Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1038/nature20152
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Title (Primary) Thermophilic archaea activate butane via alkyl-coenzyme M formation
Author Laso-Pérez, R.; Wegener, G.; Knittel, K.; Widdel, F.; Harding, K.J.; Krukenberg, V.; Meier, D.V.; Richter, M.; Tegetmeyer, H.E.; Riedel, D.; Richnow, H.-H.; Adrian, L.; Reemtsma, T.; Lechtenfeld, O.J. ORCID logo ; Musat, F.
Source Titel Nature
Year 2016
Department ISOBIO; ANA
Volume 539
Issue 7629
Page From 396
Page To 401
Language englisch
Supplements https://media.nature.com/original/nature-assets/nature/journal/v539/n7629/extref/nature20152-s1.pdf
UFZ wide themes ProVIS; RU4
Abstract The anaerobic formation and oxidation of methane involve unique enzymatic mechanisms and cofactors, all of which are believed to be specific for C1-compounds. Here we show that an anaerobic thermophilic enrichment culture composed of dense consortia of archaea and bacteria apparently uses partly similar pathways to oxidize the C4 hydrocarbon butane. The archaea, proposed genus ‘Candidatus Syntrophoarchaeum’, show the characteristic autofluorescence of methanogens, and contain highly expressed genes encoding enzymes similar to methyl-coenzyme M reductase. We detect butyl-coenzyme M, indicating archaeal butane activation analogous to the first step in anaerobic methane oxidation. In addition, Ca. Syntrophoarchaeum expresses the genes encoding β-oxidation enzymes, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and reversible C1 methanogenesis enzymes. This allows for the complete oxidation of butane. Reducing equivalents are seemingly channelled to HotSeep-1, a thermophilic sulfate-reducing partner bacterium known from the anaerobic oxidation of methane. Genes encoding 16S rRNA and methyl-coenzyme M reductase similar to those identifying Ca. Syntrophoarchaeum were repeatedly retrieved from marine subsurface sediments, suggesting that the presented activation mechanism is naturally widespread in the anaerobic oxidation of short-chain hydrocarbons.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=18182
Laso-Pérez, R., Wegener, G., Knittel, K., Widdel, F., Harding, K.J., Krukenberg, V., Meier, D.V., Richter, M., Tegetmeyer, H.E., Riedel, D., Richnow, H.-H., Adrian, L., Reemtsma, T., Lechtenfeld, O.J., Musat, F. (2016):
Thermophilic archaea activate butane via alkyl-coenzyme M formation
Nature 539 (7629), 396 - 401 10.1038/nature20152