Endogenous benzoic acid interferes with the signatures of amino acids and thiol compounds through perturbing N-methyltransferase, glutamate-cysteine ligase, and glutathione S-transferase activity in dairy products.

Endogenous benzoic acid causes adverse effects on individual health, but the potential mechanisms often remain elusive. The positive rate of benzoic acid in seventy-two goat milk samples in triplicate was 93.6 %, verifying the presence of endogenous benzoic acid. In this study, we investigated the differences in protein expression and metabolites among goat milk with different final concentrations of benzoic acid via combined proteomics and metabolomics (LOQ 3.25 to 56.63 µg L-1) analysis based on UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS. Integrated analysis showed that benzoic acid reduced the content of l-histidine (from 1.27 to 0.49 mg/L) and 1-methylhistidine (from 1.40 to 0.68 mg/L), due to the increase of benzoic acid (0-30 mg/L) concentration significantly reduced the level and activity of N-methyltransferase. Protein-metabolite interactions suggested that benzoic acid enhanced glutamate-cysteine ligase and glutathione S-transferase expression and affected l-glutamate (from 1.22 to 0.49 mg/L) and glutathione contents, eventually leading to the formation of off-flavors and oxidation of goat milk. Meanwhile, the level of l-phenylalanine (from 4.17 to 1.94 mg/L) and l-tyrosine (from 1.05 to 0.26 mg/L) progressively decreased with the increase of benzoic acid concentration, which had a deleterious effect on the nutritional value and flavor formation of goat milk. These findings clarified the mechanism by which low-dose benzoic acid negatively affects the nutritional quality and flavor formation of goat milk.

Functions, mechanisms, and therapeutic implications of METTL14 in human cancer.

RNA modification plays a crucial role in many biological functions, and its abnormal regulation is associated with the progression of cancer. Among them, N6-methyladenine (m6A) is the most abundant RNA modification. Methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14) is the central component of the m6A methylated transferase complex, which is involved in the dynamic reversible process of m6A modification. METTL14 acts as both an oncogene and tumor suppressor gene to regulate the occurrence and development of various cancers. The abnormal m6A level induced by METTL14 is related to tumorigenesis, proliferation, metastasis, and invasion. To date, the molecular mechanism of METTL14 in various malignant tumors has not been fully studied. In this paper, we systematically summarize the latest research progress on METTL14 as a new biomarker for cancer diagnosis and its biological function in human tumors and discuss its potential clinical application. This study aims to provide new ideas for targeted therapy and improved prognoses in cancer.

Human TRMT112-Methyltransferase Network Consists of Seven Partners Interacting with a Common Co-Factor.

Methylation is an essential epigenetic modification mainly catalysed by S-Adenosyl methionine-dependent methyltransferases (MTases). Several MTases require a cofactor for their metabolic stability and enzymatic activity. TRMT112 is a small evolutionary conserved protein that acts as a co-factor and activator for different MTases involved in rRNA, tRNA and protein methylation. Using a SILAC screen, we pulled down seven methyltransferases-N6AMT1, WBSCR22, METTL5, ALKBH8, THUMPD2, THUMPD3 and TRMT11-as interaction partners of TRMT112. We showed that TRMT112 stabilises all seven MTases in cells. TRMT112 and MTases exhibit a strong mutual feedback loop when expressed together in cells. TRMT112 interacts with its partners in a similar way; however, single amino acid mutations on the surface of TRMT112 reveal several differences as well. In summary, mammalian TRMT112 can be considered as a central "hub" protein that regulates the activity of at least seven methyltransferases.

Exploration of the potential roles of m6A regulators in the uterus in pregnancy and infertility.

Infertility is a prevalent female reproductive disease worldwide. Currently, there are many unknown etiologies of infertility. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification of eukaryotic mRNA. This study intended to investigate the implications of m6A regulators in the uterus for pregnancy and infertility. Pregnant ICR mice on days (D) 0, 4, 6, 10, and 15 were used to monitor m6A methylation in the uterus by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and then m6A methylation regulators were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). We found that m6A levels increased and that m6A regulators were expressed differently in the uterus during pregnancy. Then, we acquired expression data from endometrial tissue from women with infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The expression of m6A regulators in infertility was significantly dysregulated according to the data mining technique. Specifically, the mRNA levels of METTL16 (p = 0.0147) and WTAP (p = 0.028) were lower and those of ALKBH5 (p = 0.0432) and IGF2BP2 (p = 0.0016) were higher in the endometrium of infertile patients. Meanwhile, many immunity-related pathways are abnormal in infertility, such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity and leukocyte transendothelial migration. In conclusion, we found that the m6A levels in the uterus increased as pregnancy progressed, and these regulators were dysregulated in the endometrium of infertility patients. These results suggest that m6A methylation may be very important in the establishment of implantation and maintenance of pregnancy and may become a new direction for research on infertility.

m6A regulators are associated with osteosarcoma metastasis and have prognostic significance: A study based on public databases.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma represents the most common malignant bone tumor with high metastatic potential and inferior prognosis. RNA methylation (N6-methyladenosine [m6A]) is a prevalent RNA modification that epigenetically influences numerous biological processes including tumorigenesis. This study aims to determine that m6A regulators are significant biomarkers for osteosarcoma, and establish a prognostic model to predict the survival of patients. METHODS: In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the underlying associations between m6A regulators' mRNA expressions and metastasis as well as prognosis of osteosarcoma patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas. Multivariate Cox-regression analysis was used to screen regulators that were significantly associated with overall survival of osteosarcoma patients. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox-regression analysis was used for constructing m6A regulator-based osteosarcoma prognostic signature. RESULTS: Some of the regulators exhibited aberrant mRNA levels between osteosarcoma samples with and without metastasis. Multivariate Cox-regression analysis identified several regulators with potential prognostic significance. A risk score formula consisted of methyltransferase-like 3, YTH domains of Homo sapiens, and fat mass and obesity-associated protein was obtained through which patients could be prognostically stratified independently of potential confounding factors. The signature was also significantly associated with the metastatic potential of osteosarcoma. All the analyses could be well reproduced in another independent osteosarcoma cohort from the Gene Expression Omnibus. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study first revealed potential roles of m6A regulators in osteosarcoma metastasis and prognosis, which should be helpful for its clinical decision-making.

In silico identification and structure function analysis of a putative coclaurine N-methyltransferase from Aristolochia fimbriata.

In this study we isolated and performed in silico analysis of a putative coclaurine N-methyltransferase (CNMT) from the basal angiosperm Aristolochia fimbriata. The Aristolochiaceae plant family produces alkaloids similar to the Papavaraceae family, and CNMTs are central enzymes in biosynthesis pathways producing compounds of ethnopharmacological interest. We used bioinformatics and computational tools to predict a three-dimensional homology model and to investigate the putative function of the protein and its mechanism for methylation. The putative CNMT is a unique (S)-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent N-methyltransferase, catalyzing transfer of a methyl group from SAM to the amino group of coclaurine. The model revealed a mixed α/ß structure comprising seven twisted ß-strands surrounded by twelve α-helices. Sequence comparisons and the model indicate an N-terminal catalytic Core domain and a C-terminal domain, of which the latter forms a pocket for coclaurine. An additional binding pocket for SAM is connected to the coclaurine binding pocket by a small opening. CNMT activity is proposed to follow an SN2-type mechanism as observed for a similarly conformed enzyme. Residues predicted for the methyl transfer reaction are Tyr79 and Glu96, which are conserved in the sequence from A. fimbriata and in homologous N-methyltransferases. The isolated CNMT is the first to be investigated from any basal angiosperm.

Function of the MYND Domain and C-Terminal Region in Regulating the Subcellular Localization and Catalytic Activity of the SMYD Family Lysine Methyltransferase Set5.

SMYD lysine methyltransferases target histones and nonhistone proteins for methylation and are critical regulators of muscle development and implicated in neoplastic transformation. They are characterized by a split catalytic SET domain and an intervening MYND zinc finger domain, as well as an extended C-terminal domain. Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains two SMYD proteins, Set5 and Set6, which share structural elements with the mammalian SMYD enzymes. Set5 is a histone H4 lysine 5, 8, and 12 methyltransferase, implicated in the regulation of stress responses and genome stability. While the SMYD proteins have diverse roles in cells, there are many gaps in our understanding of how these enzymes are regulated. Here, we performed mutational analysis of Set5, combined with phosphoproteomics, to identify regulatory mechanisms for its enzymatic activity and subcellular localization. Our results indicate that the MYND domain promotes Set5 chromatin association in cells and is required for its role in repressing subtelomeric genes. Phosphoproteomics revealed extensive phosphorylation of Set5, and phosphomimetic mutations enhance Set5 catalytic activity but diminish its ability to interact with chromatin in cells. These studies uncover multiple regions within Set5 that regulate its localization and activity and highlight potential avenues for understanding mechanisms controlling the diverse roles of SMYD enzymes.

Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometric assay for d-aspartate N-methyltransferase activity in ark shells.

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the separation and quantification of the enantiomers of N-methylaspartate and N-methylglutamate, after derivatization with Nα-(5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-L-leucinamide was established. The time required for the LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis was within 20 min and the detection limit was approximately 10 fmol per injection, demonstrating that this method can be used for the rapid determination of D-aspartate N-methyltransferase activity in the ark shell clam Scapharca broughtonii.Abbreviations: NMDA: N-methyl-D-aspartate; NMLA: N-methyl-L-aspartate; NMDG: N-methyl-D-glutamate; NMLG: N-methyl-L-glutamate; NMA: N-methylaspartate; NMG: N-methylglutamate; HPLC: high-performance liquid chromatography; SAM: S-adenosyl-L-methionine; OPA: o-phthalaldehyde; LC-ESI-MS/MS: liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry; FDLA: Nα-(5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-L-leucinamide; FDAA: Nα-(5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-L-alaninamide; ESI: electrospray ionization; LC-ESI-MS: liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry; MS/MS: tandem mass spectrometry.

Sequential Fractionation Strategy Identifies Three Missing Proteins in the Mitochondrial Proteome of Commonly Used Cell Lines.

Mitochondria are undeniably the cell powerhouse, directly affecting cell survival and fate. Growing evidence suggest that mitochondrial protein repertoire affects metabolic activity and plays an important role in determining cell proliferation/differentiation or quiescence shift. Consequently, the bioenergetic status of a cell is associated with the quality and abundance of the mitochondrial populations and proteomes. Mitochondrial morphology changes in the development of different cellular functions associated with metabolic switches. It is therefore reasonable to speculate that different cell lines do contain different mitochondrial-associated proteins, and the investigation of these pools may well represent a source for mining missing proteins (MPs). A very effective approach to increase the number of IDs through mass spectrometry consists of reducing the complexity of the biological samples by fractionation. The present study aims at investigating the mitochondrial proteome of five phenotypically different cell lines, possibly expressing some of the MPs, through an enrichment-fractionation approach at the organelle and protein level. We demonstrate a substantial increase in the proteome coverage, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of detecting low abundant proteins, often falling in the category of MPs, and resulting, for the present study, in the identification of METTL12, FAM163A, and RGS13. All MS data have been deposited to the MassIVE data repository ( https://massive.ucsd.edu ) with the data set identifier MSV000082409 and PXD010446.

Analytical and clinical validation of an LC-MS/MS method to measure thiopurine S-methyltransferase activity by quantifying d3-6-MMP.

BACKGROUND: Identification of patients with thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) deficiency prior to thiopurine drug therapy has become routine clinical practice worldwide. To measure TPMT activity, traditional radiochemical assays have been replaced by chromatographic methods. METHOD: Inspired by the increasing number of isotope labelled sources that may be of benefit for the TPMT assay, a new LC-MS/MS method for TPMT activity was developed and validated. Isotope labelled d3-S-adenosyl-l-methionine (d3-SAM) was selected for the enzymatic methylation of mercaptopurine during sample incubation; d3-6-methylmercaptopurine (d3-6-MMP) with d2-2, 8-hypoxanthine as the internal standard was quantified to ascertain individual TPMT activity. RESULTS: The validation of the analytical part of this method showed good linearity (coefficient of determination 0.9999 in the range of 1-500 ng/mL) with the intra-and inter-day impression CV% between 7.6% and 9.1% and 3.7% and 9.2%, respectively. Recovery ranged from 94.9% to 112.3%. The specificity of the enzymatic reaction was validated by using 108 clinical check samples. After compared with traditional radiochemical assay and genotype results, all homozygous and heterozygous deficiency clinical checks fitted into the nominal groups, inter-batch and intra-batch impression CV% were between 2.3% and 9.7%. CONCLUSION: With the inclusion of isotope labelled substrate, interfering non-enzymatic methylation no longer results in potential false assignment of abnormal patients. Furthermore, the method can be applied to patients who have already been prescribed thiopurine drugs. This new LC-MS/MS is therefore a favourable clinical routine application to test TPMT activity, as it shows excellent performance in identifying patients with TPMT deficiency.

A rare case of Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies abscessus prosthetic valve endocarditis and the clinical importance of inducible erm(41) gene testing.

A 56-year-old man with a history of injection drug use and two prior episodes of native valve infective endocarditis presented with dyspnoea on exertion. Our preliminary work-up revealed bacteraemia with reported growth of 'Mycobacterium abscessus group' on multiple blood cultures. The patient was later found to have eustachian valve and prosthetic pulmonic valve endocarditis. Initially, he responded to standard antimycobacterial therapy for rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) with supporting laboratory susceptibilities. However, he later developed refractory disease and persistent bacteraemia in the setting of these alleged susceptible antibiotics. Further molecular testing revealed a functional and inducible erm(41) gene which confers macrolide resistance. A subspecies analysis of the M abscessus group revealed the subspecies to be abscessus We present a challenging case of M abscessus subsp. abscessus bacteraemia and prosthetic valve endocarditis with further discussion on treatment and management of this infection along with the taxonomic complexity of this ubiquitous RGM.

DIMT1 overexpression correlates with progression and prognosis in gastric carcinoma.

We investigated the expression of dimethyladenosine transferase 1 homolog (DIMT1) in human gastric carcinoma (GC) tissues, pericarcinoma histologically normal tissues, and normal gastric tissues and explored its clinical significance. Immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect the expression of DIMT1, and the findings were compared with clinicopathological features of patients with GC. The result also was ascertained by Western blotting. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the overall survival rate and time in the DIMT1 low-level and high-level expression groups. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that the expression of DIMT1 in GC tissues (65/75; 86.7%) was significantly more common (P<.001) than that in pericarcinoma histologically normal tissues (14/75; 18.7%) and normal gastric tissues (2/12; 16.7%). High expression of DIMT1 correlated closely with differentiation (P=.023), invasion (P=.042), lymph node metastasis (P=.008), distant metastasis (P=.006), and TNM stage (P=.013). Western blotting showed that DIMT1 expression correlated positively with TNM stage and implied that more advanced TNM stage was accompanied by higher expression of DIMT1 (P<.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high DIMT1 expression correlated significantly (P<.001) with a poor prognosis. Our data suggest that DIMT1 is a useful molecular biomarker to predict tumor progression and prognosis in patients with GC.

Elevated expression of RNA methyltransferase BCDIN3D predicts poor prognosis in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: BCDIN3D is a member of the Bin3 methyl-transferase family that targets the 5' mono-phosphate of nucleic acids. Although BCDIN3D has been shown to increase tumorigenic phenotypes and invasiveness in MDA-MB-231 cells, its the clinical implications in breast cancer remain unclear. METHODS: We screened for BCDIN3D using tissue microarrays constructed from 250 patients who were histologically confirmed to have invasive ductal breast carcinoma at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. RESULTS: The survival analysis by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression showed that BCDIN3D expression level served as a prognostic factor for disease-free survival (P = 0.042). The prognostic value of BCDIN3D was most significant in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: BCDIN3D might serve as an important prognostic factor for TNBC patients.

Methyltransferase-Glo: a universal, bioluminescent and homogenous assay for monitoring all classes of methyltransferases.

AIM: To develop a homogenous, nonradioactive, antibody-free and universal assay for diverse families of methyltransferases and monitor the activity of these enzymes in a high-throughput format. MATERIALS & METHODS: The assay conditions are optimized for monitoring the enzymatic activity of a broad range of methyltransferases regardless of the chemical structure or nature of the enzyme substrate in a low- and high-throughput-formatted protocols. The assay detects S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, the universal reaction products of all methyltransferases. RESULTS: We demonstrate the utility of using this protocol to determine the activity of DNA, protein methyltransferases and also to determine kinetic parameters of several inhibitors using purified enzymes. The assay is sensitive (20-30 nM of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine) and robust. CONCLUSION: The methyltransferase Glo is nonradioactive, antibody-free and homogenous, universal assay to determine enzyme activity of diverse families of methyltransferases. The assay is formatted to meet the requirements of high-throughput screening in drug discovery programs searching for modulators of methyltransferases.

Miniaturization of High-Throughput Epigenetic Methyltransferase Assays with Acoustic Liquid Handling.

Epigenetics continues to emerge as an important target class for drug discovery and cancer research. As programs scale to evaluate many new targets related to epigenetic expression, new tools and techniques are required to enable efficient and reproducible high-throughput epigenetic screening. Assay miniaturization increases screening throughput and reduces operating costs. Echo liquid handlers can transfer compounds, samples, reagents, and beads in submicroliter volumes to high-density assay formats using only acoustic energy-no contact or tips required. This eliminates tip costs and reduces the risk of reagent carryover. In this study, we demonstrate the miniaturization of a methyltransferase assay using Echo liquid handlers and two different assay technologies: AlphaLISA from PerkinElmer and EPIgeneous HTRF from Cisbio.

Development and evaluation of immunochromatography to detect Gram-negative bacteria producing ArmA 16S rRNA methylase responsible for aminoglycoside resistance.

Rapid and reliable detection of aminoglycoside-resistant bacteria is an important infection-control measure and a crucial aspect of antimicrobial chemotherapy. The enzyme 16S rRNA methylase has been shown to mediate aminoglycoside resistance in bacteria. This study describes a newly developed immunochromatographic assay using novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that recognize ArmA 16S rRNA methylase. Epitope mapping showed that these mAbs recognized amino acids 1-93 of ArmA, which consists of 257 amino acids. Evaluation of the assay using ArmA producing and non-producing bacterial species, as well as bacteria producing other types of 16S rRNA methylases, indicated that immunochromatographic detection of the ArmA-type 16S rRNA methylase was fully consistent with PCR analysis for armA genes, with all immunochromatographically positive strains being resistant to aminoglycosides (MIC≥128µg/mL). The detection limit of the assay was 12ng ArmA. These findings indicate that this assay can be used for the rapid and reliable detection of the production of ArmA 16S rRNA methylase by Gram-negative bacteria, including Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli.

High-throughput screening-compatible assays of As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase activity.

Arsenic is a naturally existing toxin and carcinogen. As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferases (AS3MT in mammals and ArsM in microbes) methylate As(III) three times in consecutive steps and play a central role in arsenic metabolism from bacteria to humans. Current assays for arsenic methylation are slow, laborious, and expensive. Here we report the development of two in vitro assays for AS3MT activity that are rapid, sensitive, convenient, and relatively inexpensive and can be adapted for high-throughput assays. The first assay measures As(III) binding by the quenching of the protein fluorescence of a single-tryptophan derivative of an AS3MT ortholog. The second assay utilizes time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer to directly measure the conversion of the AS3MT substrate, S-adenosylmethionine, to S-adenosylhomocysteine catalyzed by AS3MT. These two assays are complementary, one measuring substrate binding and the other catalysis, making them useful tools for functional studies and future development of drugs to prevent arsenic-related diseases.

Engineering Escherichia coli for functional expression of membrane proteins.

A major bottleneck in the characterization of membrane proteins is low yield of functional protein in recombinant expression. Microorganisms are widely used for recombinant protein production, because of ease of cultivation and high protein yield. However, the target proteins do not always obtain their native conformation and may end up in a nonfunctional state, in insoluble aggregates. For screening of functional protein, it is thus important to readily discriminate aggregated, mistargeted protein from globally well-folded, membrane-inserted protein. We developed a robust strategy for expression screening of functional proteins in bacteria, which is based on directed evolution. In this strategy, the C-terminus of the target membrane protein is tagged with two additional protein domains in tandem. The first one is green fluorescent protein (GFP), which functions as a reporter of the global folding state of the fusion protein. The other one is the erythromycin resistance protein (23S ribosomal RNA adenine N-6 methyltransferase, ErmC), which confers a means to select for enhanced expression. By gradually increasing the antibiotic concentration in the medium, we force the cells to evolve in a way that allows more functional target-GFP-ErmC to be expressed. The acquired genomic mutations can be generic or membrane protein specific. This strategy is readily adopted for the expression of any protein and ultimately yields a wealth of genomic data that may provide insight into the factors that limit the production of given classes or types of proteins.

Polymorphisms of the thiopurine S-methyltransferase gene among the Libyan population.

BACKGROUND: Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyses the S-methylation of 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine. Low activity phenotypes are correlated with polymorphism in the TPMT gene. Patients with low or undetectable TMPT activity could develop severe myelosuppression when they are treated with standard doses of thiopurine drugs. Since ethnic differences in the TPMT gene polymorphism have been demonstrated worldwide, assessing it in the Libyan population is worthwhile. METHODS: We investigated TPMT gene polymorphism in a total of 246 Libyan healthy adult blood donors from three different Libyan regions (Tripoli, Yefren, and Tawargha) and 50 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). We used polymerase chain reaction restriction length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and allele-specific PCR-based assays to analyse the TPMT gene for the variants *2 c.238 G>C, *3A (c.460 G>A and c.719 A>G), *3B (c.460 G>A), and *3C (c.719 A>G). RESULTS: Our results show that the TPMT variants associated with low enzymatic activity were detected in 3.25% (8 in 246) of adult Libyan individuals and the frequency of total mutant alleles was 1.63%. Heterozygous genotypes were TPMT*3A in three subjects (0.61%) and TPMT*3C in five subjects (1.02%). No TPMT*2 and TPMT*3B allelic variants and no homozygous or compound heterozygous mutant alleles were detected. The normal allele (wild-type) was found in 98.4% of the adult individuals studied. No mutant alleles were detected among the 50 children who had ALL. CONCLUSIONS: We report on the presence of the TPMT*3C and *3A mutant alleles in the Libyan population. Therefore, monitoring the patients to be treated with doses of thiopurine drugs for TPMT variants is worthwhile to avoid the development of severe myelosuppression.

Highly sensitive photoelectrochemical assay for DNA methyltransferase activity and inhibitor screening by exciton energy transfer coupled with enzyme cleavage biosensing strategy.

Highly sensitive DNA methyltransferase (MTase) activity and inhibitor screening photoelectrochemical (PEC) assay was developed based on the exciton energy transfer (EET) effect coupled with site-specific cleavage of restriction endonuclease (HpaII). The assay was designed by integrating the Au nanoparticles (NPs) labeled probe DNA (pDNA-Au) with CdSe quantum dots (QDs). The strong EET effect between Au NPs and CdSe QDs resulted in the dramatic decrease of photocurrent signal. The pDNA carried a sensing region for specifically recognizing target DNA (tDNA) and hybridizing with it to form a DNA duplex. With the site-specific cleavage of HpaII, the DNA duplex could be cleaved and Au NPs would be released, which broke the EET and resulted in the restoration of photocurrent signal. However, when the DNA duplex was methylated by M.SssI MTase, this cleavage of HpaII was blocked, and therefore the unbroken EET effect kept the lower photocurrent signal. That was, the restored photocurrent was inversely proportional to the MTase activity. Based on this strategy, the PEC assay could determine as low as ~0.0042 U/mL of M.SssI MTase with a linear range from 0.01 to 150 U/mL. In addition, the assay could be used for the screening of the inhibitors of MTase. This PEC assay provides a promising platform for monitoring the activity and inhibition of DNA MTase, and thus shows a great potential in cancer diagnostics and anti-cancer drugs discovery.