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Alteration of Glycine N-Methyltransferase Activity in Fetal, Adult, and Tumor Tissues¹

Departments of Microbiology [J. E. H.] and Surgery [S. J. K.], University of Colorado Medical Center, Denver, Colorado 80220

Glycine N-methyltransferase activity has been examined in a number of fetal and adult organs, as well as in several rodent hepatomas, using both enzymatic and immunological techniques. In fetal rabbit liver, the activity first appears at a low level at about 20 days postfertilization and rises to high levels after birth, reaching maximum in the adult liver. In fast-growing hepatomas, the activity could not be detected by either enzymatic or immunological assay. It could be detected in the slower-growing hepatomas, but in considerably diminished levels compared with that of normal adult rat liver. Immunoassays gave no evidence for inactive forms of the enzyme in the tissues that had no enzymatic activity.

Transfer RNA methyltransferase assays carried out simultaneously showed an inverse relationship to the glycine N-methyltransferase activity. The levels of transfer RNA methyltransferase activity were high in fetal and tumor tissues and lower in normal adult tissues.

¹ Supported in part by USPHS Grant CA 12742 and NIH Contract 71-2186.

² Present address: Department of Natural Science, University of Michigan, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, Mich. 48128.

³ Career Development Awardee of the National Cancer Institute. To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 9/ 9/74. Accepted 12/ 2/74.

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