Abstract
The electron donor (component B) to the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase system from Methanosarcina thermophila was isolated as the 7-methyl derivative and characterized. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and 1H NMR analyses identified this derivative as 7-methylthioheptanoylthreonine phosphate (CH3-S-HTP), indicating that the original component B had the same structure (HS-HTP) as previously determined for component B from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. The heterodisulfide of HS-HTP and coenzyme M (HS-CoM, 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate) was enzymatically reduced in cell extracts using electrons supplied by either H2 or CO, confirming that HS-HTP was a functional molecule in M. thermophila.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbanat DR, Ferry JG (1991) Resolution of component proteins in an enzyme complex from Methanosarcina thermophila catalyzing the synthesis or cleavage of acetyl-CoA. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88: 3272–3276
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
Deppenmeier U, Blaut M, Gottschalk G (1991) H2: heterodisulfide oxidoreductase, a second-energy-conserving system in the methanogenic strain Gö1. Arch Microbiol 155: 272–277
DiMarco AA, Bobik TA, Wolfe RS (1990) Unusual coenzymes of methanogenesis. Annu Rev Biochem 59: 355–394
Ellman GL (1958) A colorimetric method for determining low concentrations of mercaptans. Arch Biochem Biophys 74: 443 to 450
Fischer R, Thauer RK (1990) Ferredoxin-dependent methane formation from acetate in cell extracts of Methanosarcina barkeri (strain MS). FEBS Lett 269: 368–372
Hedderich R, Thauer RK (1988) Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum contains a soluble enzyme system that specifically catalyzes the reduction of the heterodisulfide of coenzyme M and 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate with H2. FEBS Lett 234: 223–227
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
Jablonski PE, Ferry JG (1991) Purification and properties of methyl coenzyme M methylreductase from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol 173: 2481–2487
Keltjens JT, Kraft HJ, Damen WG, van derDrift C, Vogels GD (1989) Stimulation of the methylcoenzyme M reduction by uridine-5′-diphospho-sugars in cell-free extracts of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (strain ΔH). Eur J Biochem 184: 395–403
König H, Kandler O, Hammes W (1989) Biosynthesis of pseudomurein: isolation of putative precursors from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Can J Microbiol 35: 176–181
Lin X-L, White RH (1986) Occurrence of coenzyme F420 and its γ-monoglutamyl derivative in non-methanogenic archaebacteria. J Bacteriol 168: 444–448
Nelson MJK, Ferry JG (1984) Carbon monoxide-dependent methyl coenzyme M methylreductase in acetotrophic Methanosarcina spp. J Bacteriol 160: 526–532
Noll KM, Rinehart KL Jr, Tanner RS, Wolfe RS (1986) Structure of component B (7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate) of the methylcoenzyme M methylreductase system of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 4238–4242
Noll KM, Donnelly MI, Wolfe RS (1987) Synthesis of 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate and its activity in the methylcoenzyme M methylreductase system. J Biol Chem 262: 513–515
Raemakers-Franken PC, Voncken FGJ, Korteland J, Keltjens JT, van derDrift C, Vogels GD (1989) Structural characterization of tatiopterin, a novel pterin isolated from Methanogenium tationis. Biofactors 2: 117–122
Raemakers-Franken PC, Bongaerts R, Fokkens R, van derDrift C, and Vogels GD (1991a) Characterization of two protein derivatives isolated from Methanoculleus thermophilicum. Eur J Biochem 200: 783–787
Raemakers-Franken PC, vanElderen CHM, van derDrift C, Vogels GD (1991b) Identification of a novel tatiopterin derivative in Methanogenium tationis. Biofactors 3: 127–130
Sauer FD, Blackwell BA, Kramer JKG, Marsden BJ (1990) Structure of a novel cofactor containing N-(7-mercaptoheptanoyl)-O-3-phosphothreonine. Biochemistry 29: 7593–7600
Sowers KR, Nelson MJ, Ferry JG (1984) Growth of acetotrophic, methane-producing bacteria in a pH auxostat. Curr Microbiol 11: 227–230
Terlesky KC, Nelson MJK, Ferry JG (1986) Isolation of an enzyme complex with carbon monoxide dehydrogenase activity containing corrinoid and nickel from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol 168: 1053–1058
VanBeelen P, Geerts WJ, Pol A, Vogels GD (1983) Quantification of coenzymes and related compounds from methanogenic bacteria by high-performance liquid chromatography. Anal Biochem 131: 285–290
VanBeelen P, Labro JFA, Keltjens JT, Geerts WJ, Vogels GD, Laarhoven WH, Guijt W, Haasnoot CAG (1984a) Derivatives of methanopterin, a coenzyme involved in methanogenesis. Eur J Biochem 139: 359–365
VanBeelen P, Stassen APM, Bosch JWG, Vogels GD, Guijt, Haasnoot CAG (1984b) Elucidation of the structure of methanopterin, a coenzyme from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, using two-dimensional nuclear-magnetic-resonance techniques. Eur J Biochem 138: 563–571
White RH (1988) Structural diversity among methanofurans from different methanogenic bacteria. J Bacteriol 170: 4594–4597
White RH (1989) Biosynthesis of the 7-mercaptoheptanoic acid subunit of component B (7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate) of methanogenic bacteria. Biochemistry 28: 860–865
White RH (1991) Distribution of folates and modified folates in extremely thermophilic bacteria. J Bacteriol 173: 1987–1991
Woese CR, Kandler O, Wheelis ML (1990) Towards a natural system of organisms: proposal for the domains Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87: 4576–4579
Zinder SH, Sowers KR, Ferry JG (1985) Methanosarcina thermophila sp. nov., a thermophilic, acetotrophic, methaneproducing bacterium. Int J Syst Bacteriol 35: 522–523
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clements, A.P., White, R.H. & Ferry, J.G. Structural characterization and physiological function of component B from Methanosarcina thermophila . Arch. Microbiol. 159, 296–300 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248487
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248487