Thermodynamics of the formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase reaction in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum

Purified formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, which is a thermophilic methanogenic Archaeon growing on H2 and CO2, was shown to catalyze the reversible reduction of CO2 to N-formylmethanofuran with 1,1',2,2'-tetramethylviologen (E'0 = -550 mV) as electron donor. The rate of CO2 reduction was approximately 25 times higher than the rate of N-formylmethanofuran dehydrogenation. From determinations of equilibrium concentrations at 60 degrees C and pH 7.0 a midpoint potential (E'0) for the CO2 + methanofuran/formylmethanofuran couple of approximately -530 mV was estimated. The initial step of methanogenesis from CO2 thus has a midpoint potential considerably more negative than that of the H+/H2 couple (E'0 = -460 mV at 60 degrees C). Evidence is described indicating that the as-yet unidentified physiological electron donor of the formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase is present in the soluble cell fraction.

Tungstate can substitute for molybdate in sustaining growth of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Identification and characterization of a tungsten isoenzyme of formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase

Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (strain Marburg) was found to grow on media supplemented with tungstate rather than with molybdate. The Archaeon then synthesized a tungsten iron-sulfur isoenzyme of formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase. The isoenzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity and shown to be composed of four different subunits of apparent molecular masses 65 kDa, 53 kDa, 31 kDa, and 15 kDa and to contain per mol 0.4 mol tungsten, < 0.05 mol molybdenum, 8 mol non-heme iron, 8 mol acid-labile sulfur and molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide. Its molecular and catalytic properties were significantly different from those of the molybdenum isoenzyme characterized previously. The two isoenzymes also differed in their metal specificity: the active molybdenum isoenzyme was only synthesized when molybdenum was available during growth whereas the active tungsten isoenzyme was also generated during growth of the cells on molybdate medium. Under the latter conditions the tungsten isoenzyme was synthesized containing molybdenum rather than tungsten.

Formylmethanofuran dehydrogenases from methanogenic Archaea. Substrate specificity, EPR properties and reversible inactivation by cyanide of the molybdenum or tungsten iron-sulfur proteins

Formylmethanofuran dehydrogenases, which are found in methanogenic Archaea, are molybdenum or tungsten iron-sulfur proteins containing a pterin cofactor. We report here on differences in substrate specificity, EPR properties and susceptibility towards cyanide inactivation of the enzymes from Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and Methanobacterium wolfei. The molybdenum enzyme from M. barkeri (relative activity with N-formylmethanofuran = 100%) was found to catalyze, albeit at considerably reduced apparent Vmax, the dehydrogenation of N-furfurylformamide (11%), N-methylformamide (0.2%), formamide (0.1%) and formate (1%). The molybdenum enzyme from M. wolfei could only use N-furfurylformamide (1%) and formate (3%) as pseudosubstrates. The molybdenum enzyme from M. thermoautotrophicum and the tungsten enzymes from M. thermoautotrophicum and M. wolfei were specific for N-formylmethanofuran. The molybdenum formylmethanofuran dehydrogenases exhibited at 77 K two rhombic EPR signals, designated FMDred and FMDox, both derived from Mo as shown by isotopic substitution with 97Mo. The FMDred signal was only displayed by the active enzyme in the reduced form and was lost upon enzyme oxidation; the FMDox signal was displayed by an inactive form and was not quenched by O2. The tungsten isoenzymes were EPR silent. The molybdenum formylmethanofuran dehydrogenases were found to be inactivated by cyanide whereas the tungsten isoenzymes, under the same conditions, were not inactivated. Inactivation was associated with a characteristic change in the molybdenum-derived EPR signal. Reactivation was possible in the presence of sulfide.

Isolation and characterization of a Bacillus strain capable of degrading the extracellular glucan from Cellulomonas flavigena strain KU

Bacteria capable of utilizing the water-insoluble purified extracellular (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan (curdlan) from Cellulomonas flavigena strain KU by extracellular enzymes, were isolated and characterized. Enrichment cultures from a Winogradsky column were incubated anaerobically at 55 degrees C with curdlan as the sole source of carbon. Colonies surrounded by zones of clearing were selected from subcultures on solid curdlan media. One of the isolates was chosen for further study and identified by conventional methods, API-tests with calculation of similarity coefficients and ID-scores, estimation of mol% (G+C) and DNA-DNA liquid hybridization. The isolate is a facultatively anaerobic, facultatively thermophilic Bacillus sp. Identification at the species-level was not achieved. The isolate was characterized by some rare traits among bacilli, but it remains unresolved whether it defines a new taxon.