This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nolling, J. Articles by Reeve, J. N. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nolling, J. Articles by Reeve, J. N.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., 05 1995, 2460-2468, Vol 177, No. 9
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Organization and growth phase-dependent transcription of methane genes in two regions of the Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum genome

J Nolling, TD Pihl, A Vriesema and JN Reeve
Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.

Two regions of the Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum genome containing genes that encode enzymes involved in methanogenesis (methane genes) have been cloned and sequenced to determine the extent of methane gene clustering and conservation. One region from the M. thermoautotrophicum strains delta H and Winter, extending approximately 13.5 kb upstream from the adjacent mvhDGAB and mrtBDGA operons that encode the methyl-viologen-reducing hydrogenase (MVH) and the methyl coenzyme M reductase II (MRII), respectively, was sequenced, and 76% sequence identity and very similar gene organizations were demonstrated. Five closely linked open reading frames were located immediately upstream of the mvh operon and were designated flpECBDA. The flpCBD genes encode amino acid sequences that are 31, 47, and 65% identical to the primary sequences of the alpha and beta subunits of formate dehydrogenase and the delta subunit of MVH, respectively. Located immediately upstream of the flp genes was the mth gene, which encodes the H2-dependent methylene-tetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase (MTH). In contrast to this mth-flp-mvh-mrt cluster of methane genes, a separate approximately 5.4-kb genomic fragment cloned from M. thermoautotrophicum delta H contained only one methane gene, the mtd gene, which encodes the 8-hydroxy-5-deazaflavin (H2F420)- dependent methylene-tetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase (MTD). Northern (RNA) blot experiments demonstrated that mth was transcribed only at early growth stages in fermentor-grown cultures of M. thermoautotrophicum delta H, whereas mtd was transcribed at later growth stages and in the stationary phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Freitag, T. E., Prosser, J. I. (2009). Correlation of Methane Production and Functional Gene Transcriptional Activity in a Peat Soil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 6679-6687 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Shinzato, N., Enoki, M., Sato, H., Nakamura, K., Matsui, T., Kamagata, Y. (2008). Specific DNA Binding of a Potential Transcriptional Regulator, Inosine 5'-Monophosphate Dehydrogenase-Related Protein VII, to the Promoter Region of a Methyl Coenzyme M Reductase I-Encoding Operon Retrieved from Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus Strain {Delta}H. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 6239-6247 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cubonova, L., Sandman, K., Karr, E. A., Cochran, A. J., Reeve, J. N. (2007). Spontaneous trpY Mutants and Mutational Analysis of the TrpY Archaeal Transcription Regulator. J. Bacteriol. 189: 4338-4342 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• de Poorter, L. M. I., Geerts, W. J., Keltjens, J. T. (2007). Coupling of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus Methane Formation and Growth in Fed-Batch and Continuous Cultures under Different H2 Gassing Regimens. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 740-749 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Luo, H.-W., Zhang, H., Suzuki, T., Hattori, S., Kamagata, Y. (2002). Differential Expression of Methanogenesis Genes of Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus (Formerly Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum) in Pure Culture and in Cocultures with Fatty Acid-Oxidizing Syntrophs. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 1173-1179 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Smith, K. S., Jakubzick, C., Whittam, T. S., Ferry, J. G. (1999). Carbonic anhydrase is an ancient enzyme widespread in prokaryotes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96: 15184-15189 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Smith, K. S., Ferry, J. G. (1999). A Plant-Type (beta -Class) Carbonic Anhydrase in the Thermophilic Methanoarchaeon Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. J. Bacteriol. 181: 6247-6253 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pennings, J. L. A., Keltjens, J. T., Vogels, G. D. (1998). Isolation and Characterization of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Delta H Mutants Unable To Grow under Hydrogen-Deprived Conditions. J. Bacteriol. 180: 2676-2681 [Abstract] [Full Text]