Sarcosine
Sarcosine (N-methylglycine) is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative and an intermediate in the metabolism of choline and glycine. It is a white, water-soluble solid. Laboratories use it as a biochemical reagent and as the substrate for sarcosine oxidase in enzymatic creatinine assays. Industry uses it as a precursor for mild sarcosinate surfactants such as sodium lauroyl sarcosinate.
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Sarcosine
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Sarcosine (N-methylglycine; CAS 107-97-1) is the N-methylated derivative of glycine. Its molecular formula is C3H7NO2 and its molar mass is approximately 89.09 g/mol. It is supplied as a white crystalline powder that dissolves readily in water. Like other amino acids, it exists largely as a zwitterion in aqueous solution.
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Where does sarcosine occur in biochemistry?
In mammalian metabolism, sarcosine is an intermediate in the breakdown of choline to glycine. Dimethylglycine dehydrogenase converts dimethylglycine to sarcosine, and sarcosine dehydrogenase then converts sarcosine to glycine. Glycine N-methyltransferase can also form sarcosine from glycine, using S-adenosylmethionine as the methyl donor. Sarcosine has been studied as a co-agonist at NMDA receptors and as an inhibitor of the glycine transporter GlyT1. It has also been proposed, controversially, as a urinary biomarker for prostate cancer.
How is sarcosine used in the laboratory and industry?
In clinical chemistry, sarcosine is a key intermediate in enzymatic creatinine methods:
- Creatininase and creatinase convert creatinine to sarcosine.
- Sarcosine oxidase then oxidises the sarcosine, generating hydrogen peroxide for colorimetric detection.
Industrially, acylation of sarcosine gives N-acyl sarcosinates, such as sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (Sarkosyl). These are mild anionic surfactants used in personal care products and in molecular biology for cell lysis and protein solubilisation.
What should buyers check when sourcing sarcosine?
Procurement teams should confirm:
- the stated purity grade (for example, reagent or biochemistry grade)
- assay method and water content on the CoA
- identity confirmation, for instance by NMR or HPLC
- the GHS classification and handling advice in the supplier's SDS
- registration status under REACH or TSCA for the intended market and use
Related concepts
Sarcosine is closely linked to glycine, dimethylglycine (DMG) and betaine (trimethylglycine) in one-carbon metabolism. Related enzymes include sarcosine oxidase and sarcosine dehydrogenase. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is its best-known surfactant derivative, and creatinine assays are its most common clinical application.
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