FIGURE 1.

Dimethylglycine oxidation by DMGO. Schematic overview of dimethylglycine oxidation by DMGO with the reactive C₁ units circled in red for the respective molecular species. The iminium intermediate generated can interconvert between a linear iminium and cyclic lactone species prior to the enzymatic reaction with tetrahydrofolate. On the other hand, non-enzymatic rapid hydrolysis of the iminium intermediate leads to a transient carbinolamine that is converted into formaldehyde and sarcosine.