S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase belongs to a small class of amino acid decarboxylases that use a covalently bound pyruvate as a prosthetic group. It is an essential enzyme for polyamine biosynthesis and provides an important target for the design of anti-parasitic and cancer chemotherapeutic agents. It catalyzes the formation of the aminopropyl group donor in the biosynthesis of the polyamines spermidine and spermine. These pyruvoyl-dependent decarboxylases also form amines such as histamine, decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine, phosphatidylethanolamine (a component of membrane phospholipids), and -alanine (a precursor of coenzyme A), which are all of critical importance in cellular physiology and provide important targets for drug design.
Kapoor, P, Pegg, AE, Ekstrom, JL, Ealick, SE, Secrist JA, 3rd, Tolbert, WD, Mathews, II
adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity of AMD1(1-67) [cytosol]
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