SynCED: Sarcosine

Record Information

Version

1.0

Creation Date

2014-08-29 06:51:28 UTC

Update Date

2026-05-14 19:22:33 UTC

Accession Number

CHEM003418

Identification

Common Name

Sarcosine

Class

Small Molecule

Description

Sarcosine is the N-methyl derivative of glycine. Sarcosine is metabolized to glycine by the enzyme sarcosine dehydrogenase, while glycine-N-methyl transferase generates sarcosine from glycine. Sarcosine is a natural amino acid found in muscles and other body tissues. In the laboratory it may be synthesized from chloroacetic acid and methylamine. Sarcosine is naturally found in the metabolism of choline to glycine. Sarcosine is sweet to the taste and dissolves in water. It is used in manufacturing biodegradable surfactants and toothpastes as well as in other applications. Sarcosine is ubiquitous in biological materials and is present in such foods as egg yolks, turkey, ham, vegetables, legumes, etc. Sarcosine is formed from dietary intake of choline and from the metabolism of methionine, and is rapidly degraded to glycine. Sarcosine has no known toxicity, as evidenced by the lack of phenotypic manifestations of sarcosinemia, an inborn error of sarcosine metabolism. Sarcosinemia can result from severe folate deficiency because of the folate requirement for the conversion of sarcosine to glycine (Wikipedia). Sarcosine has recently been identified as a biomarker for invasive prostate cancer. It was found to be greatly increased during prostate cancer progression to metastasis and could be detected in urine. Sarcosine levels were also increased in invasive prostate cancer cell lines relative to benign prostate epithelial cells (2).

Contaminant Sources

FooDB Chemicals
HMDB Contaminants - Feces
HMDB Contaminants - Urine
HPV EPA Chemicals
STOFF IDENT Compounds
T3DB toxins

Contaminant Type

Amine
Animal Toxin
Food Toxin
Industrial/Workplace Toxin
Lachrymator
Metabolite
Natural Compound
Organic Compound

Chemical Structure

MOL SDF PDB SMILES InChI

Synonyms

Value	Source
(Methylamino)acetic acid	ChEBI
(Methylamino)ethanoic acid	ChEBI
L-Sarcosine	ChEBI
MeGly	ChEBI
Methylaminoacetic acid	ChEBI
N-Methylaminoacetic acid	ChEBI
N-Methylglycine	ChEBI
Sar	ChEBI
Sarcosinic acid	ChEBI
(Methylamino)acetate	Generator
(Methylamino)ethanoate	Generator
Methylaminoacetate	Generator
N-Methylaminoacetate	Generator
Sarcosinate	Generator
(Methylamino)-acetate	HMDB
(Methylamino)-acetic acid	HMDB
Methylglycine	HMDB
N-Methyl-glycine	HMDB
Sarcosin	HMDB
Sodium sarcosinate	HMDB
Magnesium sarcosylate	HMDB
Sarcosinate, sodium	HMDB
Sarcosine hydrochloride	HMDB
Sarcosylate, magnesium	HMDB
N Methylglycine	HMDB
Sarcosine monosodium salt	HMDB

Chemical Formula

C₃H₇NO₂

Average Molecular Mass

89.093 g/mol

Monoisotopic Mass

89.048 g/mol

CAS Registry Number

107-97-1

IUPAC Name

2-(methylamino)acetic acid

Traditional Name

sarcosine

SMILES

CNCC(O)=O

InChI Identifier

InChI=1S/C3H7NO2/c1-4-2-3(5)6/h4H,2H2,1H3,(H,5,6)

InChI Key

FSYKKLYZXJSNPZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Chemical Taxonomy

Description

Belongs to the class of organic compounds known as alpha amino acids. These are amino acids in which the amino group is attached to the carbon atom immediately adjacent to the carboxylate group (alpha carbon).

Kingdom

Organic compounds

Super Class

Organic acids and derivatives

Class

Carboxylic acids and derivatives

Sub Class

Amino acids, peptides, and analogues

Direct Parent

Alpha amino acids

Alternative Parents

Substituents

Alpha-amino acid
Amino acid
Carboxylic acid
Secondary aliphatic amine
Monocarboxylic acid or derivatives
Secondary amine
Organic nitrogen compound
Hydrocarbon derivative
Organooxygen compound
Organonitrogen compound
Organic oxide
Organopnictogen compound
Organic oxygen compound
Carbonyl group
Amine
Aliphatic acyclic compound

Molecular Framework

Aliphatic acyclic compounds

External Descriptors

N-alkylglycine (CHEBI:15611 )
N-methyl-amino acid (CHEBI:15611 )
N-methylglycines (CHEBI:15611 )

Biological Properties

Status

Detected and Not Quantified

Origin

Endogenous

Cellular Locations

Cytoplasm
Extracellular

Biofluid Locations

Not Available

Tissue Locations

All Tissues

Pathways

Name	SMPDB Link	KEGG Link
Glycine and Serine Metabolism	SMP00004	map00260
Sarcosinemia	SMP00244	Not Available

Applications

Not Available

Biological Roles

Chemical Roles

glycine transporter 1 inhibitor

Physical Properties

State

Solid

Appearance

White crystalline powder

Experimental Properties

Property	Value
Melting Point	210°C
Boiling Point	Not Available
Solubility	89.1 g/L

Predicted Properties

Property	Value	Source
Water Solubility	308 g/L	ALOGPS
logP	-3.1	ALOGPS
logP	-3.2	ChemAxon
logS	0.54	ALOGPS
pKa (Strongest Acidic)	2.06	ChemAxon
pKa (Strongest Basic)	10.35	ChemAxon
Physiological Charge	0	ChemAxon
Hydrogen Acceptor Count	3	ChemAxon
Hydrogen Donor Count	2	ChemAxon
Polar Surface Area	49.33 Å²	ChemAxon
Rotatable Bond Count	2	ChemAxon
Refractivity	20.78 m³·mol⁻¹	ChemAxon
Polarizability	8.66 Å³	ChemAxon
Number of Rings	0	ChemAxon
Bioavailability	Yes	ChemAxon
Rule of Five	Yes	ChemAxon
Ghose Filter	No	ChemAxon
Veber's Rule	No	ChemAxon
MDDR-like Rule	No	ChemAxon

Spectra

Toxicity Profile

Route of Exposure

Endogenous, Eye contact, Ingestion.

Mechanism of Toxicity

Sarcosine is an oncometabolite. Sarcosine appears to upregulate the expression of the potent oncoprotein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells upon exposure to exogenous sarcosine. Thus, sarcosine may induce prostate cancer progression by increased HER2/neu expression.

Metabolism

Sarcosine is metabolized to glycine by the enzyme sarcosine dehydrogenase, while glycine-N-methyl transferase generates sarcosine from glycine.

Toxicity Values

Lethal Dose

Not Available

Carcinogenicity (IARC Classification)

Not listed by IARC. Has been implicated in oncogenesis (12).

Uses/Sources

Sarcosine can be used as a cognitive enhancer and to treat schizophrenia.

Minimum Risk Level

Not Available

Health Effects

Acute Exposure: Can lead to eye and skin irritation. Chronic Exposure: High levels of sarcosine in prostate tissues are associated with aggressive prostate tumors. In this regard, sarcosine appears to function as an oncometabolite. High levels of sarcosine are also seen in patients with sarcosinemia. Sarcosinemia is a rare inborn error of metabolism that is characterized by an increased level of sarcosine (N-methylglycine) in the plasma and urine. The enzymatic block results from a deficiency of sarcosine dehydrogenase (SarDH), a liver mitochondrial matrix enzyme that converts sarcosine into glycine. The disease is mostly characterized by mental delay, cardiomyopathy, deafness and visual disturbance.

Symptoms

Acute Exposure: eye irritation and skin irritation Chronic Exposure: sarcosinemia is associated with mental delay, cardiomyopathy, deafness and visual disturbance. In individuals with prostate cancer, high prostate tissue levels of sarcosine promote aggressive, rapidly growing prostate tumors.

Treatment

Acute Exposure: EYES: irrigate opened eyes for several minutes under running water. INGESTION: do not induce vomiting. Rinse mouth with water (never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person). Seek immediate medical advice. SKIN: should be treated immediately by rinsing the affected parts in cold running water for at least 15 minutes, followed by thorough washing with soap and water. If necessary, the person should shower and change contaminated clothing and shoes, and then must seek medical attention. INHALATION: supply fresh air. If required provide artificial respiration.

Concentrations

Not Available

External Links

DrugBank ID

DB12519

HMDB ID

HMDB0000271

FooDB ID

FDB004048

Phenol Explorer ID

Not Available

KNApSAcK ID

Not Available

BiGG ID

34275

BioCyc ID

SARCOSINE

METLIN ID

PDB ID

Not Available

Wikipedia Link

Chemspider ID

ChEBI ID

PubChem Compound ID

Kegg Compound ID

YMDB ID

Not Available

ECMDB ID

ECMDB00271

References

Synthesis Reference

Cipens, G.; Slavinska, V.; Sile, D.; Kreile, D.; Strautina, A.; Krikis, A.; Gutmanis, A. Synthesis of sarcosine and its use. Latvijas PSR Zinatnu Akademijas Vestis, Kimijas Serija (1986), (5), 515-24.

MSDS

Link

General References

1. Cipens, G.; Slavinska, V.; Sile, D.; Kreile, D.; Strautina, A.; Krikis, A.; Gutmanis, A. Synthesis of sarcosine and its use. Latvijas PSR Zinatnu Akademijas Vestis, Kimijas Serija (1986), (5), 515-24.

2. Melzer N, Wittenburg D, Hartwig S, Jakubowski S, Kesting U, Willmitzer L, Lisec J, Reinsch N, Repsilber D: Investigating associations between milk metabolite profiles and milk traits of Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci. 2013 Mar;96(3):1521-34. doi: 10.3168/jds.2012-5743.

3. Mung D, Li L: Applying quantitative metabolomics based on chemical isotope labeling LC-MS for detecting potential milk adulterant in human milk. Anal Chim Acta. 2018 Feb 25;1001:78-85. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2017.11.019. Epub 2017 Nov 14.

4. Cipens, G.; Slavinska, V.; Sile, D.; Kreile, D.; Strautina, A.; Krikis, A.; Gutmanis, A. Synthesis of sarcosine and its use. Latvijas PSR Zinatnu Akademijas Vestis, Kimijas Serija (1986), (5), 515-24.

5. Boulat O, Gradwohl M, Matos V, Guignard JP, Bachmann C: Organic acids in the second morning urine in a healthy Swiss paediatric population. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2003 Dec;41(12):1642-58.

6. Akare S, Martinez JD: Bile acid induces hydrophobicity-dependent membrane alterations. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2005 Jun 15;1735(1):59-67.

7. Lim DS, Roberts R, Marian AJ: Expression profiling of cardiac genes in human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: insight into the pathogenesis of phenotypes. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001 Oct;38(4):1175-80.

8. Bales JR, Sadler PJ, Nicholson JK, Timbrell JA: Urinary excretion of acetaminophen and its metabolites as studied by proton NMR spectroscopy. Clin Chem. 1984 Oct;30(10):1631-6.

9. Heil M, Podebrad F, Prado E, Beck T, Mosand A, Sewell AC, Bohles H, Lehnert W: Enantioselective analysis of ketone bodies in patients with beta-ketothiolase deficiency, medium-chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency and ketonemic vomiting. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 2000 Mar 10;739(2):313-24.