title: Biosynthesis of S-N6-methyladenosylhomocysteine, an inhibitor of RNA methyltransferases.
abstract: This paper demonstrates that N6-methyladenosine (6-methylaminopurine ribonucleoside) will condense in vitro with homocysteine to form S-N6-methyladenosylhomocysteine in a reaction catalyzed by mouse liver S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase. Injection of mice with N6-methyladenosine is followed by accumulation of S-N6-methyladenosylhomocysteine in the liver. Studies from other laboratories have shown that S-N6-methyladenosylhomocysteine is nearly as potent an RNA methyltransferase inhibitor as S-adenosylhomocysteine. This indicates that administration of N6-methyladenosine may be a general method for blocking in vivo RNA methylation in studies to determine the role of methylation in RNA processing and translational function.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012359:tRNA Methyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine; D012359:tRNA Methyltransferases; D006867:Hydrolases