FASEB Conference on Biological Methylation: July 17-22, 1999, Vermont Academy, Saxton's River, VT

布卢门撒尔酶促转甲基化的分子从高度丰富的甲基供体S-腺苷-L-蛋氨酸（蛋氨酸）提出了一个矛盾。一方面，从金属解毒到生物合成，再到通过DNA甲基化进行基因调控，依赖于蛋氨酸的甲基化是一切的核心。对古细菌、真细菌、真菌、植物和动物的基因组序列的分析表明，所有基因中令人惊讶的大部分都指定了依赖甲基转移酶的甲基转移酶。 另一方面，人们对这一重要而多样的酶群知之甚少。例如，仅仅在四年前，才报道了依赖于蛋氨酸的酶的第一个结构。从那时起，已经发现，几乎所有表征的β-Met依赖性甲基转移酶都具有共同的核心结构，尽管具有几乎不可检测的序列同一性并且尽管甲基化底物与儿茶酚和DNA一样不同。在生物学的重要性和潜在的结构-功能关系和酶的进化提供基本的见解，依赖于蛋氨酸的酶似乎是成熟的强化investigation.From 7月17日至7月22日，1999年，美国实验生物学学会联合会（FASEB）主办的第四届两年一度的夏季生物甲基化研究会议。这些会议几乎是独一无二的，他们专注于全方位的蛋氨酸依赖性甲基转移酶，广泛的生物功能和重要性的酶的多样性。会议在佛蒙特州萨克顿河的佛蒙特学院举行，吸引了一批国际与会者。

BlumenthalEnzymatic transmethylation of molecules from the highly abundant methyl donor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) presents a paradox. On the one hand, AdoMet-dependent methylation is central to everything from metal detoxification through biosynthesis to gene regulation via DNA methylation. Analysis of genome sequences from archaea, eubacteria, fungi, plants and animals suggests that a surprisingly large fraction of all genes specify AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases. On the other hand, remarkably little is known about this important and diverse group of enzymes. For example, it was only four years ago that the first structure of an AdoMet-dependent enzyme was reported. Since that time, it has been found that almost all characterized AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases share a common core structure despite having virtually undetectable sequence identity and despite methylating substrates as different as catechol and DNA. In terms of biological importance and the potential for providing basic insights into structure-function relationships and enzyme evolution, the AdoMet-dependent enzymes appear to be ripe for intensified investigation.From July 17 through July 22, 1999, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is sponsoring the fourth biennial summer research conference on Biological Methylation. These meetings are virtually unique in their focus on the full range of AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases, a diverse set of enzymes of broad biological function and importance. The conferences are held at the Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT, and attract an international group of participants.