Abstract
The activities of formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase, methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase, methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase, and heterodisulfide reductase were tested in cell extracts of 10 different methanogenic bacteria grown on H2/CO2 or on other methanogenic substrates. The four activities were found in all the organisms investigated: Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum,M. wolfei, Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus, Methanosphaera stadtmanae, Methanosarcina barkeri (strains Fusaro and MS), Methanothrix soehngenii, Methanospirillum hungatei, Methanogenium organophilum, and Methanococcus voltae. Cell extracts of H2/CO2 grown M. barkeri and of methanol grown M. barkeri showed the same specific activities suggesting that the four enzymes are of equal importance in CO2 reduction to methane and in methanol disproportionation to CO2 and CH4. In contrast, cell extracts of acetate grown M. barkeri exhibited much lower activities of formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase and methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase suggesting that these two enzymes are not involved in methanogenesis from acetate. In M. stadtmanae, which grows on H2 and methanol, only heterodisulfide reductase was detected in activities sufficient to account for the in vivo methane formation rate. This finding is consistent with the view that the three other oxidoreductases are not required for methanol reduction to methane with H2.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- MFR:
-
methanofuran
- H4MPT:
-
tetrahydromethanopterin
- H-S-CoM:
-
coenzyme M
- H-S-HTP:
-
7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate (component B)
- CoM-S-S-HTP:
-
heterodisulfide of H-S-CoM and H-S-HTP
References
Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR, Wolfe RS (1979) Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 43: 260–296
Bobik TA, Wolfe RS (1988) Physiological importance of the heterodisulfide of coenzyme M and 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate in the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane in Methanobacterium. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85: 60–63
Börner G, Karrasch M, Thauer RK (1989) Formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase activity in cell extracts of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and of Methanosarcina barkeri. FEBS Lett 244: 21–25
Bott MH, Eikmanns B, Thauer RK (1985) Defective formation and/or utilization of carbon monoxide in H2/CO2 fermenting methanogens dependent on acetate as carbon source. Arch Microbiol 143: 266–269
Brandis A, Thauer RK, Stetter KO (1981) Relatedness of strains △H and Marburg of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Zentralbl Bakteriol Hyg [C] 2: 311–317
Breitung J, Börner G, Karrasch M, Berkessel A, Thauer RK (1990) N-Furfurylformamide as a pseudo-substrate for formyl-methanofuran converting enzymes from methanogenic bacteria. FEBS Lett 268: 257–260
Bryant MP, Boone DR (1987) Emended description of strain MST (DSM 800T), the type strain of Methanosarcina barkeri. Int J Syst Bacteriol 37: 169–170
DiMarco AA, Bobik TA, Wolfe RS (1990) Unusual coenzymes of methanogenesis. Annu Rev Biochem 59: 355–394
Donnelly MI, Wolfe RS (1986) The role of formylmethanofuran: tetrahydromethanopterin formyltransferase in methanogenesis from carbon dioxide. J Biol Chem 261: 16653–16659
Ellefson WL, Whitman WB, Wolfe RS (1982) Nickel-containing factor F430: chromophore of the methylreductase of Methanobacterium. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79: 3707–3710
Ellermann J, Hedderich R, Böcher R, Thauer RK (1988) The final step in methane formation. Investigations with highly purified methyl-CoM reductase (component C) from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (strain Marburg). Eur J Biochem 172: 669–677
Ellermann J, Rospert S, Thauer RK, Bokranz M, Klein A, Voges M, Berkesset A (1989) Methyl-coenzyme-M reductase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (strain Marburg). Purity, activity and novel inhibitors. Eur J Biochem 184: 63–68
Fischer R, Thauer RK (1989) Methyltetrahydromethanopterin as an intermediate in methanogenesis from acetate in Methanosarcina barkeri. Arch Microbiol 151: 459–465
Hartzell PL, Wolfe RS (1986) Comparative studies of component C from the methylreductase system of different methanogens. Syst Appl Microbiol 7: 376–382
Hartzell PL, Zvilius G, Escalante-Semerena JC, Donnelly MI (1985) Coenzyme F420 dependence of the methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase of Methanobacteriumthermoautotrophicum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 133: 884–890
Hedderich R, Berkessel A, Thauer RK (1989) Catalytic properties of the heterodisulfide reductase involved in the final step of methanogenesis. FEBS Lett 255: 67–71
Hedderich R, Berkessel A, Thauer RK (1990) Purification and properties of heterodisulfide (CoM-S-S-HTP) reductase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (strain Marburg). Eur J Biochem 193: 255–261
Hippe H, Caspari D, Fiebig K, Gottschalk G (1979) Utilization of trimethylamine and other N-methyl compounds for growth and methane formation by Methanosarcina barkeri. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76: 494–498
Huser BA, Wuhrmann K, Zehnder AJB (1982) Methanothrix soehngenii gen. nov. sp. nov., a new acetotrophic non-hydrogenoxidizing methane bacterium. Arch Microbiol 132: 1–9
Jablonski PE, DiMarco AA, Bobik TA, Cabell MC, Ferry JG (1990) Protein content and enzyme activities in methanol-and acetategrown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol 172: 1271–1275
Jetten MSM, Stams AJM, Zehnder AJB (1989a) Purification and characterization of an oxygen-stable carbon monoxide dehydrogenase of Methanothrix soehngenii. Eur J Biochem 181: 437–441
Jetten MSM, Stams AJM, Zehnder AJB (1989b) Isolation and characterization of acetyl-coenzyme A synthase from Methanotrix soehngenii. J Bacteriol 171: 5430–5435
Jetten MSM, Stams AJM, Zehnder AJB (1990) Purification and some properties of the methy-CoM reductase of Methanothrix soehngenii. FEMS Microbiol Lett 66: 183–186
Kandler O, Hippe H (1977) Lack of peptidoglycan in the cell walls of Methanosarcina barkeri. Arch Microbiol 113: 57–60
Karrasch M, Bott M, Thauer RK (1989a) Carbonic anhydrase activity in acetate grown Methanosarcina barkeri. Arch Microbiol 151: 137–142
Karrasch M, Börner G, Enßle M, Thauer RK (1989b) Formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase from methanogenic bacteria, a molybdoenzyme. FEBS Lett 253: 226–230
Karrasch M, Börner G, Enßle M, Thauer RK (1990a) The molybdoenzyme formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase from Methanosarcina barkeri contains a pterin cofactor. Eur J Biochem 194: 367–372
Karrasch M, Börner G, Thauer RK (1990b) The molybdenum cofactor of formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase from Methanosarcina barkeri is a molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide. FEBS Lett 274: 48–52
Konheiser U, Pasti G, Bollschweiler C, Klein A (1984) Physical mapping of genes coding for two subunits of methyl-CoM reductase component C of Methanococcus voltae. Mol Gen Gen 198: 146–152
Krzycki JA, Mortenson LE, Prince RC (1989) Paramagnetic centers of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from aceticlastic Methanosarcina barkeri. J Biol Chem 264: 7217–7221
Ma K, Thauer RK (1990a) Purification and properties of N5, N10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase from Methanobaterium thermoautotrophicum (strain Marburg). Eur J Biochem 191: 187–193
Ma K, Thauer RK (1990b) Single step purification of methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum by specific binding to Blue Sepharose CL-6B. FEBS Lett 268: 59–62
Ma K, Thauer RK (1990c) N5, N10-Methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase from Methanosarcina barkeri. FEMS Microbiol Lett 70: 119–124
Mahlmann A, Deppenmeier U, Gottschalk G (1989) Methanofuran-b is required for CO2 formation from formaldehyde by Methanosarcina barkeri. FEMS Microbiol Lett 61: 115–120
Miller TL, Wolin MJ (1985) Methanosphaera stadtmaniee gen. nov., sp. nov.: a species that forms methane by reducing methanol with hydrogen. Arch Microbiol 141: 116–122
Moura I, Moura JJG, Santos H, Xavier AV, Burch G, Peck HDJr, LeGall J (1983) Proteins containing the factor F430 from Methanosarcina barkeri and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Isolation and properties. Biochim Biophys Acta 742: 84–90
Mukhopadhyay B, Daniels L (1989) Aerobic purification of N5, N10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase, separated from N5, N10-methenyltetrahydromethanopterin cyclohydrolase, from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum strain Marburg. Can J Microbiol 35: 499–507
Pfaltz A, Kobelt A, Hüster R, Thauer RK (1987) Biosynthesis of coenzyme F430 in methanogenic bacteria. Identification of 15,173-seco-F430-173-acid as an intermediate. Eur J Biochem 170: 459–467
Rospert S, Linder D, Ellermann J, Thauer RK (1990) Two genetically distinct methyl-coenzyme M reductases in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum strain Marburg and △H. Eur J Biochem 194: 871–877
Rouvière PE, Wolfe RES (1987) Use of subunits of the methylreductase protein for taxonomy of methanogenic bacteria. Arch Microbiol 148: 253–259
Schönheit P, Moll J, Thauer RK (1980) Growth parameters (Ks, μmax, Ys) of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Arch Microbiol 127: 59–65
Smith PK, Krohn RI, Hermanson GT, Mallia AK, Gartner FH, Provenzano MD, Fujimoto EK, Goeke NM, Olson BJ, Klenk DC (1985) Measurement of protein using bicinchoninic acid. Anal Biochem 150: 76–85
te Brömmelstroet BW, Hensgens CMH, Keltjens JT, Drift C van der, Vogels GD (1990) Purification and properties of 5,10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase, a coenzyme F420-dependent enzyme, from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum strain △H. J Biol Chem 265: 1852–1857
Thauer RK (1990) Energy metabolism of methanogenic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 1018: 256–259
Thauer RK, Möller-Zinkhan D, Spormann AM (1989) Biochemistry of acetate catabolism in anaerobic chemotrophic bacteria. Ann Rev Microbiol 43: 43–67
Weimer PJ, Zeikus JG (1978a) Acetate metabolism in Methanosarcina barkeri. Arch Microbiol 119: 175–182
Weimer PJ, Zeikus JG (1978b) One carbon metabolism in methanogenic bacteria. Arch Microbiol 119: 49–57
White RH (1988) Structural diversity among methanofurans from different methanogenic bacteria. J Bacteriol 170: 4594–4597
Whitman WB, Ankwanda E, Wolfe RS (1982) Nutrition and carbon metabolism of Methanococcus volate. J Bacteriol 149: 852–863
Widdel F (1986) Growth of methanogenic bacteria in pure culture with 2-propanol and other alcohols as hydrogen donors. Appl Environ Microbiol 51: 1056–1062
Widdel F, Rouvière PE, Wolfe RS (1988) Classification of secondary alcohol-utilizing methanogens including a new thermophilic isolate. Arch Microbiol 150: 477–481
Winter J, Lerp C, Zabel H-P, Wildenauer FX, König H, Schindler F (1984) Methanobacterium wolfei, sp. nov., a new tungstenrequiring, thermophilic, autotrophic methanogen. Syst Appl Microbiol 5: 457–466
Woese CR (1987) Bacterial evolution. Microbiol Rev 51: 221–271
Zehnder AJB, Wuhrmann K (1977) Physiology of a Methanobacterium strain AZ. Arch Microbiol 111: 199–205
Zeikus JG, Wolfe RS (1972) Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum sp. n., an anaerobic, autotrophic, extreme thermophile. J Bacteriol 109: 707–713
Zirngibl C, Hedderich R, Thauer RK (1990) N5, N10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum has hydrogenase activity. FEBS Lett 261: 112–116
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schwörer, B., Thauer, R.K. Activities of formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase, methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase, methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase, and heterodisulfide reductase in methanogenic bacteria. Arch. Microbiol. 155, 459–465 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00244962
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00244962