nutrient
Methionine
A sulfur-containing essential amino acid that can donate methyl groups.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Methionine starts many newly translated protein chains and supplies sulfur through pathways related to homocysteine and cysteine. Its activated form, S-adenosylmethionine, transfers methyl groups.
How it works
An activated methyl donor
S-adenosylmethionine is made from methionine and donates methyl groups to many substrates before returning to methionine-related metabolism.
Related topics
Methionine is used to build Protein
Methionine is one of the amino acids used to assemble proteins.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH National Library of Medicine: Biochemistry, Essential Amino Acids
Worth knowing
It is required from dietary protein. Methionine is one of the essential amino acids and one of the main sulfur-containing amino acids in proteins.
It starts many protein chains. Methionine is the initiating amino acid encoded at the start of newly translated protein chains, although it may later be removed.
A closer look
Its sulfur can reach cysteine
Methionine metabolism can transfer sulfur through homocysteine-related pathways toward cysteine synthesis.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- NIH National Library of Medicine (opens in new tab)Biochemistry, Essential Amino AcidsChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH National Library of Medicine (opens in new tab)Biochemistry, Protein CatabolismChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH National Library of Medicine (opens in new tab)Biochemistry, Primary Protein StructureChecked 2026-09-05
Take it into the kitchen
Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.
Chicken corn tortilla fold · 20 min →
Pineapple cashew chicken pan · 25 min →
Coconut ginger chicken rice · 25 min →
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