Sarcosine biosynthesis

Little is known concerning the mechanism of biogenesis of the often occurring Y-methylamino acids. There is evidence that glycine and l-valine are the direct precursors of sarcosine > and Y-methyl-L-valine in actinomycin biosynthesis and that the methyl group is provided by methionine . 

Actinomycin F, Actinomycin KS4 KS4. An antibiotic produced by cultures of actinomycin C-elaborat-ing strains of Streptomyces, such as Streptomyces BOP 476 (NRRL 2580) and Sirt-piomy r. chrysomaltus (NRRL 2250). Considered to be a derivative of actinomycin C2 amino acid analysis indicates that the prolines present in actinomycin C2 are substituted by sarcosine in actinomycin I, Production by controlled biosynthesis Schmidt-Kastner. Naturwiss. 43, 131 (1956) idem, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Set. 89, 199 (1960) Schmidt-Kastner, Hackmann, U.S. pat. 3,219,544 (1965 to Bayer). 

Kacr E, Goss WA. Controlled biosynthesis of actinomycin with sarcosine. Biochem J 1959 73 459-465. 

Methylamines were found to be abundant in the thallus of Lobaria laeti-Virens (Bernard and Goas, 1968), and Bernard and Larher (1971) demonstrated the important position of glycine in the biosynthesis of mono-, di-, and trimethylamine by this lichen. These authors have proposed a metabolic scheme that summarizes the interrelationships of glycine, the methylamines, sarcosine, and choline and studies are in progress to confirm their proposal. 

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