The chemical reactions and pathways resulting in the breakdown of S-adenosylmethionine, S-(5'-adenosyl)-L-methionine, an important intermediate in one-carbon metabolism.
Synonyms:
exact_synonym:
S-adenosyl methionine catabolic process; S-adenosyl methionine catabolism; S-adenosylmethionine breakdown; S-adenosylmethionine catabolism; S-adenosylmethionine degradation; SAM catabolic process