Rat pituitary extracts catalyze methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine using S-adenosyl-L-methionine as the methyl donor. In vitro incubation of hemipituitaries with 1 mM 2-methylaminoethanol led to a dose dependent de-crease in phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase activity as well as the incorporation of the radioactivity from [3H-methyl]-L-methionine into phosphatidyl-choline. The inhibitory effect of 2-methylaminoethanol was selective for phosphoiipids methylation since protein carboxymethyltransferase and catechol-o-methyltransferase activities were not affected.
Phosphatidylcholine
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Phospholipid methylation
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Choline
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Pituitary
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2-Methylaminoethanol
