Incorporation Of Methyl Groups Research Articles

Methionine metabolism in Yucatan miniature swine.

Methionine is an essential amino acid which when not incorporated into protein, can be converted to S-adenosylmethionine, the universal methyl donor in over 200 transmethylation reactions, which include creatine and phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis, as well as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation. Following transmethylation, homocysteine is formed, which can be converted to cysteine via transsulfuration or remethylated to methionine by receiving a methyl group from folate or betaine. Changes to methyl group availability in utero can lead to permanent changes in epigenetic patterns of DNA methylation, which has been implicated in "fetal programming", a phenomenon associated with poor nutrition during fetal development that results in low birth weight and disease in later life. It has been shown that programming can also occur in the neonate. Our global objective was to understand how the variability of nutrients involved in methionine metabolism can affect methionine and methyl group availability. We hypothesize that nutrients that converge on methionine metabolism can affect methionine availability for its various functions. In this thesis, we used intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) piglets to investigate whether a global nutritional insult in utero can lead to a perturbed methionine metabolism. Our results demonstrate that IUGR piglets have a lower capacity to dispose of homocysteine via both transsulfuration and remethylation pathways, as well as a lower incorporation of methyl groups into PC. The second objective of this thesis was to determine whether variation in methionine supply and demand can affect methionine availability. We demonstrated that stimulating either acute or chronic creatine synthesis leads to lower methyl incorporation into protein and PC in pigs. Furthermore, when methionine is limiting, supplementation with either folate or betaine leads to higher methionine availability for protein synthesis. Finally, because creatine is increasingly being utilized as an ergogenic and neuroprotective supplement, we wanted to determine whether provision of the creatine precursor, guanidinoacetate (GAA), could effectively increase tissue creatine stores. We showed that 2.5 weeks of supplementation with GAA is more effective than creatine at increasing hepatic and muscle creatine stores. The results of this thesis demonstrate that the presence of IUGR, an increased demand for creatine synthesis, or the supplementation with remethylation nutrients can each affect methionine availability; all are important when considering neonatal nutrient requirements. Furthermore, although GAA is effective at increasing levels of tissue creatine, higher GAA methylation can limit methionine availability for growth and synthesis of PC.

Large Scale Mass Spectrometry-based Identifications of Enzyme-mediated Protein Methylation Are Subject to High False Discovery Rates

All large scale LC-MS/MS post-translational methylation site discovery experiments require methylpeptide spectrum matches (methyl-PSMs) to be identified at acceptably low false discovery rates (FDRs). To meet estimated methyl-PSM FDRs, methyl-PSM filtering criteria are often determined using the target-decoy approach. The efficacy of this methyl-PSM filtering approach has, however, yet to be thoroughly evaluated. Here, we conduct a systematic analysis of methyl-PSM FDRs across a range of sample preparation workflows (each differing in their exposure to the alcohols methanol and isopropyl alcohol) and mass spectrometric instrument platforms (each employing a different mode of MS/MS dissociation). Through (13)CD3-methionine labeling (heavy-methyl SILAC) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and in-depth manual data inspection, accurate lists of true positive methyl-PSMs were determined, allowing methyl-PSM FDRs to be compared with target-decoy approach-derived methyl-PSM FDR estimates. These results show that global FDR estimates produce extremely unreliable methyl-PSM filtering criteria; we demonstrate that this is an unavoidable consequence of the high number of amino acid combinations capable of producing peptide sequences that are isobaric to methylated peptides of a different sequence. Separate methyl-PSM FDR estimates were also found to be unreliable due to prevalent sources of false positive methyl-PSMs that produce high peptide identity score distributions. Incorrect methylation site localizations, peptides containing cysteinyl-S-β-propionamide, and methylated glutamic or aspartic acid residues can partially, but not wholly, account for these false positive methyl-PSMs. Together, these results indicate that the target-decoy approach is an unreliable means of estimating methyl-PSM FDRs and methyl-PSM filtering criteria. We suggest that orthogonal methylpeptide validation (e.g. heavy-methyl SILAC or its offshoots) should be considered a prerequisite for obtaining high confidence methyl-PSMs in large scale LC-MS/MS methylation site discovery experiments and make recommendations on how to reduce methyl-PSM FDRs in samples not amenable to heavy isotope labeling. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the data identifier PXD002857.

The effects of lateral halogen substituents on the low-temperature cybotactic nematic phase in oxadiazole based bent-core liquid crystals

We have previously demonstrated that the incorporation of lateral methyl groups on oxadiazole-based liquid crystals leads to relatively low-temperature cybotactic nematic phases which, in some cases, supercool to room temperature. We report here the synthesis and phase behaviour of related compounds that possess lateral halogen groups and in some cases, lateral methyl groups as well. Derivatives with three lateral substituents (one halogen and two methyl groups) in a specific pattern supercool in the nematic phase to room temperature. As was the case with the previously reported trimethylated derivatives, the low-temperature nematic phase is glassy in nature. Two of the new trisubstituted derivatives (with bromo and chloro groups) remain in the nematic phase upon subsequent heating until transitioning to the isotropic phase indicating that the low-temperature nematic phase may be more stable than that shown by the trimethylated analogue. Preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the presence of a tilted cybotactic nematic phase. In addition, the splitting observed in the wide-angle scattering feature is indicative of enhanced local biaxial packing.

Structure-Based Design of Macrocyclic Coagulation Factor VIIa Inhibitors.

On the basis of a crystal structure of a phenylpyrrolidine lead and subsequent molecular modeling results, we designed and synthesized a novel series of macrocyclic FVIIa inhibitors. The optimal 16-membered macrocycle was 60-fold more potent than an acyclic analog. Further potency optimization by incorporation of P1' alkyl sulfone and P2 methyl groups provided a macrocycle with TF/FVIIa Ki = 1.6 nM, excellent selectivity against a panel of seven serine proteases, and FVII-deficient prothrombin time EC2x = 1.2 μM. Discovery of this potent, selective macrocyclic scaffold opens new possibilities for the development of orally bioavailable FVIIa inhibitors.

Theoretical modelling of epigenetically modified DNA sequences.

We report herein a set of calculations designed to examine the effects of epigenetic modifications on the structure of DNA. The incorporation of methyl, hydroxymethyl, formyl and carboxy substituents at the 5-position of cytosine is shown to hardly affect the geometry of CG base pairs, but to result in rather larger changes to hydrogen-bond and stacking binding energies, as predicted by dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) methods. The same modifications within double-stranded GCG and ACA trimers exhibit rather larger structural effects, when including the sugar-phosphate backbone as well as sodium counterions and implicit aqueous solvation. In particular, changes are observed in the buckle and propeller angles within base pairs and the slide and roll values of base pair steps, but these leave the overall helical shape of DNA essentially intact. The structures so obtained are useful as a benchmark of faster methods, including molecular mechanics (MM) and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. We show that previously developed MM parameters satisfactorily reproduce the trimer structures, as do QM/MM calculations which treat bases with dispersion-corrected DFT and the sugar-phosphate backbone with AMBER. The latter are improved by inclusion of all six bases in the QM region, since a truncated model including only the central CG base pair in the QM region is considerably further from the DFT structure. This QM/MM method is then applied to a set of double-stranded DNA heptamers derived from a recent X-ray crystallographic study, whose size puts a DFT study beyond our current computational resources. These data show that still larger structural changes are observed than in base pairs or trimers, leading us to conclude that it is important to model epigenetic modifications within realistic molecular contexts.

Theoretical modelling of epigenetically modified DNA sequences

We report herein a set of calculations designed to examine the effects of epigenetic modifications on the structure of DNA. The incorporation of methyl, hydroxymethyl, formyl and carboxy substituents at the 5-position of cytosine is shown to hardly affect the geometry of CG base pairs, but to result in rather larger changes to hydrogen-bond and stacking binding energies, as predicted by dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) methods. The same modifications within double-stranded GCG and ACA trimers exhibit rather larger structural effects, when including the sugar-phosphate backbone as well as sodium counterions and implicit aqueous solvation. In particular, changes are observed in the buckle and propeller angles within base pairs and the slide and roll values of base pair steps, but these leave the overall helical shape of DNA essentially intact. The structures so obtained are useful as a benchmark of faster methods, including molecular mechanics (MM) and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. We show that previously developed MM parameters satisfactorily reproduce the trimer structures, as do QM/MM calculations which treat bases with dispersion-corrected DFT and the sugar-phosphate backbone with AMBER. The latter are improved by inclusion of all six bases in the QM region, since a truncated model including only the central CG base pair in the QM region is considerably further from the DFT structure. This QM/MM method is then applied to a set of double-stranded DNA heptamers derived from a recent X-ray crystallographic study, whose size puts a DFT study beyond our current computational resources. These data show that still larger structural changes are observed than in base pairs or trimers, leading us to conclude that it is important to model epigenetic modifications within realistic molecular contexts.

Theoretical modelling of epigenetically modified DNA sequences.

We report herein a set of calculations designed to examine the effects of epigenetic modifications on the structure of DNA. The incorporation of methyl, hydroxymethyl, formyl and carboxy substituents at the 5-position of cytosine is shown to hardly affect the geometry of CG base pairs, but to result in rather larger changes to hydrogen-bond and stacking binding energies, as predicted by dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) methods. The same modifications within double-stranded GCG and ACA trimers exhibit rather larger structural effects, when including the sugar-phosphate backbone as well as sodium counterions and implicit aqueous solvation. In particular, changes are observed in the buckle and propeller angles within base pairs and the slide and roll values of base pair steps, but these leave the overall helical shape of DNA essentially intact. The structures so obtained are useful as a benchmark of faster methods, including molecular mechanics (MM) and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. We show that previously developed MM parameters satisfactorily reproduce the trimer structures, as do QM/MM calculations which treat bases with dispersion-corrected DFT and the sugar-phosphate backbone with AMBER. The latter are improved by inclusion of all six bases in the QM region, since a truncated model including only the central CG base pair in the QM region is considerably further from the DFT structure. This QM/MM method is then applied to a set of double-stranded DNA heptamers derived from a recent X-ray crystallographic study, whose size puts a DFT study beyond our current computational resources. These data show that still larger structural changes are observed than in base pairs or trimers, leading us to conclude that it is important to model epigenetic modifications within realistic molecular contexts.

Stable oncogenic silencing in vivo by programmable and targeted de novo DNA methylation in breast cancer.

With the recent comprehensive mapping of cancer genomes, there is now a need for functional approaches to edit the aberrant epigenetic state of key cancer drivers to reprogram the epi-pathology of the disease. In this study we utilized a programmable DNA-binding methyltransferase to induce targeted incorporation of DNA methylation (DNAme) in the SOX2 oncogene in breast cancer through a six zinc finger (ZF) protein linked to DNA methyltransferase 3A (ZF-DNMT3A). We demonstrated long-lasting oncogenic repression, which was maintained even after suppression of ZF-DNMT3A expression in tumor cells. The de novo DNAme was faithfully propagated and maintained through cell generations even after the suppression of the expression of the chimeric methyltransferase in the tumor cells. Xenograft studies in NUDE mice demonstrated stable SOX2 repression and long-term breast tumor growth inhibition, which lasted for >100 days post implantation of the tumor cells in mice. This was accompanied with a faithful maintenance of DNAme in the breast cancer implants. In contrast, downregulation of SOX2 by ZF domains engineered with the Krueppel-associated box repressor domain resulted in a transient and reversible suppression of oncogenic gene expression. Our results indicated that targeted de novo DNAme of the SOX2 oncogenic promoter was sufficient to induce long-lasting epigenetic silencing, which was not only maintained during cell division but also significantly delayed the tumorigenic phenotype of cancer cells in vivo, even in the absence of treatment. Here, we outline a genome-based targeting approach to long-lasting tumor growth inhibition with potential applicability to many other oncogenic drivers that are currently refractory to drug design.

Highly efficient electrochemiluminescence from iridium(III) complexes with 2-phenylquinoline ligand.

A series of cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes with 2-phenylquinoline ligand (1-4) were designed and synthesized, which were thoroughly investigated by the photophysics, electrochemistry, theoretical calculations and electrochemiluminescence (ECL). By incorporating methyl groups into the 2-phenylquinoline, the corresponding complexes 2 and 3 displayed lower oxidative potential and higher HOMO energy levels. Most importantly, compared with tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) ([Ru(bipy)3](2+)), these iridium(III) complexes demonstrated more intense ECL in acetonitrile solutions.

Bipolar gold(III) complexes for solution-processable organic light-emitting devices with a small efficiency roll-off.

A new class of bipolar alkynylgold(III) complexes containing triphenylamine and benzimidazole moieties has been synthesized, characterized, and applied as phosphorescent dopants in the fabrication of solution-processable organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). The incorporation of methyl groups in the central phenyl unit has been found to rigidify the molecule to reduce nonradiative decay, yielding a high photoluminescence quantum yield of up to 75% in spin-coated thin films. In addition, the realization of highly efficient solution-processable OLEDs with an extremely small external quantum efficiency (EQE) roll-off has been demonstrated. At practical brightness level of 1000 cd m(-2), the optimized devices exhibited a high EQE of up to 10.0% and an extremely small roll-off of less than 1%.

Improving the moisture stability of a 3D zinc–organic framework by incorporating methyl groups into the auxiliary ligand: Synthesis, characterization, luminescence and catalytic properties

The solvothermal reaction of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O with 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic (1,4-H2ndc) and 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridine (dmbpy) generates a new twofold-interpenetrating 3D zinc–organic framework, [Zn2(1,4-ndc)2(dmbpy)]n, (1). Two adjacent ZnII atoms form a paddle-wheel Zn2(COO)4 secondary building unit (SBU), which is linked by 1,4-ndc linkers with bis(syn, syn-bridging bidentate) bonding modes within the layer to form a 2D net and is further pillared by dmbpy struts to give rise to a 3D framework with channels of 6.7×6.7Å2. PXRD shows that complex 1 was stable in air after moisture exposure for 30days. 1 emits the intense indigotin photoluminescence at room temperature. Moreover, 1 has a remarkable activity for degradation of methyl orange in a photo-assisted Fenton-like process.

Enhanced uptake and selectivity of CO(2) adsorption in a hydrostable metal-organic frameworks via incorporating methylol and methyl groups.

A new methylol and methyl functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) QI-Cu has been designed and synthesized. As a variant of NOTT-101, this material exhibits excellent CO2 uptake capacities at ambient temperature and pressure, as well as high CH4 uptake capacities. The CO2 uptake for QI-Cu is high, up to 4.56 mmol g(-1) at 1 bar and 293 K, which is top-ranked among MOFs for CO2 adsorption and significantly larger than the nonfunctionalized NOTT-101 of 3.93 mmol g(-1). The enhanced isosteric heat values of CO2 and CH4 adsorption were also obtained for this linker functionalized MOFs. From the single-component adsorption isotherms, multicomponent adsorption was predicted using the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST). QI-Cu shows an improvement in adsorptive selectivity of CO2 over CH4 and N2 below 1 bar. The incorporation of methylol and methyl groups also greatly improves the hydrostability of the whole framework.

Engineering Blue Fluorescent Bulk Emitters for OLEDs: Triplet Harvesting by Green Phosphors

Triplet harvesting in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) from a blue fluorescent to a green phosphorescent emitter is important for the development of highly efficient white OLEDs for lighting applications. Here, we report new blue fluorescent bulk emitters with high triplet energies for triplet harvesting in OLEDs. Based on the chemical structure of the highly efficient blue emitter N,N′-di-1-naphthalenyl-N,N′-diphenyl-[1,1′:4′,1″:4″,1‴-quaterphenyl]-4,4‴ diamine (4P-NPD), two new quarterphenylene compounds are designed and synthesized. Their experimentally obtained ionization potentials, singlet, and triplet levels are compared to quantum chemical calculations. We show that the incorporation of repulsive methyl groups leads to a twist of the outer phenyl rings of the molecule and increases the triplet level. Finally, triplet harvesting OLEDs comprising these two new compounds as bulk emitters are electrically and optically characterized. We demonstrate that both materials allow triplet harvesting by ...

Total Synthesis of Mycophenolic Acid by a Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative Allylation and Biomimetic Aromatization Sequence

AbstractThis paper describes the total synthesis of the fungal natural product mycophenolic acid through palladium‐catalyzed allylation, biomimetic cyclization, and aromatization. Methyl (4E)‐6‐hydroxy‐4‐methylhex‐4‐enoate, which was converted in four steps into the key diketo ester dioxinone via two selective C‐acylation reactions, was transformed into a resorcylate. Subsequent phenol methylation, lactonization, iodo‐ether formation, and halogenation gave a tricyclic intermediate. Palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling with DABCO–(AlMe3)2 and saponification gave mycophenolic acid. An alternative approach with early stage arene methyl incorporation unexpectedly resulted in the formation of a γ‐pyrone.

A Dose–Response Study of Arsenic Exposure and Global Methylation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell DNA in Bangladeshi Adults

Background: Several studies employing cell culture and animal models have suggested that arsenic (As) exposure induces global DNA hypomethylation. However, As has been associated with global DNA hypermethylation in human study populations. We hypothesized that this discrepancy may reflect a nonlinear relationship between As dose and DNA methylation.Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the dose–response relationship between As and global methylation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA in apparently healthy Bangladeshi adults chronically exposed to a wide range of As concentrations in drinking water.Methods: Global PBMC DNA methylation, plasma folate, blood S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), and concentrations of As in drinking water, blood, and urine were measured in 320 adults. DNA methylation was measured using the [3H]-methyl incorporation assay, which provides disintegration-per-minute (DPM) values that are negatively associated with global DNA methylation.Results: Water, blood, and urinary As were positively correlated with global PBMC DNA methylation (p < 0.05). In multivariable-adjusted models, 1-μg/L increases in water and urinary As were associated with 27.6-unit (95% CI: 6.3, 49.0) and 22.1-unit (95% CI: 0.5, 43.8) decreases in DPM per microgram DNA, respectively. Categorical models indicated that estimated mean levels of PBMC DNA methylation were highest in participants with the highest As exposures.Conclusions: These results suggest that As is positively associated with global methylation of PBMC DNA over a wide range of drinking water As concentrations. Further research is necessary to elucidate underlying mechanisms and physiologic implications.Citation: Niedzwiecki MM, Hall MN, Liu X, Oka J, Harper KN, Slavkovich V, Ilievski V, Levy D, van Geen A, Mey JL, Alam S, Siddique AB, Parvez F, Graziano JH, Gamble MV. 2013. A dose–response study of arsenic exposure and global methylation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA in Bangladeshi adults. Environ Health Perspect 121:1306–1312; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206421

Blood glutathione redox status and global methylation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA in Bangladeshi adults

Oxidative stress and DNA methylation are metabolically linked through the relationship between one-carbon metabolism and the transsulfuration pathway, but possible modulating effects of oxidative stress on DNA methylation have not been extensively studied in humans. Enzymes involved in DNA methylation, including DNA methyltransferases and histone deacetylases, may show altered activity under oxidized cellular conditions. Additionally, in vitro studies suggest that glutathione (GSH) depletion leads to global DNA hypomethylation, possibly through the depletion of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). We tested the hypothesis that a more oxidized blood GSH redox status is associated with decreased global peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA methylation in a sample of Bangladeshi adults. Global PBMC DNA methylation and whole blood GSH, glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and SAM concentrations were measured in 320 adults. DNA methylation was measured by using the [3H]-methyl incorporation assay; values are inversely related to global DNA methylation. Whole blood GSH redox status (Eh) was calculated using the Nernst equation. We found that a more oxidized blood GSH Eh was associated with decreased global DNA methylation (B ± SE, 271 ± 103, p = 0.009). Blood SAM and blood GSH were associated with global DNA methylation, but these relationships did not achieve statistical significance. Our findings support the hypothesis that a more oxidized blood GSH redox status is associated with decreased global methylation of PBMC DNA. Furthermore, blood SAM does not appear to mediate this association. Future research should explore mechanisms through which cellular redox might influence global DNA methylation.

Partitioning of [Methyl-3H]Methionine to Methylated Products and Protein Is Altered during High Methyl Demand Conditions in Young Yucatan Miniature Pigs

Methionine is the main source of methyl groups that are partitioned to synthesize various methylated products including creatine, phosphatidylcholine (PC), and methylated DNA. Whether increased methylation of 1 product can divert methionine from protein synthesis or other methylation products was the aim of this experiment. We used an excess of guanidinoacetate (GAA) to synthesize creatine to create a higher demand for available methyl groups in normal-weight (NW) (n = 10) and intrauterine growth–restricted (IUGR) (n = 10) piglets. Anesthetized piglets (15–18 d old) were intraportally infused with either GAA or saline for 2 h. A bolus of L-[methyl-3H]methionine was intraportally infused at 1 h, and hepatic metabolites were analyzed for methyl-3H incorporation 1 h later. Overall, 50–75% of label was recovered in creatine and PC with negligible amounts in DNA. In both NW and IUGR piglets, excess GAA led to an ∼80–120% increase in methyl incorporation into creatine (P < 0.05) with a concomitant decrease by ∼75–85% in methyl incorporation into PC (P < 0.05) as well as a 40% decrease in methyl incorporation into protein (P < 0.05), suggesting methyl groups were limited for PC synthesis and that methionine was diverted from protein synthesis. Compared with NW piglets, IUGR piglets had lower methyl incorporation into PC (P < 0.05), but not DNA or protein, suggesting IUGR affects methyl metabolism and could potentially impact lipid metabolism. The partitioning of methionine is sensitive to methyl supply in neonates, which has implications in infant diet composition and growth.

Modeling wax formation with predictive UNIQUAC: from petroleum and fuels to biofuels

A decade ago a model was proposed by us to describe the wax formation in crude oils and distillate fuels. Based on the Predictive UNIQUAC concept the model was very successful and was widely adopted by the industry [1]. With the advent of biofuels the incorporation of methyl or ethyl esters in the diesel was required and the presence of saturated long chain esters in solution created new problems of using these fuels at low temperatures. Aiming at understanding the low temperature behavior of vegetable oils and biodiesel fuels an extensive study of the binary systems of fatty acids [2], fatty acid methyl esters [3] and fatty acid ethyl esters [4] of even numbered fatty acid alkyl chains was carried. In this lecture the binary phase diagrams of these mixtures will be presented. It will be shown how, depending on the alkyl chain length differences in the binaries, it is possible to observe systems that change from a simple eutectic mixture to others where partial solid solution, formation of intermediate compounds, eutectic, peritectic and even metatetic reactions are observed. Considering the composition of a biodiesel the relevance of these binary mixtures to the understanding of cloud point formation of biodiesels will be discussed. Finally it will be shown how the Predictive UNIQUAC model can describe the phase behavior of biodiesel fuels at temperatures below their cloud point with an accurate description of the changes on the liquid phase and solid phase being formed [5]. A discussion concerning the future developments of this research field, in particular the modeling of diesel-biodiesel blends will conclude this presentation.

Aldol reactions of 2-thioxotetrahydropyrimidin-4(1H)-ones: stereoregulations from endo- and exocyclic chiral centres

The steric regulations imparted by the substituent at N1 in lithium mediated asymmetric aldol reactions of conformationally restricted 3-aryl-1-((S)-1-phenylethyl)-2-thioxotetrahydropyrimidin-4(1H)-ones governed the formation of anti aldol adducts, by a kinetic reaction pathway. The preferential formation of the anti aldol diastereomers was also assisted by the steric effects of the electrophile through diastereofacial selection while the electronic effects of the aryl group at N3 remained subtle. Incorporation of an endocyclic methyl group at C6 witnessed the diastereoselective formation of an anti aldol adduct by regulation of π-facial selectivity. The absolute configurations of the aldol adducts were determined by computational calculations and NMR experiments, and confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis.

Identification of methylated flavonoid regioisomeric metabolites using enzymatic semisynthesis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Discrimination of isomeric methylated metabolites is an important step toward identifying genes responsible for methylation, but presents substantial challenges because authentic standards are often unavailable and mass spectra of isomers have been considered indistinguishable. In this report, an approach is described for identifying methyl group positions in multiply methylated flavonoid metabolites using combinations of tandem mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography retention, and site-selective methylation by recombinant O-methyltransferases from Solanum habrochaites LA1777. The basis for observed fragment ions in tandem mass spectra of multiply methylated myricetin was further established using enzymatic incorporation of deuterium-labeled methyl groups using S-adenosylmethionine-d 3 as precursor.