Methylamine-glutamate N-methyltransferase
Encyclopedia
In enzymology, a methylamine-glutamate N-methyltransferase is an enzyme
that catalyzes
the chemical reaction
Thus, the two substrates
of this enzyme are methylamine
and L-glutamate, whereas its two products
are NH3
and N-methyl-L-glutamate.
This enzyme belongs to the family of transferase
s, specifically those transferring one-carbon group methyltransferases. The systematic name of this enzyme class is methylamine:L-glutamate N-methyltransferase. Other names in common use include N-methylglutamate synthase, and methylamine-glutamate methyltransferase. This enzyme participates in methane metabolism.
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
that catalyzes
Catalysis
Catalysis is the change in rate of a chemical reaction due to the participation of a substance called a catalyst. Unlike other reagents that participate in the chemical reaction, a catalyst is not consumed by the reaction itself. A catalyst may participate in multiple chemical transformations....
the chemical reaction
Chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Chemical reactions can be either spontaneous, requiring no input of energy, or non-spontaneous, typically following the input of some type of energy, such as heat, light or electricity...
- methylamine + L-glutamate
NH3 + N-methyl-L-glutamate
Thus, the two substrates
Substrate (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a substrate is a molecule upon which an enzyme acts. Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions involving the substrate. In the case of a single substrate, the substrate binds with the enzyme active site, and an enzyme-substrate complex is formed. The substrate is transformed into one or...
of this enzyme are methylamine
Methylamine
Methylamine is the organic compound with a formula of CH3NH2. This colourless gas is a derivative of ammonia, but with one H atom replaced by a methyl group. It is the simplest primary amine. It is sold as a solution in methanol, ethanol, THF, and water, or as the anhydrous gas in pressurized...
and L-glutamate, whereas its two products
Product (chemistry)
Product are formed during chemical reactions as reagents are consumed. Products have lower energy than the reagents and are produced during the reaction according to the second law of thermodynamics. The released energy comes from changes in chemical bonds between atoms in reagent molecules and...
are NH3
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
and N-methyl-L-glutamate.
This enzyme belongs to the family of transferase
Transferase
In biochemistry, a transferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a functional group from one molecule to another . For example, an enzyme that catalyzed this reaction would be a transferase:In this example, A would be the donor, and B would be the acceptor...
s, specifically those transferring one-carbon group methyltransferases. The systematic name of this enzyme class is methylamine:L-glutamate N-methyltransferase. Other names in common use include N-methylglutamate synthase, and methylamine-glutamate methyltransferase. This enzyme participates in methane metabolism.