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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Agnes Bartels, Michael K. F. Mohr, Phillip Nußbaum, Marie Joest, Bianca Wassmer, Laurent Rasquin, Sonja‐Verena Albers, Jennifer N. Andexer
Format: Artículo Open Access
Published: Wiley 2026
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Online Access:https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/febs.70513
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Table of Contents:
  • S ‐Adenosylmethionine ( SAM ) hydrolases counter increased SAM epimerisation in thermophilic archaea Agnes Bartels Michael K. F. Mohr Phillip Nußbaum Marie Joest Bianca Wassmer Laurent Rasquin Sonja‐Verena Albers Jennifer N. Andexer The FEBS Journal S ‐Adenosyl‐ l ‐methionine (SAM) is the second most used enzyme cofactor and vital for numerous cellular reactions such as methylation or polyamine synthesis. While most stereocentres of the biologically active ( S S ,S Cα )‐SAM are fixed, epimerisation at the methyl sulfonium centre is driven by heat, yielding biologically inactive ( R S ,S Cα )‐SAM. This SAM diastereomer disturbs SAM‐dependent pathways, posing a metabolic threat, especially to thermophilic organisms. In vitro analysis shows that SAM hydrolases cleave the biologically inactive ( R S ,S Cα )‐SAM, thereby constituting a metabolic salvage pathway. To further assess the biological relevance of this pathway, we characterised two archaeal SAM hydrolases from the thermophilic Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and the halophilic Haloferax volcanii , confirming their selectivity towards ( R S , S Cα )‐SAM in vitro . Genetic manipulation in the native hosts supports a significant role of the SAM hydrolases in decreasing the share of intracellular ( R S ,S Cα )‐SAM to sustain cellular functions in thermophilic organisms. 10.1111/febs.70513 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/