Methionine metabolism by rat muscle and other tissues. Occurrence of a new carnitine intermediate.

Perfused rat hindquarter preparations were shown to incorporate radioactivity from [U-14C]methionine into citrate-cycle intermediates, lactate, alanine, glutamate, glutamine and CO2. During perfusion, large amounts of methionine were also oxidized to methionine sulphoxide. The capacity for transamination of methionine or its oxo analogue, 4-methylthio-2-oxobutyrate, by muscle extracts was demonstrated. Rat skeletal muscle, heart, liver and kidney mitochondria, when incubated with the latter plus radiolabelled carnitine, formed a newly identified carnitine derivative, 3-methylthiopropionylcarnitine. It is concluded that the capacity for oxidation of methionine by a trans-sulphuration-independent pathway occurs in several mammalian tissues. The extent of inter-organ handling of intermediates in this pathway(s) is discussed.