Review: Biological methylation of less‐studied elements

Abstract

Abstract Biological methylation is an enzymatic process in which a methyl group is transferred from one atom to another. For elements having atomic number greater than 11, biological methylation has been most extensively studied for three elements: arsenic, mercury and sulfur. However, many other elements also undergo biological methylation but have received less attention. Recent work on these less‐studied elements and new applications of biological methylation to environmental remediation, along with a description of these reactions in terms of bonding models, is the focus of this review. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.