Methyltransferases

Methyltransferases (MTases) are enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a single carbon unit, or methyl group, from a donor methyl group to an acceptor substrate. A variety of biochemical and regulatory processes in cells depend on MTases for their activity, including gene expression and chromatin structure. They are involved in many physiological functions, from metabolic pathways to DNA repair and epigenetic regulation. MTases are also useful for research, as they are often used to modify the structures of proteins or nucleic acids for functional analysis. In biotechnology, MTases can be used to create targeted gene knockouts or to transfer a desired activity to a new protein.