title: Age dependent changes in the methylation of rat brain phospholipids.
abstract: Phospholipid methyltransferase I and II enzymes methylate phosphatidylethanolamine three times to form phosphatidylcholine. The activity of these two enzymes was determined in synaptosome-enriched fractions from rats 1, 3, 7, 15 and 21 months old. The activity of phospholipid methyltransferase I was significantly greater in 7-, 15- and 21-month-old rats than in 1- and 3-month-old rats. In contrast, the activity of phospholipid methyltransferase II did not change with age. These changes in methyltransferase activity with increasing age may be related to changes in beta-receptor function with increasing age.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D050941:Phosphatidyl-N-Methylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D050918:Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010743:Phospholipids; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D008780:Methyltransferases; D050918:Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase; D050941:Phosphatidyl-N-Methylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase