Display Settings:   Send to:  Choose Destination Ageing Res Rev.
2003 Jul;2(3):263-85.  Aging as war between chemical and
biochemical processes: protein methylation and the recognition
of age-damaged proteins for repair.  Author information    •
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Molecular Biology
Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569,
USA. clarke@mbi.ucla.edu   Deamidated, isomerized, and racemized
aspartyl and asparaginyl residues represent a significant part
of the spontaneous damage to proteins that results from the
aging process. The accumulation of these altered residues can
lead to the loss of protein function and the consequent loss of
cellular function. However, almost all cells in nature contain a
methyltransferase that can recognize the major damaged form of
the L-isoaspartyl residue, and some of these enzymes can also
recognize the racemized D-aspartyl residue. The methyl
esterification reaction can initiate the conversion of these
altered residues to the norma