Metabolism of NG-monomethyl- L -arginines: formation of NG-methylagmatine by Escherichia coli preparation

Commercially obtained Escherichia coli preparation degrades NG-monomethyl-L-arginine derived from methylation of protein-bound arginine residues. Elemental analysis and NMR spectroscopy established the reaction product as NG-methylagmatine, a decarboxylation product of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine.