Methionine gamma-lyase from Pseudomonas putida is a PLP-dependent enzyme which plays a central role in sulfur amino acid metabolism. METase catalyzes the ，γ-elimination of methionine to -ketobutyrate，methanethiol，and ammonia. METase also catalyzes the ，γ-elimination of other sulfur containing amino acids，such as homocysteine，cysteine. Because of its ability to deplete methionine，METase has been considered as a viable component of cancer therapeutics against methionine-dependent tumor cells. METase has also been utilized to design drug targets for the infectious diseases caused by parasitic protozoa and anaerobic periodontal bacteria.
