Disease relevance of Coclaurine

• We examined the possibility of converting 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline into its N-methylated product using transgenic Escherichia coli, which expressed recombinant coclaurine N-methyltransferase, without the addition of a methyl-group donor [1].

High impact information on Coclaurine

• Molecular cloning and characterization of coclaurine N-methyltransferase from cultured cells of Coptis japonica [2].
• The reduction is greater for the tonic phase, with the following IC50 values: reticuline 474 microM, norarmepavine 101 microM, coclaurine 68.9 microM, and papaverine 14.3 microM [3].
• Coclaurine N-methyltransferase from Coptis japonica catalyzes the N-methylation of coclaurine as well as simple tetrahydroisoquinoline [1].
• Propranolol significantly antagonized the effects of coclaurine and isoboldine but failed to inhibit the responses to moupinamide which suggests that the plant constituents produce muscle relaxation by beta-adrenoceptor-dependent and -independent mechanisms [4].

References