understanding both of these degradation pathways is essential due to the key role of DMSP and its degradation product, dimethylsulfide (DMS), in the environmental sulfur cycle <ref>Malin, G. (2006). New Pieces for the Marine Sulfur Cycle Jigsaw. Science. 314: 607-608.</ref>. The demethylation pathway is characterized by the conversion of DMSP into methylmercaptopropionate (MMPA). Recent research has identified dimethylsulfoniopropionate-dependendent demethylase (DmdA) as the inital enzyme in the demethylation pathway. DmdA facilitates the conversion of DMSP into MMPA by acting as a methyl transferase. While the exact mechanism that DmdA uses to demethylate DMSP is still being researched, it is known that tetrahydrofolate (THF) is a cofactor in this enzymatic reaction.
+Dimethylsulfoniproprionate (DMSP) is a common metabolite produced by marine microorganisms and it acts as a significant carbon and sulfur source for marine bacteria. Degradation of DMSP occurs by either the cleavage pathway or the demethylation pathway  <ref> Reisch, C.R., Moran, M.A., Whitman, W.B. (2008). Dimethylsulfoniopropionate-Dependent Demethylase (DmdA) from Pelagibacter ubique and Silicibacter pomeroyi. J. Bacteriol. 190: 8018-8024. </ref>. Understanding both of these degradation pathways is essential due to the key role of DMSP and its degradation product, dimethylsulfide (DMS), in the environmental sulfur cycle <ref>Malin, G. (2006). New Pieces for the Marine Sulfur Cycle Jigsaw. Science. 314: 607-608.</ref>. The demethylation pathway is characterized by the conversion of DMSP into methylmercaptopropionate (MMPA). Recent research has identified dimethylsulfoniopropionate-dependendent demethylase (DmdA) as the inital enzyme in the demethylation pathway. DmdA facilitates the conversion of DMSP into MMPA by acting as a methyl transferase.
+Because DmdA has only recently been isolated and characterized, there is still much that is unknown about the properties of DmdA. A proposed reaction mechanism for demethylation of DmdA has recently been published. Additionally, it is known that tetrahydrofolate (THF) is a cofactor in this enzymatic reaction and the key amino acids responsible for the binding of DMSP and THF to DmdA are in the process of being identified.
 ==Structure==