This family includes Carnosine N-methyltransferase (E.C:2.1.1.22), conserved from yeast to human, that catalyses the formation of anserine (beta-alanyl-N(Pi)-methyl-L-histidine) from carnosine. Anserine, a methylated derivative of carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine), is an abundant constituent of vertebrate skeletal muscles. It also methylates other L-histidine-containing di- and tripeptides such as Gly-Gly-His, Gly-His and homocarnosine (GABA-His) [1,2,3].

1: UPF0586 Protein C9orf41 Homolog Is Anserine-producing Methyltransferase. Drozak J, Piecuch M, Poleszak O, Kozlowski P, Chrobok L, Baelde HJ, de Heer E; J Biol Chem. 2015;290:17190-17205. PMID:26001783

2: Molecular basis for histidine N1 position-specific methylation by CARNMT1. Cao R, Zhang X, Liu X, Li Y, Li H; Cell Res. 2018;28:494-496. PMID:29463897

3: Substrate Recognition Mechanism of the Putative Yeast Carnosine N-methyltransferase. Liu X, Wu J, Sun Y, Xie W; ACS Chem Biol. 2017;12:2164-2171. PMID:28654751