Various new FMO3 or trimethylamine research papers

It is my current belief that FMO3 substrates cause most cases of metabolic malodor. I would term this as something like 'FMO3 malodor syndrome', whrere the person can smell of any FMO3 substrate (usually a small sulfide or amine).

So FMO3 research is always of interest. Here is a small list of recent research into FMO3 or trimethylamine (one FMO3 substrate)

Recent research papers of interest to people with 'FMO3 malodor'

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Mar 3. [Epub ahead of print]

Carnitine metabolism to trimethylamine by an unusual Rieske-type oxygenase from human microbiota.

Zhu Y¹, Jameson E, Crosatti M, Schäfer H, Rajakumar K, Bugg TD, Chen Y.

Author information

• ¹School of Life Sciences and Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom

Full free paper (PDF)

In this paper they seem to be doing research that may result in a trimethylamine inhibitor. Research into trimethylamine in humans is likely to greatly increase because of research in the last 1-2 years by Dr Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic suggesting a link between trimethylamine-n-oxide adn cardiovacular disease (CVD). This paper is of special interest because the research lab is independent of the Clevland Clinic. The tma-CVD connection is likely to lead to great interest in how trimethylamine is produced in humans, and how to stop it being produced inthe gut. At this stage this research paper aimed to discover how trimethylamine was produced from carnitine degradation in humans, and they suggest that inhibiting certain enzymes in gut flora may stop trimethylamine production. For those that believe that trimethylamine is the sole cause of their metabolic malodor, it would suggest that blocking TMA formation in the gut would be a 'cure'. However my own opinion is that TMA does not explain metabolic malodor unless the person ONLY smells of rotten fish. If it is other malodors, I suspect it to be other FMO3 substrates. In that case, blocking TMA alone would not be a cure for 'FMO3 malodor'.

That said, I could be wrong, and to reduce/eliminate TMA levels in those with 'FMO3 malodor' would likely help reduce the load on the enzyme.

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The following 2 papers, I don't understand much, but I hope they add to the expert understanding of Flavin-mono-oxygenase family of enzymes.

Mammalian Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase (FMO) as a Source of Hydrogen Peroxide

Absolute Stereochemistry of a 4 a-Hydroxyriboflavin Analogue of the Key Intermediate of the FAD-Monooxygenase Cycle.

By sysbodyodor

fmo3, systemic body odor, tmau

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