Structure and regulation of methanogen genes: Progress report, March 1, 1988--February 15, 1989
The goals of this project were initially to obtain the primary structures of several cloned methanogen genes and subsequently to determine the mechanism(s) by which these genes are transcribed and how their expression is regulated. Studies have focused on both housekeeping genes encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of amino acids (hisA, hisI, argG) and purines (purE) and on methane genes (mcrBDCGA; mvhDGAB) which encode enzymes (methyl coenzyme M reductase, methyl viologen-reducing hydrogenase) directly involved in the biosynthesis of methane. DNA-dependent-RNA-polymerases (RNAPs) have been purified from Methanococcus vannielii and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and used in DNA-binding and footprinting studies to identify promoter sequences. Sites of transcription initiation in vivo have been shown to correlate well with the sites identified in vitro as RNAP binding sites. The mcr and mvh gene clusters contain open-reading frames (ORFs) which presumably encode polypeptides important in methyl reduction (mcrD and mcrC) and hydrogenase (mvhB) activity, which have yet to be identified in methanogenic cells. The mvhB gene appears to encode a new type of electron-transport protein, a poly-ferredoxin. 18 refs., 1 fig.
- Research Organization:
- Ohio State Univ., Columbus (USA). Dept. of Microbiology
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-87ER13731
- OSTI ID:
- 6378777
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/13731-T2; ON: DE89008268
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
GENE REGULATION
AMINO ACIDS
CLONING
ENZYMES
GENES
HYDROGENASES
METHANE
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PROGRESS REPORT
PROMOTERS
PURINES
TRANSCRIPTION
ALKANES
AROMATICS
AZAARENES
BACTERIA
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DOCUMENT TYPES
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
090122* - Hydrocarbon Fuels- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass- (1976-1989)
550200 - Biochemistry
550400 - Genetics