CONTEXT

The S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is a key metabolic intermediate in all living organisms. This coenzyme is involved in methyl group transfers and is synthesized from methionine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The SAM is certainly the metabolite, which after the ATP is involved in many cellular responses. Thus SAM plays a central role in intermediary metabolism. In human medicine, SAM is indicated for the treatment of depression or hepatic disorders. To the present day, there is no possibility to chemically synthesize the SAM with sufficient yields to obtain a good quality pharmaceutical SAM at a cost compatible with the market.
The industrial production of SAM involves microbiological production which is performed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.