5-methyltetrahydrofolate

Photoluminescent spectra for methyltetrahydrofolate and the enzyme methyltransferase. When methyltetrahydrofolate and methyltransferase are mixed, the enzyme is no longer photoluminescent, but the photoluminescence of methyltetrahydrofolate is enhanced. (Spectra courtesy of Dave Roberts, DePauw University.)... 

Methylcobalamin is involved in a critically important physiological transformation, namely the methylation of homocysteine (8) to methionine (9) (eq. 2) catalyzed by A/ -methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyltransferase. The reaction sequence involves transfer of a methyl group first from... 

The amino acid methionine is formed by a melhylation reaction of homo cysteine with iV-methyltetrahydrofolate. The stereochemistry of the reactior has been probed by carrying out the transformation using a donor with a "chiral methyl group" that contains protium (H), deuterium (D), and tritium (T isotopes of hydrogen. Does the methylation reaction occur with inversion oi retention of configuration ... 

N5-Methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyl-transferase (= methionine synthase). This reaction is essential to restore tetrahydrofolate from N5-methyltetrahydrofolate (Fig. 2). 

N -Methyltetrahydrofolic acid Various methylcorrinoids CH3OH Various reducing agents CH4... 

Figure 45-14. Homocysteinuria and the folate trap. Vitamin 6,2 deficiency leads to inhibition of methionine synthase activity causing homocysteinuria and the trapping of folate as methyltetrahydrofolate.

When acting as a methyl donor, 5-adenosylmethionine forms homocysteine, which may be remethylated by methyltetrahydrofolate catalyzed by methionine synthase, a vitamin Bj2-dependent enzyme (Figure 45-14). The reduction of methylene-tetrahydrofolate to methyltetrahydrofolate is irreversible, and since the major source of tetrahydrofolate for tissues is methyl-tetrahydrofolate, the role of methionine synthase is vital and provides a link between the functions of folate and vitamin B,2. Impairment of methionine synthase in Bj2 deficiency results in the accumulation of methyl-tetrahydrofolate—the folate trap. There is therefore functional deficiency of folate secondary to the deficiency of vitamin B,2. 

Acetate may also be converted into methane by a few methanogens belonging to the genus Meth-anosarcina. The methyl group is initially converted into methyltetrahydromethanopterin (corresponding to methyltetrahydrofolate in the acetate oxidations discussed above) before reduction to methane via methyl-coenzyme M the carbonyl group of acetate is oxidized via bound CO to CO2. 

In mammals and in the majority of bacteria, cobalamin regulates DNA synthesis indirectly through its effect on a step in folate metabolism, catalyzing the synthesis of methionine from homocysteine and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate via two methyl transfer reactions. This cytoplasmic reaction is catalyzed by methionine synthase (5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyl-transferase), which requires methyl cobalamin (MeCbl) (253), one of the two known coenzyme forms of the complex, as its cofactor. 5 -Deoxyadenosyl cobalamin (AdoCbl) (254), the other coenzyme form of cobalamin, occurs within mitochondria. This compound is a cofactor for the enzyme methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, which is responsible for the conversion of T-methylmalonyl CoA to succinyl CoA. This reaction is involved in the metabolism of odd chain fatty acids via propionic acid, as well as amino acids isoleucine, methionine, threonine, and valine. 

In this reaction sequence acetic acid synthesis requires methyl transfer as CH3 to a Co(I)-corrin by N2 5-methyltetrahydrofolate monoglutamate to give a methylcorrinoid intermediate which is carboxylated to give a carboxymethylcorrinoid. This carboxymethylcorrinoid would then be reductively removed by NADPH to give acetic acid and regenerate the Co(I)-corrin. In contrast to the methyl-transfer proposed for the methionine synthetase reaction, this mechanism suggests that CH3-stabilized by Co attacks CO2 to give a carboxymethylcorrinoid intermediate. 

S-adenosylmethionine and N5-methyltetrahydrofolate derivatives are not capable of transferring methyl groups to mercury salts since for both these coenzymes the methyl group is transferred as CH3. 

Schleyer, E., Reinhardt, J., Unterhalt, M., Hiddemann, W. (1995). Highly sensitive coupled-column high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the separation and quantitation of the diastereomers of leucovorin and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in serum and urine. J. Chromatogr. B 669, 319-330. 

Silan, L., Jadaud, P., Whitfield, L.R., Wainer, I.W. (1990). Determination of low levels of the stereoisomers of leucovorin and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in plasma using a coupled chiral-achiral high-performance liquid chromatographic system with postchiral column peak compression. J. Chromatogr. 532, 227-236. 

Fig. 14.10 Folate metabolism and role of MTHFR. Genetically reduced MTHFR activity affects the distribution between folate species required for protein and DNA synthesis. Higher availabil ity of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2THF) potentiates the TS inhibition by 5-FdUMP, the active metabolite of 5-FU. Hey, homocysteine Met, methionine CH3HF, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate TS, thymidylate synthase 5-FdUMP, fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate.

A relatively large number of agents have been utilized to treat this intractable disorder folinic acid (5-formyl-tetrahydrofolic acid), folic acid, methyltetrahydrofolic acid, betaine, methionine, pyridoxine, cobalamin and carnitine. Betaine, which provides methyl groups to the beta i ne ho mocystei ne methyltransferase reaction, is a safe treatment that lowers blood homocysteine and increases methionine. 

Methionine synthase deficiency (cobalamin-E disease) produces homocystinuria without methylmalonic aciduria. This enzyme mediates the transfer of a methyl group from methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to yield methionine (Fig. 40-4 reaction 4). A cobalamin group bound to the enzyme is converted to methylcobalamin prior to formation of methionine. 

The fibroblasts do not convert cyanocobalamin or hydroxocobalamin to methylcobalamin or adenosyl-cobalamin, resulting in diminished activity of both N5-methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyltransferase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. Supplementation with hydroxocobalamin rectifies the aberrant biochemistry. The precise nature of the underlying defect remains obscure. Diagnosis should be suspected in a child with homocystinuria, methylmalonic aciduria, megaloblastic anemia, hypomethioninemia and normal blood levels of folate and vitamin B12. A definitive diagnosis requires demonstration of these abnormalities in fibroblasts. Prenatal diagnosis is possible. 

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) catalyzes the NAD(P)H-dependent reduction of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2-THF) to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (CH3-THF). CH3-THF then serves as a methyl donor for the synthesis of methionine. The MTHFR proteins and genes from mammalian liver and E. coli have been characterized,12"15 and MTHFR genes have been identified in S. cerevisiae16 and other organisms. The MTHFR of E. coli (MetF) is a homotetramer of 33-kDa subunits that prefers NADH as reductant,12 whereas mammalian MTHFRs are homodimers of 77-kDa subunits that prefer NADPH and are allosterically inhibited by AdoMet.13,14 Mammalian MTHFRs have a two-domain structure the amino-terminal domain shows 30% sequence identity to E. coli MetF, and is catalytic the carboxyterminal domain has been implicated in AdoMet-mediated inhibition of enzyme activity.13,14... 

Recently a great deal of effort has been spent in studying the metabolism of leucovorin in vivo. This emphasis was prompted by the chemical stability of this folate and by the observation of a reduction in toxicity of methotrexate when it was given in conjunction with leucovorin. Fol-inic acid is found in human liver, but it is not the major circulating folate, which is 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. 

The nature of folic acid activity in serum is still obscure despite many clues. Perhaps the best lead has been furnished by the isolation of the previously mentioned N5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid. This is a newly isolated intermediate which is involved in the synthesis of methionine via the reaction in Scheme 1 (L2). This intermediate supports... 

The best characterized B 12-dependent methyltransferases is methionine synthase (Figure 15.11) from E. coli, which catalyses the transfer of a methyl group from methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to form methionine and tetrahydrofolate. During the catalytic cycle, B12 cycles between CH3-Co(in) and Co(I). However, from time to time, Co(I) undergoes oxidative inactivation to Co(II), which requires reductive activation. During this process, the methyl donor is S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) and the electron donor is flavodoxin (Fid) in E. coli, or methionine synthase reductase (MSR) in humans. Methionine synthase... 

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