Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT)

1. Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) catalyzes the methylation reaction of glycine by SAM.

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2. We determined the structures of GNMT itself and GNMT complexes with the substrate and inhibitors.

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3. GNMT has at least three different conformations.

Three different dimmer structures of GNMT showing the different conformations

of the N-terminal section.

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4. Catalytic mechanism basis on the crystal structures and site-directed mutagenesis.

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Publications:

● Fu, Z., Konishi, K., Takata, Y. Fujioka, M. & Takusagawa, F. (1995). Crystallization and Preliminary X-ray Diffraction Studies of Glycine Methyltransferase from Rat Liver. J. Struct. Biol. 113, 247-249.

● Fu, Z., Hu, Y., Konishi, K. Takata, Y., Ogawa, H., Gomi, T., Fujioka, M. & Takusagawa, F. (1996). Crystal Structure of Glycine N-Methyltransferase from Rat Liver. Biochemistry 35, 11985-11993.

● Ogawa, H., Gomi, T., Takusagawa, F. & Fujioka, M. (1998). Structure, Function, and Physiological Role of Glycine N-methyltransferase. Int. J. Biochem. 30, 13-26.

● Takusagawa, F., Ogawa, H. & Fujioka, M. (1999). Glycine N-Methyltransferase, A Tetrameric Enzyme in Structure and Function of AdoMet-Dependent Methyltransferases. (X. Chen & R. M. Blumenthal, eds.) pp. 93 - 122. World Scientific Publishing Co./Imperial College Press.

● Huang, Y., Komoto, J., Konishi, K., Takata, Y., Ogawa, H., Gomi, T., Fujioka, M. & Takusagawa, F. (2000). Mechanisms for Auto-Inhibition and Forced Product Release in Glycine N-Methyltransferase: Crystal Structures of Wild-Type, R175K and S-Adenosylhomocysteine-bound R175K Enzymes. J. Mol. Biol. 298, 149-162.

● Takata, Y., Huang, Y., Komoto, J., Yamada, T., Konishi, K., Ogawa, H., Gomi, T., Fujioka, M. & Takusagawa, F. (2003). Catalytic mechanism of glycine N-methyltransferase. Biochemistry 42, 8394-8402.