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The Presence of (+)‐S‐Adenosyl‐ l ‐Methionine in the Rat Brain and Its Lack of Effect on Phenylethanolamine N ‐Methyltransferase Activity
Author(s) -
Beaudouin Corinne,
Haurat Gisèle,
Laffitte Jean Alex,
Renaud Bernard
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1993.tb03604.x
Subject(s) - diastereomer , phenylethanolamine , phenylethanolamine n methyltransferase , methyltransferase , chemistry , methionine , high performance liquid chromatography , enzyme , in vitro , specific activity , biochemistry , substrate (aquarium) , stereochemistry , chromatography , methylation , amino acid , biology , tyrosine hydroxylase , gene , ecology
(+)‐S‐Adenosyl‐ l ‐methionine [(+)‐SAM] was isolated from rat brain and was quantified by HPLC followed by UV spectrophotometric measurements and by 1 H‐NMR. Its estimated ratio in brain is 3% of total SAM. Because of its commercial unavailability, (+)‐SAM was also prepared from chemically synthesized SAM by separation of the two diastereoisomers on a preparative reverse‐phase Nucleosil C8 column. The (+) diastereoisomer thus obtained was then assayed in vitro both as an inhibitor and a substrate of phenylethanolamine N ‐methyltransferase. Enzymatic activity was measured by HPLC analysis. It was shown that (+)‐SAM has no effect on phenylethanolamine N ‐methyltransferase activity; therefore, it is unlikely that (+)‐SAM plays any possible role in regulation of adrenaline synthesis in the brain.