Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1987 Jul;169(7):3076–3081. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.7.3076-3081.1987

Substitution of Co alpha-(5-hydroxybenzimidazolyl)cobamide (factor III) by vitamin B12 in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum.

E Stupperich, I Steiner, H J Eisinger
PMCID: PMC212351  PMID: 3597318

Abstract

Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum grown on mineral medium contains 120 nmol of Co alpha-(5-hydroxybenzimidazolyl)cobamides (derivatives of factor III) per g of dry cell mass as the sole cobamide. The bacterium assimilated several corrinoids and benzimidazole bases during autotrophic growth. The corrinoids were converted into factor III; however, after three transfers in 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (200 microM)-supplemented mineral medium, derivatives of factor III were completely replaced by derivatives of vitamin B12, which is atypical for methanogens. The total cobamide content of these cells and their growth rate were not affected compared with factor III-containing cells. Therefore, the high cobamide content rather than a particular type of cobamide is required for metabolism of methanogens. Derivatives of factor III are not essential cofactors of cobamide-containing enzymes from methanogenic bacteria, but they are the result of a unique biosynthetic ability of these archaebacteria. The cobamide biosynthesis include unspecific enzymes, which made it possible either to convert non-species-derived corrinoids into derivatives of factor III or to synthesize other types of cobamides than factor III. The cobamide biosynthesis is regulated by its end product. In addition, the uptake of extracellular cobamides is controlled, and the assimilated corrinoids regulate cellular cobamide biosynthesis.

Full text

PDF
3076

Selected References

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

  1. Ankel-Fuchs D., Thauer R. K. Methane formation from methyl-coenzyme M in a system containing methyl-coenzyme M reductase, component B and reduced cobalamin. Eur J Biochem. 1986 Apr 1;156(1):171–177. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1986.tb09563.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BARBIERI P., BORETTI G., DI MARCO A., MIGLIACCI A., SPALLA C. Further observations on the biosynthesis of vitamin B12 in Nocardia rugosa. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1962 Mar 12;57:599–600. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(62)91170-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bakker E. P., Rottenberg H., Caplan S. R. An estimation of the light-induced electrochemical potential difference of protons across the membrane of Halobacterium halobium. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1976 Sep 13;440(3):557–572. doi: 10.1016/0005-2728(76)90042-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Balch W. E., Fox G. E., Magrum L. J., Woese C. R., Wolfe R. S. Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev. 1979 Jun;43(2):260–296. doi: 10.1128/mr.43.2.260-296.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bradbeer C., Reynolds P. R., Bauler G. M., Fernandez M. T. A requirement for calcium in the transport of cobalamin across the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1986 Feb 25;261(6):2520–2523. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Diekert G., Jaenchen R., Thauer R. K. Biosynthetic evidence for a nickel tetrapyrrole structure of factor F430 from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. FEBS Lett. 1980 Sep 22;119(1):118–120. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(80)81011-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hörig J. A., Renz P. Biosynthesis of vitamin B12. Some properties of the 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole-forming system of Propionibacterium freudenreichii and Propionibacterium shermanii. Eur J Biochem. 1980 Apr;105(3):587–592. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1980.tb04536.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kräutler B., Moll J., Thauer R. K. The corrinoid from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (Marburg strain). Spectroscopic structure analysis and identification as Co beta-cyano-5'-hydroxybenzimidazolyl-cobamide (factor III). Eur J Biochem. 1987 Jan 15;162(2):275–278. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1987.tb10596.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. PERLMAN D. Microbial synthesis of cobamides. Adv Appl Microbiol. 1959;1:87–122. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2164(08)70476-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pol A., van der Drift C., Vogels G. D. Corrinoids from Methanosarcina barkeri: structure of the alpha-ligand. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1982 Sep 30;108(2):731–737. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(82)90890-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Stadtman T. C., Blaylock B. A. Role of B12 compounds in methane formation. Fed Proc. 1966 Nov-Dec;25(6):1657–1661. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stupperich E., Steiner I., Rühlemann M. Isolation and analysis of bacterial cobamides by high-performance liquid chromatography. Anal Biochem. 1986 Jun;155(2):365–370. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(86)90447-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Whitman W. B., Wolfe R. S. Activation of the methylreductase system from Methanobacterium bryantii by corrins. J Bacteriol. 1985 Oct;164(1):165–172. doi: 10.1128/jb.164.1.165-172.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Whitman W. B., Wolfe R. S. Purification and analysis of cobamides of Methanobacterium bryantii by high-performance liquid chromatography. Anal Biochem. 1984 Feb;137(1):261–265. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(84)90380-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. de Veaux L. C., Clevenson D. S., Bradbeer C., Kadner R. J. Identification of the btuCED polypeptides and evidence for their role in vitamin B12 transport in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1986 Sep;167(3):920–927. doi: 10.1128/jb.167.3.920-927.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES