L-Methionine

Methionine is an alpha amino acid used in protein synthesis. In human beings methionine is a vital amino acid not synthesized in the human body and must therefore be ingested. Methionine in the human body is used to improve skin elasticity and tone, tissue growth and repair, and keratin systems such as hair and nails. As a detoxifying agent methionine chelates heavy metals, while the sulfur in it protects cells. L-Methionine is an enantiomerically active amino acid used in the body.

Methionine’s importance in biological systems allows it a great deal of useful applications. A major component of cell culture media, it can be used for the manufacture of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins. Methionine also functions as an intermediate in the biosynthesis of phospholipids, cysteine, carnitine, taurine, cysteine and lecithin. L-Methionine has been used as a reagent in the creation of anti-cancer phosphate analogs and 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) for determination of amino acids in foods. When reacted with the methionine adenosyltransferase enzyme L-methionine produces S-adenosyl-L-methionine, a cosubstrate used in anabolic reactions in the body. S-adenosyl-L-methionine has applications as both a potential antidepressant and a protector of alcohol damages in the liver.

In other applications, methionine functions as a reagent and with metals in non-biological applications, L-methionine in particular has been used with metals to form photosensitizers and ligands for transition metal catalyzed bond forming reactions. [11C]L-Methionine has also been used in Positron Emission Tomography of brain tumors for diagnostic purposes.

Product Specifications
L-Methionine;
Methionine

Formula: C₅H₁₁NO₂S

MW: 149.21 g/mol

Storage/Handling: Store at room temperature.

PubChem Chemical ID: 6137