In 1959, while analysing the bacterial flagellar proteins, Ambler and Rees observed an unknown species of amino acid that they eventually identified as methylated lysine. Over half a century later, protein methylation is known to have a regulatory role in many essential cellular processes that range from gene transcription to signal transduction. However, the road to this now burgeoning research field was obstacle-ridden, not least because of the inconspicuous nature of the methyl mark itself. Here, we chronicle the milestone achievements and discuss the future of protein methylation research.

中文翻译：

---

蛋白质甲基化研究的曲折道路：里程碑和新领域

1959年，Ambler和Rees在分析细菌鞭毛蛋白时，观察到一种未知的氨基酸，最终将其鉴定为甲基化的赖氨酸。半个多世纪后，蛋白质甲基化在从基因转录到信号转导的许多重要细胞过程中起着调节作用。但是，通往这个新兴研究领域的道路充满了障碍，这不仅是因为甲基标记本身不显眼。在这里，我们记述了里程碑式的成就，并讨论了蛋白质甲基化研究的未来。