No abstract available.
Methionine*

The levels of ergothioneine (ERG), which have been shown to act as an excellent antioxidant, were determined in both fruiting bodies and mycelia of various mushroom species. We found that ERG accumulated at different levels in fruiting bodies of mushrooms and showed up to a 92.3-fold difference between mushrooms. We also found that ERG accumulated at higher levels in mycelia than in fruiting bodies of economically important mushroom species such as Ganoderma neo-japonicum, G. applanatum and Paecilomyces tenuipes. The addition of 2 mM methionine (Met) to mycelial culture medium increased the ERG contents in most mushroom species tested, indicating that Met is a good additive to enhance the ERG levels in a variety of mushroom species. Taking these results into consideration, we suggest that the addition of Met to the mycelial culture medium is an efficient way to enhance the antioxidant properties in economically important mushroom species.
Agaricales ; Ergothioneine ; Fruit ; Ganoderma ; Methionine ; Paecilomyces

This research is to examine the detoxication effect of methionine on cadmium intoxication. For this purpose, this paper provides an analysis of the data on the groups of mice (ICR), one group of mice treated with 40 ppm of cadmium only, and other groups of mice combined-treated with cadmium and 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% methionine. After breeding for 40 days, the data on the growth of mice, changes in activation of alkaline phosphatase in blood, and the cadmium content in the liver and kidney, are analysed. The results were as follow: 1) The growth-rate of mice, in the cadmium only injected group, was declined by 9% in comparison with the control group after 40 days. But the two groups of cadmium with 0.5% and 1% methionine showed the rise of 9% and 14% respectively above the growth-rate of the control group. The results from the groups of cadmium with 0.1% and 0.25% methionine were similar to that from the cadmium only injected group. 2) Changes in activation of alkaline phosphatase in blood decreased to 86.45% in the cadmium only injected group behind the 100% activation of the control group. The groups of cadmium with 0.1% and 0.25% methionine showed no difference with the former group. But the groups of cadmium with 0.5% and 1% methionine recovered to the 93.14% and 96.08% of activation respectively. 3) The mean content of cadmium in the liver was 0.028+/-0.001 microgram/g in the control group. The cadmium only injected group showed the mean cadmium content of 2.80+/-0.62 microgram/g in the liver, which was similar to 2.82+/-1.03 microgram/g in the group of cadmium with 0.1% methionine, and 2.56+/-0.77 microgram/g in the group of cadmium with 0.25% methionine. But the groups of cadmium with 0.5% and 1% methionine showed the reduction of cadmium contents in the liver to 1.84+/-0.56 microgram/g and 1.74+/-0.35 microgram/g respectively. In the kidney, the groups of cadmium with 0.1%, 0.25% and 0.5% methionine showed the similar cadmium content to the group treated with cadmium only. But the group of cadmium with 1% methionine showed a small increase to 4.13+/-1.00 microgram/g in comparison with the group treated with cadmium only. This analysis proves that the mobility and diffusion of cadmium in the tissues advance faster in the group treated with cadmium and methionine than in the group treated with cadmium only.
Alkaline Phosphatase* ; Animals ; Breeding ; Cadmium* ; Diffusion ; Kidney* ; Liver* ; Methionine* ; Mice*

OBJECTIVE: This study concernes the usefulness of 11C-methyl-L-and D-methionine(Met)-positron emission tomography(PET) for gliomagrading and detection of recurrence in gliomas, compared with fluorine-18, 2-fluoro-deoxyglucose(FDG)-PET. METHODS: Eighty patients underwent Met-PET study for evaluation of glioma: 37 astrocytomas (WHO grade II, 3; III, 8; IV, 26), 27 oligodendrogliomas (WHO grade II, 16; III, 11), and 12 suspicious recurrent gliomas. All images were taken within 2 weeks before operation. For suspicious recurrent cases on magnetic resonance images, both FDG-PET and Met-PET were performed. RESULTS: In astrocytoma, Mean maximum standard uptake value(SUV) of region of interest(ROI) was not different between WHO grades (p=0.108), but ROI/normal contralateral tissue SUV (T/N) ratio was statistically different between WHO grades (p=0.002). T/N ratio was more closely related to visual scale than maximum SUV of ROI (p<0.001 and p=0.107 respectively). In oligodendroglioma, there was no statistical difference between WHO grades in view of maximum SUV and T/N ratio. For recurrent gliomas, sensitivity of FDG-PET and Met-PET was 25% and 100%, while specificity of FDG-PET and Met-PET were 100% and 80%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Met-PET might be an appropriate tool for tumor grading in astrocytom a and be more sensitive for detection of recurrence in gliomas than FDG-PET.
Astrocytoma ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Methionine ; Neoplasm Grading ; Oligodendroglioma ; Recurrence* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVES: To predict the structure of protein, which dictates the function it performs, a newly designed algorithm is developed which blends the concept of self-organization and the genetic algorithm. METHODS: Among many other approaches, genetic algorithm is found to be a promising cooperative computational method to solve protein structure prediction in a reasonable time. To automate the right choice of parameter values the influence of self-organization is adopted to design a new genetic operator to optimize the process of prediction. Torsion angles, the local structural parameters which define the backbone of protein are considered to encode the chromosome that enhances the quality of the confirmation. Newly designed self-configured genetic operators are used to develop self-organizing genetic algorithm to facilitate the accurate structure prediction. RESULTS: Peptides are used to gauge the validity of the proposed algorithm. As a result, the structure predicted shows clear improvements in the root mean square deviation on overlapping the native indicates the overall performance of the algorithm. In addition, the Ramachandran plot results implies that the conformations of phi-psi angles in the predicted structure are better as compared to native and also free from steric hindrances. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed algorithm is promising which contributes to the prediction of a native-like structure by eliminating the time constraint and effort demand. In addition, the energy of the predicted structure is minimized to a greater extent, which proves the stability of protein.
Enkephalin, Methionine ; Islet Amyloid Polypeptide ; Operator Regions, Genetic ; Peptides

Methylation plays a vital role in biological systems. SAM (S-adenosyl-L-methionine), an abundant cofactor in life, acts as a methyl donor in most biological methylation reactions. SAM-dependent methyltransferases (MTase) transfer a methyl group from SAM to substrates, thereby altering their physicochemical properties or biological activities. In recent years, many SAM analogues with alternative methyl substituents have been synthesized and applied to methyltransferases that specifically transfer different groups to the substrates. These include functional groups for labeling experiments and novel alkyl modifications. This review summarizes the recent progress in the synthesis and application of SAM methyl analogues and prospects for future research directions in this field.
S-Adenosylmethionine/metabolism* ; Methionine ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Methylation ; Racemethionine

PURPOSE: The neonatal screening test for homocystinuria primarily measures methionine by using a dried blood specimen. We investigated the incidence and clinical manifestations of homocystinuria, isolated hypermethioninemia, and transient hypermethioninemia among patients with hypermethioninemia on a neonatal screening test. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 58 patients transferred to Shoonchunhyang Hospital because of hypermethioninemia on a neonatal screening test between January 1996 and August 2009. We analyzed the level of amino acid from plasma and urine, as well as blood homocysteine. RESULTS: Almost half of the 58 patients were identified as normal. Whereas only 3 (5.1%) patients were identified as having homocystinuria, about 20.7% (12 cases) of the patients had isolated hypermethioninemia. The ages of these two groups at initial detection of hypermethioninemia on plasma amino acid analysis were 50.0+/-22.5 days and 34.9+/-13.5 days, respectively. Both groups were put on diets, and they showed a normal developmental course as a result of early diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSION: Hypermethioninemia without homocystinuria, referred to as isolated hypermethioninemia, was also detected. Thus, the impact of hypermethioninemia on a neonatal screening test should be carefully evaluated through analysis of amino acid levels from blood and urine, and we need to detect and treat an early stage of isolated hypermethioninemia as well as homocystinuria.
Diet ; Early Diagnosis ; Homocysteine ; Homocystinuria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Methionine ; Neonatal Screening ; Plasma ; Retrospective Studies

The neonatal screening test for homocystinuria has mostly measured methionine by use of dried blood specimen. Isolated hypermethioninemia, clinically benign metabolic disorder associated with the deficiency of methionine adenosyl transferase in liver, is discovered in neonatal mass screening tests for homocystinuria. We diagnosed two cases of isolated hypermethioninemia using the amino acid analysis and the liver function tests for newborns with increased methionine level in the Guthrie screening test for homocystinuria. For the first time in Korea, we report two cases of patients with isolated hypermethioninemia with a brief review of literatures.
Homocystinuria ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Function Tests ; Mass Screening* ; Methionine ; Neonatal Screening ; Transferases

This study was carried out to evaluate the bioavailabilities and the digestibilities of oligopeptide chelated (peptide-Ca), anchovy bone (anchovy-Ca) and methionine hydroxyl analogue (MHA-Ca) calcium compared to those of calcium carbonate in rats. In exp1, CaCO3, were added to the basal diet at level of 0, 30 and 60% calcium of the AIN-93G diet. In test groups, peptide-Ca, anchovy-Ca and MHA-Ca, were added to the basal diet to provide calcium at the level of 40% of AIN-93G. In exp1, the bioavailabilities were evaluated from the regression equation of the ratios of theological/actual calcium intakes of each dietary treatment. In exp2, urine and feces was to evaluate the true- and apparent digestibility and apparent retention. In exp1, Ca-60% group had higher bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and bone breaking strength (BBS) than those of the other standard groups. The bone weight and ash content of the peptide-Ca and anchovy-Ca groups were significantly higher than those of the MHA-Ca. Bone calcium content were not significantly different from the test group. The bioavailability of the MHA-Ca group was shown higher BMD (71%), BS (38%) and BBS (27%) compared to another control group. But the regression coefficient for BMD, BS and BBS were lower compare with that of bone ash and BMC. In exp2, the true- and apparent digestibility of test groups were shown to over 90%. Peptide-Ca was not significantly different from other test group, but digestibility and retention were higher compare to other test groups. In conclusion, peptide-Ca, anchovy-Ca and MHA-Ca improved Ca bioavailability in the rats. The compounds were higher Ca digestibility compared with those of CaCO3. It is assumed that difference of digestibility for test groups may be correlated to the bioavailability of test groups in BMD, BMC, BS, BBS and bone ash respectively.
Animals ; Biological Availability ; Bone Density ; Calcium ; Calcium Carbonate ; Diet ; Feces ; Methionine ; Minerals ; Rats ; Retention (Psychology)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the combination of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and 11C-methionine positron emission tomography (11C-MET PET) could increase accurate diagnostic sensitivity for non-enhancing supratentorial gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 2012 and December 2017, 109 patients with non-enhanced supratentorial lesions on contrast-enhanced MRI were enrolled. Each patient underwent MRS and 11C-MET PET before treatment. A lesion was considered to be a glioma when either the MRS or 11C-MET PET results reached the diagnostic threshold. The radiological diagnosis was compared with the pathological diagnosis or medical diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity were 60.0% and 50.0% for MRS and 75.8% and 50.0% for 11C-MET PET, respectively. Upon combining the two modalities, the sensitivity and specificity of the imaging-based diagnosis prior to surgery reached 89.5% and 42.9%, respectively. Statistically significant differences in the sensitivities were observed between the combined and individual approaches (MRS alone, 89.5% vs. 60.0%, p < 0.001; 11C-MET PET alone, 89.5% vs. 75.8%, p = 0.001). However, no significant differences in specificity were observed between the combined and individual modalities. CONCLUSION: The combination of MRS and 11C-MET PET findings significantly increases accurate diagnostic sensitivity for non-enhancing supratentorial gliomas without significantly lowering the specificity. This finding suggests the potential of the combined MRS and 11C-MET PET approach in clinical applications.
Diagnosis ; Electrons ; Glioma ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Methionine ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Sensitivity and Specificity