Synthetic polymeric variant of S-adenosyl methionine synthetase.

Abstract

S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) is a conjugate of methionine and the adenosine moiety of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), generally formed in a reaction catalysed by methionine adenosyltransferase enzyme (also known as SAM synthetase). SAM serves mainly as a methyl donor in various biological processes in the presence of a methyltransferase enzyme. To obtain the SAM moiety in the synthetic polymer, methionine containing polymers are synthesized using the tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc)-L-methionine methacryloyloxyethyl ester (METMA) monomer via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. These polymers were reacted with ATP to install the SAM moiety in the polymer side-chains in the absence of SAM synthetase, therefore the polymers mimic the activity of SAM synthetase. The ability to donate a methyl group by the SAM containing moiety in the polymer is confirmed in the absence of a methyltransferase enzyme which thus, confirms the enzyme-like activity of methionine based polymers.