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The transfer of one-carbon methyl groups to nitrogen or oxygen (N- and O-methylation, respectively) to amino acid side chains increases the hydrophobicity of the protein and can neutralize a negative amino acid charge when bound to carboxylic acids. Methylation is mediated by methyltransferases, and S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) is the primary methyl group donor. Methylation occurs so often that SAM has been suggested to be the most-used substrate in enzymatic reactions afterATP. Additionally, while N-methylation is irreversible, O-methylation is potentially reversible.
Methylation is a well-known mechanism of epigenetic regulation, as histone methylation and demethylation influences the availability of DNA for transcription. Amino acid residues can be conjugated to a single methyl group or multiple methyl groups to increase the effects of modification.