Vitamin B12

Third-Party Tested

Independent lab verified

Batch-Specific CoA

Publicly accessible

YPB.251

Reference number

10ml

Lyophilized vial

Origin

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) was discovered through research on pernicious anemia. George Minot and William Murphy demonstrated in 1926 that liver extract could treat the condition, earning them the Nobel Prize. Dorothy Hodgkin determined the complete molecular structure of B12 using X-ray crystallography in 1956, receiving her Nobel Prize in 1964.

Research Lineage

Hodgkin's structural work revealed B12 as the largest and most complex vitamin, containing a cobalt atom coordinated in a corrin ring. Banerjee and Ragsdale have extensively studied its enzymatic mechanisms. B12 research spans hematology, neurology, and cellular metabolism, with particular focus on its role as a cofactor for methionine synthase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase.

Mechanism of Action

B12 functions as a cofactor for two mammalian enzymes: methionine synthase (which converts homocysteine to methionine, essential for SAM-dependent methylation reactions) and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (which processes propionate from odd-chain fatty acid and amino acid metabolism). Deficiency disrupts both the methylation cycle and mitochondrial propionate metabolism.

Structural Notes

Corrinoid compound. Central cobalt atom coordinated in a corrin ring with four pyrrole-derived groups. Molecular formula: C63H88CoN14O14P. Molecular weight: 1355.37 Da. The largest and most structurally complex vitamin.