Physiological importance of the heterodisulfide of coenzyme M and 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate in the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane in Methanobacterium

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.85.1.60· OSTI ID:6470042

Bobik, T A; Wolfe, R S

The heterodisulfide of the two coenzymes 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (coenzyme M, HS-CoM) and N-(7-mercaptoheptanoyl)threonine O/sup 3/-phosphate (HS-HTP) increased the rate of CO/sub 2/ reduction to methane by cell extracts 42-fold. The stimulation resulted from activation of the initial step of methanogenesis, the production of formylmethanofuran from methanofuran and CO/sub 2/. These results establish a role for this heterodisulfide (CoM-S-S-HTP) in the reduction of CO/sub 2/ to formylmethanofuran. Evidence indicates that CoM-S-S-HTP is the labile intermediate that accounts for the coupling of the reduction of 2-(methylthio)ethanesulfonic acid by the methylreductase to formylmethanofuran biosynthesis, the RPG effect. The heterodisulfide was found to be labile in cell extracts due to enzyme-catalyzed reduction and possibly thiol-disulfide exchange.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Illinois, Urbana (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-87ER13651
• OSTI ID: 6470042
• Journal Information: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Vol. 85:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
REDUCTION
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
BIOCHEMISTRY
SULFIDES
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
COENZYMES
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
METHANE
ALKANES
BACTERIA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
HYDROCARBONS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques