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Journal of Bacteriology, September 2000, p. 4862-4867, Vol. 182, No. 17
Department of Biochemistry, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
24061-0308
The products of two adjacent genes in the chromosome of
Methanococcus jannaschii are similar to the amino
and carboxyl halves of phosphonopyruvate decarboxylase, the enzyme that
catalyzes the second step of fosfomycin biosynthesis in
Streptomyces wedmorensis. These two M. jannaschii genes were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli, and their gene products were tested for
the ability to catalyze the decarboxylation of a series of
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Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Identification of the Gene Encoding Sulfopyruvate Decarboxylase,
an Enzyme Involved in Biosynthesis of Coenzyme M
-ketoacids. Both subunits are required to form an
6
6 dodecamer that specifically catalyzes
the decarboxylation of sulfopyruvic acid to sulfoacetaldehyde. This
transformation is the fourth step in the biosynthesis of coenzyme M, a crucial cofactor in methanogenesis and aliphatic alkene metabolism. The M. jannaschii
sulfopyruvate decarboxylase was found to be inactivated by
oxygen and reactivated by reduction with dithionite. The two
subunits, designated ComD and ComE, comprise the first enzyme
for the biosynthesis of coenzyme M to be described.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Biochemistry (0308), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Phone: (540) 231-6605. Fax: (540)
231-9070. E-mail: rhwhite{at}vt.edu.
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