title: Methionine adenosyltransferase and S-adenosylmethionine in alcoholic liver disease.
abstract: Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) is an essential enzyme that catalyzes the formation of the principal methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). Studies in the past decade have shown that SAMe is not only a methyl donor, but also a key metabolite that regulates hepatocyte growth, death and differentiation. Abnormalities in MAT and decreased SAMe levels occur in experimental animals and humans with alcoholic liver disease. Chronic hepatic SAMe deficiency can result in the spontaneous development of steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This paper reviews MAT genes and SAMe in relation to alcoholic liver disease and the molecular mechanisms by which SAMe regulates hepatocyte growth and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: USC Liver Disease Research Center, USC-UCLA Alcoholic Liver and Pancreatic Disease Center, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine USC, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA. shellylu@usc.edu
authors.forename: Shelly C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: M Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martínez-Chantar
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008716:Methionine Adenosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D008716:Methionine Adenosyltransferase