Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1992 Sep;174(17):5489–5495. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.17.5489-5495.1992

Methane from acetate.

J G Ferry 1
PMCID: PMC206491  PMID: 1512186

Abstract

The general features are known for the pathway by which most methane is produced in nature. All acetate-utilizing methanogenic microorganisms contain CODH which catalyzes the cleavage of acetyl-CoA; however, the pathway differs from all other acetate-utilizing anaerobes in that the methyl group is reduced to methane with electrons derived from oxidation of the carbonyl group of acetyl-CoA to CO2. The current understanding of the methanogenic fermentation of acetate provides impressions of nature's novel solutions to problems of methyl transfer, electron transport, and energy conservation. The pathway is now at a level of understanding that will permit productive investigations of these and other interesting questions in the near future.

Full text

PDF
5489

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abbanat D. R., Ferry J. G. Resolution of component proteins in an enzyme complex from Methanosarcina thermophila catalyzing the synthesis or cleavage of acetyl-CoA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Apr 15;88(8):3272–3276. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.8.3272. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Abbanat D. R., Ferry J. G. Synthesis of acetyl coenzyme A by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complex from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol. 1990 Dec;172(12):7145–7150. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.12.7145-7150.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Aceti D. J., Ferry J. G. Purification and characterization of acetate kinase from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. Evidence for regulation of synthesis. J Biol Chem. 1988 Oct 25;263(30):15444–15448. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bott M., Thauer R. K. Proton translocation coupled to the oxidation of carbon monoxide to CO2 and H2 in Methanosarcina barkeri. Eur J Biochem. 1989 Feb 1;179(2):469–472. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1989.tb14576.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cao X. J., Krzycki J. A. Acetate-dependent methylation of two corrinoid proteins in extracts of Methanosarcina barkeri. J Bacteriol. 1991 Sep;173(17):5439–5448. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.17.5439-5448.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clements A. P., Ferry J. G. Cloning, nucleotide sequence, and transcriptional analyses of the gene encoding a ferredoxin from Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol. 1992 Aug;174(16):5244–5250. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.16.5244-5250.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DiMarco A. A., Bobik T. A., Wolfe R. S. Unusual coenzymes of methanogenesis. Annu Rev Biochem. 1990;59:355–394. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.59.070190.002035. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Eggen R. I., Geerling A. C., Boshoven A. B., de Vos W. M. Cloning, sequence analysis, and functional expression of the acetyl coenzyme A synthetase gene from Methanothrix soehngenii in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1991 Oct;173(20):6383–6389. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.20.6383-6389.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Eggen R. I., Geerling A. C., Jetten M. S., de Vos W. M. Cloning, expression, and sequence analysis of the genes for carbon monoxide dehydrogenase of Methanothrix soehngenii. J Biol Chem. 1991 Apr 15;266(11):6883–6887. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fischer R., Thauer R. K. Ferredoxin-dependent methane formation from acetate in cell extracts of Methanosarcina barkeri (strain MS). FEBS Lett. 1990 Sep 3;269(2):368–372. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(90)81195-t. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Grahame D. A. Catalysis of acetyl-CoA cleavage and tetrahydrosarcinapterin methylation by a carbon monoxide dehydrogenase-corrinoid enzyme complex. J Biol Chem. 1991 Nov 25;266(33):22227–22233. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Grahame D. A. Different isozymes of methylcobalamin:2-mercaptoethanesulfonate methyltransferase predominate in methanol- versus acetate-grown Methanosarcina barkeri. J Biol Chem. 1989 Aug 5;264(22):12890–12894. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Grahame D. A., Stadtman T. C. Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Methanosarcina barkeri. Disaggregation, purification, and physicochemical properties of the enzyme. J Biol Chem. 1987 Mar 15;262(8):3706–3712. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Grahame D. A., Stadtman T. C. In vitro methane and methyl coenzyme M formation from acetate: evidence that acetyl-CoA is the required intermediate activated form of acetate. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1987 Aug 31;147(1):254–258. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(87)80114-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Harder S. R., Lu W. P., Feinberg B. A., Ragsdale S. W. Spectroelectrochemical studies of the corrinoid/iron-sulfur protein involved in acetyl coenzyme A synthesis by Clostridium thermoaceticum. Biochemistry. 1989 Nov 14;28(23):9080–9087. doi: 10.1021/bi00449a019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hausner W., Frey G., Thomm M. Control regions of an archaeal gene. A TATA box and an initiator element promote cell-free transcription of the tRNA(Val) gene of Methanococcus vannielii. J Mol Biol. 1991 Dec 5;222(3):495–508. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(91)90492-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Jablonski P. E., DiMarco A. A., Bobik T. A., Cabell M. C., Ferry J. G. Protein content and enzyme activities in methanol- and acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol. 1990 Mar;172(3):1271–1275. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.3.1271-1275.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Jablonski P. E., Ferry J. G. Purification and properties of methyl coenzyme M methylreductase from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol. 1991 Apr;173(8):2481–2487. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.8.2481-2487.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Jetten M. S., Hagen W. R., Pierik A. J., Stams A. J., Zehnder A. J. Paramagnetic centers and acetyl-coenzyme A/CO exchange activity of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Methanothrix soehngenii. Eur J Biochem. 1991 Jan 30;195(2):385–391. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1991.tb15717.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Jetten M. S., Pierik A. J., Hagen W. R. EPR characterization of a high-spin system in carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Methanothrix soehngenii. Eur J Biochem. 1991 Dec 18;202(3):1291–1297. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1991.tb16502.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Jetten M. S., Stams A. J., Zehnder A. J. Isolation and characterization of acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase from Methanothrix soehngenii. J Bacteriol. 1989 Oct;171(10):5430–5435. doi: 10.1128/jb.171.10.5430-5435.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Jetten M. S., Stams A. J., Zehnder A. J. Purification and characterization of an oxygen-stable carbon monoxide dehydrogenase of Methanothrix soehngenii. Eur J Biochem. 1989 May 1;181(2):437–441. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1989.tb14744.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Jones W. J., Nagle D. P., Jr, Whitman W. B. Methanogens and the diversity of archaebacteria. Microbiol Rev. 1987 Mar;51(1):135–177. doi: 10.1128/mr.51.1.135-177.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Krzycki J. A., Mortenson L. E., Prince R. C. Paramagnetic centers of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from aceticlastic Methanosarcina barkeri. J Biol Chem. 1989 May 5;264(13):7217–7221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Ladapo J., Whitman W. B. Method for isolation of auxotrophs in the methanogenic archaebacteria: role of the acetyl-CoA pathway of autotrophic CO2 fixation in Methanococcus maripaludis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Aug;87(15):5598–5602. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.15.5598. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Lindahl P. A., Münck E., Ragsdale S. W. CO dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum. EPR and electrochemical studies in CO2 and argon atmospheres. J Biol Chem. 1990 Mar 5;265(7):3873–3879. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Lindahl P. A., Ragsdale S. W., Münck E. Mössbauer study of CO dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Biol Chem. 1990 Mar 5;265(7):3880–3888. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Lu W. P., Harder S. R., Ragsdale S. W. Controlled potential enzymology of methyl transfer reactions involved in acetyl-CoA synthesis by CO dehydrogenase and the corrinoid/iron-sulfur protein from Clostridium thermoaceticum. J Biol Chem. 1990 Feb 25;265(6):3124–3133. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Lu W. P., Ragsdale S. W. Reductive activation of the coenzyme A/acetyl-CoA isotopic exchange reaction catalyzed by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum and its inhibition by nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide. J Biol Chem. 1991 Feb 25;266(6):3554–3564. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Lundie L. L., Jr, Ferry J. G. Activation of acetate by Methanosarcina thermophila. Purification and characterization of phosphotransacetylase. J Biol Chem. 1989 Nov 5;264(31):18392–18396. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Peinemann S., Müller V., Blaut M., Gottschalk G. Bioenergetics of methanogenesis from acetate by Methanosarcina barkeri. J Bacteriol. 1988 Mar;170(3):1369–1372. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.3.1369-1372.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Raybuck S. A., Ramer S. E., Abbanat D. R., Peters J. W., Orme-Johnson W. H., Ferry J. G., Walsh C. T. Demonstration of carbon-carbon bond cleavage of acetyl coenzyme A by using isotopic exchange catalyzed by the CO dehydrogenase complex from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Bacteriol. 1991 Jan;173(2):929–932. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.2.929-932.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Terlesky K. C., Barber M. J., Aceti D. J., Ferry J. G. EPR properties of the Ni-Fe-C center in an enzyme complex with carbon monoxide dehydrogenase activity from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. Evidence that acetyl-CoA is a physiological substrate. J Biol Chem. 1987 Nov 15;262(32):15392–15395. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Terlesky K. C., Ferry J. G. Ferredoxin requirement for electron transport from the carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complex to a membrane-bound hydrogenase in acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Biol Chem. 1988 Mar 25;263(9):4075–4079. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Terlesky K. C., Ferry J. G. Purification and characterization of a ferredoxin from acetate-grown Methanosarcina thermophila. J Biol Chem. 1988 Mar 25;263(9):4080–4082. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Thauer R. K., Möller-Zinkhan D., Spormann A. M. Biochemistry of acetate catabolism in anaerobic chemotrophic bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1989;43:43–67. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.43.100189.000355. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Woese C. R., Kandler O., Wheelis M. L. Towards a natural system of organisms: proposal for the domains Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Jun;87(12):4576–4579. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.12.4576. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES