Abstract
Phospholipid methyltransferase I and II enzymes methylate phosphatidylethanolamine three times to form phosphatidylcholine. The activity of these two enzymes was determined in synaptosome-enriched fractions from rats 1, 3, 7, 15 and 21 months old. The activity of phospholipid methyltransferase I was significantly greater in 7-, 15- and 21-month-old rats than in 1- and 3-month-old rats. In contrast, the activity of phospholipid methyltransferase II did not change with age. These changes in methyltransferase activity with increasing age may be related to changes in beta-receptor function with increasing age.
MeSH terms
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Aging*
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Animals
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Brain / enzymology*
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Male
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Methylation
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Methyltransferases / metabolism*
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Phosphatidyl-N-Methylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase
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Phosphatidylcholines / metabolism
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Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase
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Phosphatidylethanolamines / metabolism
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Phospholipids / metabolism*
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Rats
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Rats, Inbred Strains
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Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / metabolism
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Synaptosomes / enzymology
Substances
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Phosphatidylcholines
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Phosphatidylethanolamines
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Phospholipids
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Receptors, Adrenergic, beta
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Methyltransferases
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Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase
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Phosphatidyl-N-Methylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase