Abstract
Methane formation from acetate in cell suspensions of Methanosarcina barkeri was inhibited by low concentrations (5 μM) of propyl iodide. Inhibition was abolished by short exposure of the suspension to light which strongly indicates that a corrinoid enzyme is involved in methanogenesis from acetate. Propyl iodide (5μM) had no effect on the exchange reaction between the carboxyl group of acetate and 14CO2, and on methane formation from methanol, from H2 and methanol, or from H2 and CO2. These findings indicate that the proposed corrinoid enzyme has a role in methyl group transfer to coenzyme M after C-C cleavage of acetate.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum J, Woese CR, Wolfe RS (1979) Methanogens: Reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 43:260–296
Blaut M, Gottschalk G (1982) Effect of trimethylamine on acetate utilization by Methanosarcina barkeri. Arch Microbiol 133: 230–235
Blaut M, Gottschalk G (1984) Coupling of ATP synthesis and methane formation from methanol and molecular hydrogen in Methanosarcina barkeri. Eur J Biochem 141:217–222
Bode C, Goebell H, Stähler E (1968) Zur Eliminierung von Trübungsfehlern bei der Eiweißbestimmung mit der Biuretmethode. Z Klin Chem Klin Biochem 5:419–422
Brot N, Weissbach H (1965) Enzymatic synthesis of methionine. Chemical alkylation of the enzyme-bound cobamide. J Biol Chem 240:3064–3070
Buswell AM, Sollo Jr FW (1948) The mechanism of the methane fermentation. J Am Chem Soc 70:1778–1790
Diekert G, Fuchs G, Thauer RK (1985) Properties and function of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from anaerobic bacteria. In: Microbial gas metabolism. Society for General Microbiology (in press)
Eikmanns B, Thauer RK (1984) Catalysis of an isotopic exchange between CO2 and the carboxyl group of acetate by Methanosarcina barkeri grown on acetate. Arch Microbiol 138:365–370
Ghambeer RK, Wood HG, Schulman M, Ljungdahl L (1971) Total synthesis of acetate from CO2. III. Inhibition by alkylhalides of the synthesis from CO2, methyltetrahydrofolate and methyl-B12 by Clostridium thermoaceticum. Arch Biochem Biophys 143:471–484
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
Höllriegl V, Scherer P, Renz P (1983) Isolation and characterization of the Co-methyl and Co-aquo derivative of 5-hydroxybenzimidazolylcobamide (factor III) from Methanosarcina barkeri grown on methanol. FEBS Lett 151:156–158
Holder U, Schmidt D-E, Stupperich E, Fuchs G (1985) Autotrophic synthesis of activated acetic acid from two CO2 in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. III. Evidence for common one-carbon precursor pool and the role of corrinoid. Arch Microbiol 141:229–238
Hu SI, Pezacka E, Wood HG (1984) Acetate synthesis from Carbon monoxide by Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Biol Chem 259:8892–8897
Huser BA, Wuhrmann K, Zehnder AJB (1982) Methanothrix soehngenii gen. nov. sp. nov., a new acetotrophic non-hydrogen-oxidizing methane bacterium. Arch Microbiol 132:1–9
Kenealy WR, Zeikus JG (1981) Influence of corrinoid antagonists on methanogen metabolism. J Bacteriol 146:133–140
Kenealy WR, Zeikus JG (1982) One-carbon metabolism in methanogens: Evidence for synthesis of a two-carbon cellular intermediate and unification of catabolism and anabolism in Methanosarcina barkeri. J Bacteriol 151:932–941
Kohler H-PE, Zehnder AJB (1984) Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and acetate thiokinase in Methanothrix soehngenii. FEMS Microbiol Lett 21:287–292
Krzycki J, Zeikus JG (1980) Quantification of corrinoids in methanogenic bacteria. Curr Microbiol 3:243–245
Krzycki JA, Zeikus JG (1984) Characterization and purification of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Methanosarcina barkeri. J Bacteriol 158:231–237
Lovley DR, White RH, Ferry JG (1984) Identification of methyl Coenzyme M as an intermediate in methanogenesis from acetate in Methanosarcina spp. J Bacteriol 160:521–525
Mah RA, Kuhn DA (1984a) Rejection of the type species Methanosarcina methanica (approved lists 1980), conservation of the genus Methanosarcina with Methanosarcina barkeri (approved lists 1980) as the type species, and emendation of the genus Methanosarcina. Int J Syst Bacteriol 34:266–267
Mah RA, Kuhn DA (1984b) Transfer of the type species of the genus Methanococcus to the genus Methanosarcina, naming it Methanosarcina mazei (Barker 1936) comb. nov. et emend, and conservation of the genus Methanococcus (approved lists 1980) with Methanococcus vannielli (approved lists 1980) as the type species. Int J Syst Bacteriol 34:263–265
McBride BC, Wolfe RS (1971) A new coenzyme of methyl transfer, coenzyme M. Biochemistry 10:2317–2324
Meijden P van der, Jansen LPJM, Drift C van der, Vogels GD (1983a) Involvement of corrinoids in the methylation of coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid) by methanol and enzymes from Methanosarcina barkeri. FEMS Microbiol Lett 19:247–251
Meijden P van der, Heythuysen HJ, Pouwels A, Houwen F, Drift C van der, Vogels GD (1983b) Methyltransferases involved in methanol conversion by Methanosarcina barkeri. Arch Microbiol 134:238–242
Patel GB (1984) Characterization and nutritional properties of Methanothrix concilii sp, nov., a mesophilic, aceticlastic methanogen. Can J Microbiol 30:1383–1396
Pine MJ, Barker HA (1956) Studies on the methane fermentation. XII. The pathway of hydrogen in the acetate fermentation. J Bacteriol 71:644–648
Pol A, Drift C van der, Vogels GD (1982) Corrinoids from Methanosarcina barkeri: structure of the α-ligand. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 108:731–737
Pol A, Gage RA, Neis JM, Reijnen JWM, Drift C van der, Vogels GD (1984) Corrinoids from Methanosarcina barkeri. The β-ligands. Biochim Biophys Acta 797:83–93
Scherer P, Sahm H (1979) Züchtung von Methanosarcina barkeri auf Methanol oder Acetate in einem definierten Medium. In: Dellweg H (ed) Technische Mikrobiologie, Viertes Symposium. Verlag Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Spiritusfabrikation und Fermentationstechnologie im Institut für Gärungsgewerbe und Biotechnologie, Berlin
Schönheit P, Moll J, Thauer RK (1980) Growth parameters (K s, μmax, Y s) of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Arch Microbiol 127:59–65
Shapiro S, Wolfe RS (1980) Methyl-coenzyme M, an intermediate in methanogenic dissimilation of C1 compounds by Methanosarcina barkeri. J Bacteriol 141:728–734
Stadtman TC, Barker HA (1949) Studies on the methane fermentation. VII. Tracer experiments on the mechanism of methane formation. J Biochem 21:256–264
Taylor CD, Wolfe RS (1974) Structure and methylation of coenzyme M (HSCH2CH2SO3). J Biol Chem 249:4879–4885
Taylor RT Whitefield C, Weissbach H (1968) Chemical propylation of vitamin B12 transmethylase: anomalous behaviour of S-adenosyl-L-methionine. Arch Biochem Biophys 125:240–252
Wood JM, Wolfe RS (1966) Alkylation of an enzyme in the methane-forming system of Methanobacillus omelianskii. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 22:119–123
Wood JM, Moura I, Moura JJG, Santos MH, Xavier AV, LeGall J, Scandellari M (1982) Role of vitamin B12 in methyl transfer for methane biosynthesis by Methanosarcina barkeri. Science 216:303–305
Zeikus JG (1983) Metabolism of one-carbon compounds by chemotrophic anaerobes. Adv Microb Physiol 24:215–299
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Professor N. Pfennig on the occasion of his 60th birthday
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eikmanns, B., Thauer, R.K. Evidence for the involvement and role of a corrinoid enzyme in methane formation from acetate in Methanosarcina barkeri . Arch. Microbiol. 142, 175–179 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447063
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447063