One-Carbon Compounds in the Biosynthesis of the “Biologically Labile” Methyl Group

Studies with methanol, formaldehyde and sodium formate labeled with C14 have shown that these substances can be utilized by the rat in the formation of the “biologically labile” methyl group. This has been demonstrated by the injection of these substances and the isolation of the choline from the animal tissues. In addition, the carbon of the formyl group of C14-formyl-l-phenylalanine and of the methyl group of C14-methyl stearate has been shown to appear in the methyl group of choline. Experiments with methanol doubly labeled with deuterium and C14 in the methyl group have indicated that the methyl group of methanol was not being utilized, at least to any great extent, directly in transmethylation but was being utilized through oxidation and subsequent reduction to the labile methyl group in the biosynthesis of the latter. © 1951, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.