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Related Concept Videos

Sulfur Assimilation01:20

Sulfur Assimilation

Sulfur is an essential element in biological systems, contributing to synthesizing key biomolecules, including amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, and cofactors such as coenzyme A and biotin. Microorganisms primarily assimilate sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻) from the environment, which must undergo a series of biochemical transformations before it can be incorporated into cellular components. As sulfate is highly oxidized, it must undergo assimilatory sulfate reduction to become...
Phase II Reactions: Sulfation and Conjugation with α-Amino Acids01:19

Phase II Reactions: Sulfation and Conjugation with α-Amino Acids

Sulfation and α-amino acid conjugation are two critical biotransformation reactions in drug metabolism. Sulfation, a phase II biotransformation reaction, involves adding a polar sulfate group to a drug, enhancing its water solubility and promoting excretion. This process can either co-occur with or occur independently of glucuronidation. Nonmicrosomal sulfotransferase enzymes catalyze the process. The reaction involves 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate or PAPS coenzyme activation, sulfur...
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways01:29

Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways

Amino acid biosynthesis is essential for cell growth, protein synthesis, and metabolic regulation. Cells generate essential and non-essential amino acids from metabolic intermediates to sustain vital biological functions. These intermediates originate from key metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Important precursors include α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and erythrose-4-phosphate, which provide...
Amino Acid Catabolism01:18

Amino Acid Catabolism

Microorganisms rely on proteins as an essential carbon and energy source, particularly in environments with limited polysaccharides or lipids. However, proteins are too large to cross the plasma membrane unaided, necessitating enzymatic degradation. Microbes secrete extracellular proteases and peptidases that hydrolyze proteins into peptides, which can then be transported across the membrane. Once inside the cell, intracellular proteases degrade these peptides into free amino acids, which...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Sulfonation of Benzene01:22

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Sulfonation of Benzene

Sulfonation of benzene is a reaction wherein benzene is treated with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature to produce benzenesulfonic acid. Fuming sulfuric acid is a mixture of sulfur trioxide and concentrated sulfuric acid.
Microbes and the Sulfur Cycle01:29

Microbes and the Sulfur Cycle

Sulfur is a vital element in Earth's biogeochemical systems. It transitions through various inorganic states, including sulfate (SO₄²⁻), elemental sulfur (S⁰), and sulfide (S²⁻). Abiotic and biological mechanisms across oxic and anoxic environments intricately mediate these transformations. Sulfate, the most oxidized form of sulfur, is predominantly stored in rocks, marine sediments, and oceanic waters, acting as a long-term reservoir in the global sulfur cycle.In oxic environments,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources
12:47

Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources

Published on: January 22, 2018

Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids: The Conversion Process from Product to Substrate.

Peining Zheng1, Yuanting Jin1, Chong Wei2

  • 1College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|June 12, 2026
PubMed
Summary

This review explores the intricate biosynthesis of sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine, across diverse species. It details their metabolic interconversion and the crucial role of the transsulfuration pathway in mammals.

Keywords:
cysteinemethioninesynthetic metabolism

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Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources
12:47

Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources

Published on: January 22, 2018

Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids
08:21

Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids

Published on: April 13, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Methionine and cysteine are essential sulfur-containing amino acids vital for protein structure, function, and metabolism.
  • Their biosynthetic pathways are complex and show significant evolutionary variation.
  • Understanding these pathways is crucial for comprehending cellular regulation and metabolic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of cysteine and methionine biosynthesis in various model organisms.
  • To examine the metabolic interconversion and role transitions between these amino acids during synthesis.
  • To elucidate the physiological importance of the mammalian transsulfuration pathway.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of biosynthetic pathways across model organisms (E. coli, yeast, plants, Homo sapiens).
  • Review of literature on metabolic interconversions and de novo synthesis.
  • Dissection of the transsulfuration pathway's function in mammals.

Main Results:

  • Detailed overview of methionine and cysteine biosynthesis across diverse species.
  • Explanation of metabolic interconversions and shifting roles during de novo synthesis.
  • Highlighting the mammalian transsulfuration pathway's role in cysteine production from methionine.

Conclusions:

  • The biosynthesis of methionine and cysteine is a conserved yet diverged process across life.
  • Metabolic flexibility allows for interconversion and adaptation of these amino acids' roles.
  • The transsulfuration pathway represents a key mammalian adaptation for cysteine supply.