L-Methionine

Methionine was first discovered in 1922 by J. H. Muller, a researcher at Columbia University in New York. Muller isolated a "sulfurous amino acid" submitted, however, an incorrect summation formula. Three years later, his colleague Odake in Japan corrected the formula and gave the amino acid the name "methionine". In 1928, G. Barger and F. P. Coyne defined the structure of this amino acid.

IUPAC Name: (2S)-2-Amino-4-methylsulfanylbutanoic acid
Symbol: Met or M
Molecular Weight: 149.21134 g/mol
Molecular Formula: C5H11NO2S
Canonical SMILES: CSCCC(C(=O)O)N
Isomeric SMILES: CSCC[C@@H](C(=O)O)N
InChIKey Identifier: FFEARJCKVFRZRR-XWEZEGGSDQ
CAS Number: 63-68-3
MDL Number: MFCD00063097
Melting point: 284 °C
Solubility in water: 53.7 g/1 L (20 °C)
2D Molfile: Get the molfile
3D PDB file: Get the PDB file
Other names: L-2-Amino-4-(methylthio)butyric acid; S-Methionine; L-alpha-Amino-gamma-methylmercaptobutyric acid; (S)-2-Amino-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid; L-alpha-Amino-gamma-methylthiobutyric acid; L-gamma-Methylthio-alpha-aminobutyric acid; L-2-Amino-4-methylthiobutanoic acid

Load 3D Structure of Methionine

Methionine is one of two sulfur-containing proteinogenic amino acids. This amino acid is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of cysteine, lecithin, carnitine, phosphatidylcholine and other phospholipids. Improper conversion of methionine can lead to atherosclerosis.

To manufacture DL-methionine, methyl mercaptan is reacted with acrolein to produce an intermediate, methyl mercaptan-propionaldehyde (MMP). MMP is then further reacted with hydrogen cyanide to produce methionine.

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