From the Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
J Biol Chem. 2017 Dec 29;292(52):21703-21704. doi: 10.1074/jbc.H117.000712.
Phosphoethanolamine methyltransferases add three methyl groups successively to their substrate to produce phosphocholine, an important precursor for phospholipid biosynthesis in diverse organisms. New work from Lee and Jez reveals critical domain movements that explain how multiple methylation reactions are uniquely coordinated by plant methyltransferases and provides insights into the evolution of this class of enzymes. As opposed to closely related family members, the intermediates in this pathway are likely shuttled between two tethered domains to ensure complete methylation.
磷酸乙醇胺甲基转移酶连续向其底物添加三个甲基基团，生成磷酸胆碱，这是多种生物体内磷脂生物合成的重要前体。Lee 和 Jez 的新研究揭示了关键的结构域运动，解释了植物甲基转移酶如何独特地协调多个甲基化反应，并为这类酶的进化提供了新的见解。与密切相关的家族成员不同，该途径中的中间产物可能在两个连接的结构域之间穿梭，以确保完全甲基化。
