EC	2.1.1.341
Accepted name:	vanillate/3-O-methylgallate O-demethylase
Reaction:	(1) vanillate + tetrahydrofolate = protocatechuate + 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (2) 3-O-methylgallate + tetrahydrofolate = gallate + 5-methyltetrahydrofolate
Glossary:	protocatechuate = 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate vanillate = 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoate gallate = 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate
Other name(s):	ligM (gene name)
Systematic name:	vanillate:tetrahydrofolate O-methyltransferase
Comments:	The enzyme, characterized from the bacterium Sphingomonas sp. SYK6, is involved in the degradation of lignin. The enzyme has similar activities with vanillate and 3-O-methylgallate.
References:	1.  Nishikawa, S., Sonoki, T., Kasahara, T., Obi, T., Kubota, S., Kawai, S., Morohoshi, N. and Katayama, Y. Cloning and sequencing of the Sphingomonas (Pseudomonas) paucimobilis gene essential for the O demethylation of vanillate and syringate. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64 (1998) 836–842. [PMID: 9501423] 2.  Masai, E., Sasaki, M., Minakawa, Y., Abe, T., Sonoki, T., Miyauchi, K., Katayama, Y. and Fukuda, M. A novel tetrahydrofolate-dependent O-demethylase gene is essential for growth of Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6 with syringate. J. Bacteriol. 186 (2004) 2757–2765. [PMID: 15090517] 3.  Abe, T., Masai, E., Miyauchi, K., Katayama, Y. and Fukuda, M. A tetrahydrofolate-dependent O-demethylase, LigM, is crucial for catabolism of vanillate and syringate in Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6. J. Bacteriol. 187 (2005) 2030–2037. [PMID: 15743951]
[EC 2.1.1.341 created 2017]