Sodium ions and an energized membrane required by Methanosarcina barkeri for the oxidation of methanol to the level of formaldehyde

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · J. Bacteriol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5319088

Blaut, M; Mueller, V; Fiebig, K; Gottschalk, G

Methanogenesis from methanol by cell suspensions of Methanosarcina barkeri was inhibited by the uncoupler tetrachlorosalicylanilide. This inhibition was reversed by the addition of formaldehyde. /sup 14/C labeling experiments revealed that methanol served exclusively as the electron acceptor, whereas formaldehyde was mainly oxidized to CO/sub 2/ under these conditions. These data support the hypothesis that the first step in methanol oxidation depends on the proton motive force or a product thereof. Cell extracts of M. barkeri converted methanol and formaldehyde to methane under an H/sub 2/ atmosphere. Under an N/sub 2/ atmosphere, however, formaldehyde was disproportionated to CH/sub 4/ and CO/sub 2/, whereas methanol was metabolized to a very small extent only, irrespective of the presence of ATP. It was concluded that cell extracts of M. barkeri are not able to oxidize methanol. In further experiments, the sodium dependence of methanogenesis and ATP information by whole cells was investigated. Methane formation from methanol alone and the corresponding increase in the intracellular ATP content were strictly dependent on Na/sup +/. If, in contrast, methanol was utilized together with H/sub 2/, methane and ATP were synthesized in the absence of Na/sup +/. From these experiments, it is concluded that in M. barkeri, Na/sup +/ is involved not in the process of ATP synthesis but in the first step of methanol oxidation.

• Research Organization: Universitaet Goettingen, West Germany
• OSTI ID: 5319088
• Journal Information: J. Bacteriol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Bacteriol.; (United States) Vol. 164:1; ISSN JOBAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ATP
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CATIONS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
FORMALDEHYDE
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MEMBRANES
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
METHANOL
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
SODIUM COMPOUNDS