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Journal of Bacteriology, July 2008, p. 4818-4821, Vol. 190, No. 14
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00255-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Roles of Coenzyme F420-Reducing Hydrogenases and Hydrogen- and F420-Dependent Methylenetetrahydromethanopterin Dehydrogenases in Reduction of F420 and Production of Hydrogen during Methanogenesis{triangledown}

Erik L. Hendrickson and John A. Leigh*

Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Received 19 February 2008/ Accepted 7 May 2008

Reduced coenzyme F420 (F420H2) is an essential intermediate in methanogenesis from CO2. During methanogenesis from H2 and CO2, F420H2 is provided by the action of F420-reducing hydrogenases. However, an alternative pathway has been proposed, where H2-dependent methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase (Hmd) and F420H2-dependent methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase (Mtd) together reduce F420 with H2. Here we report the construction of mutants of Methanococcus maripaludis that are defective in each putative pathway. Their analysis demonstrates that either pathway supports growth on H2 and CO2. Furthermore, we show that during growth on formate instead of H2, where F420H2 is a direct product of formate oxidation, H2 production occurs. H2 presumably arises from the oxidation of F420H2, and the analysis of the mutants during growth on formate suggests that this too can occur by either pathway. We designate the alternative pathway for the interconversion of H2 and F420H2 the Hmd-Mtd cycle.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: University of Washington, Department of Microbiology, Box 357242, Seattle, WA 98195-7242. Phone: (206) 685-1390. Fax: (206) 543-8297. E-mail: leighj{at}u.washington.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 16 May 2008.

Journal of Bacteriology, July 2008, p. 4818-4821, Vol. 190, No. 14
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00255-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Lupa, B., Hendrickson, E. L., Leigh, J. A., Whitman, W. B. (2008). Formate-Dependent H2 Production by the Mesophilic Methanogen Methanococcus maripaludis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 6584-6590 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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