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Biomedical subjects

R S Wolfe

Publications and source records attributed to R S Wolfe.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Purification and analysis of cobamides of Methanobacterium bryantii by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Cobamides from Methanobacterium bryantii were purified by isocratic reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography at neutral pH in readily extractable buffers. A gradient adaptation of this chromatography system on C-18 muBondapak columns in buffers containing aqueous methanol and 100 mM LiCl readily separated Co alpha-(5-hydroxybenzimidazoyl)-Co beta-cyanocobamide, Co alpha-(5-hydroxybenzimidazoyl)-Co beta-adenosylcobamide, cyanocobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, and methylcobalamin. Aquacobalamin was not resolved from cyanocobalamin by this procedure. The gradient procedure was also useful in following the fate of tritiated cyanocobalamin in cell-free extracts of M. bryantii.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1984

Formaldehyde activation factor, tetrahydromethanopterin, a coenzyme of methanogenesis.

An oxygen-labile formaldehyde activation factor (FAF) was isolated in highly purified form by use of anoxic fractionation procedures. The molecular weight of FAF was determined to be 776 and that of methanopterin (MPT) 772 by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS). High-resolution FABMS measurements on MPT and FAF indicated molecular formulas of C(30)H(41)N(6)O(16)P and C(30)H(45)N(6)O(16)P, respectively. The presence of phosphorus was confirmed by 100-MHz (31)P NMR. The 360-MHz (1)H NMR spectrum of FAF in deuterium oxide was similar to that of MPT. A functional relationship between MPT and FAF was documented; both compounds stimulated the reductive demethylation of 2-(methylthio)ethanesulfonic acid (CH(3)-S-CoM) to CH(4) when formaldehyde oxidation provided a source of electrons, and FAF replaced MPT in the CH(3)-S-CoM-stimulated conversion of CO(2) to CH(4) under H(2) (the RPG effect). MPT was enzymically converted to FAF during the reduction of CH(3)-S-CoM, and HCHO to CH(4) under H(2). Evidence indicates that FAF is tetrahydromethanopterin.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Methanogenesis from sucrose by defined immobilized consortia.

A bacterial consortium capable of sucrose degradation primarily to CH(4) and CO(2) was constructed, with acetate as the key methanogenic precursor. In addition, the effect of agar immobilization on the activity of the consortium was determined. The primary fermentative organism, Escherichia coli, produced acetate, formate, H(2), and CO(2) (known substrates for methanogens), as well as ethanol and lactate, compounds that are not substrates for methanogens. Oxidation of the nonmethanogenic substrates, lactate and ethanol, to acetate was mediated by the addition of Acetobacterium woodii and Desulfovibrio vulgaris. The methanogenic stage was accomplished by the addition of the acetophilic methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri and the hydrogenophilic methanogen Methanobacterium formicicum. Results of studies with low substrate concentrations (0.05 to 0.2% [wt/vol]), a growth-limiting medium, and the five-component consortium indicated efficient conversion (40%) of sucrose carbon to CH(4). Significant decreases in yields of CH(4) and rates of CH(4) production were observed if any component of the consortium was omitted. Approximately 70% of the CH(4) generated occurred via acetate. Agar-immobilized cells of the consortium exhibited yields of CH(4) and rates of CH(4) production from sucrose similar to those of nonimmobilized cells. The rate of CH(4) production decreased by 25% when cysteine was omitted from reaction conditions and by 40% when the immobilized consortium was stored for 1 week at 4 degrees C.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Formaldehyde oxidation and methanogenesis.

Formaldehyde oxidation by cell-free extracts of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum was shown to drive methanogenesis from CH3-S-coenzyme M or HCHO under a nonreductive atmosphere of N2. Under N2 when HCHO was the sole source of carbon and reducing equivalents in the reaction, it underwent oxidation and reduction events (disproportionation), the sum of the reactions being 3 HCHO + H2O----CH4 + 2 HCOO - + 2H+. This reaction predicts a CH4/HCHO ratio of 1/3, which is in agreement with the experimental finding of 1/2.9. In extracts of the mesophilic methanogen Methanococcus voltae and the extreme thermophile Methanococcus jannaschii , which exhibited formate dehydrogenase activity, the CH4/HCHO ratio was 1/2. NADPH stimulated methane formation from HCHO under N2. An unidentified, oxygen-labile cofactor, the formaldehyde activation factor, present in boiled-cell extract was discovered. Methanopterin , an oxygen-stable molecule, also substituted for boiled-cell extract.

Euryarchaeota↗
PubMed1983

Carbon dioxide reduction factor and methanopterin, two coenzymes required for CO2 reduction to methane by extracts of Methanobacterium.

Carbon dioxide reduction (CDR) factor is contained in a low molecular weight fraction of cell extract that is required for methane production from CO2 by resolved cell extracts. This fraction has been separated into two components both of which have been highly purified. One component is methanopterin, and for the other component the name CDR factor is retained. No known coenzymes tested substitute in the methane-producing assay for CDR factor and methanopterin, both of which are stable to boiling and exposure to air. The ultraviolet-visible spectrum of CDR factor has a peak at 273 nm, a shoulder at 280 nm, and at pH 1, a peak at 219 nm. The ultraviolet-visible spectrum of methanopterin isolated from the CDR fraction is similar to the spectrum previously reported for this compound (Keltjens, J. T., and Vogels, G. D. (1981) in Microbial Growth on C1 Compounds (Dalton, H., ed) pp. 152-158, Heyden and Son, Ltd., London). The addition of CDR factor (0.8 micrograms) and methanopterin (50 micrograms) to the assay mixture increased by 12-fold the amount of methane formed from CO2.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1983

Component A of the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase system of Methanobacterium: resolution into four components.

Component A, the oxygen-sensitive protein fraction of the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase system of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, has been stabilized and resolved into three protein fractions and one cofactor that are required to reconstitute component A activity. Component A1 is oxygen-stable and contains hydrogen-dependent deazaflavin (coenzyme F420)-reducing activity. Component A2 is acidic; components A2 and A3 are oxygen sensitive. The specific functions of each component in methyl group reduction are unknown. Resolution of component A revealed a new cofactor requirement of the methylreductase system for FAD. Hydrogen-dependent reduction of methyl coenzyme M to methane and coenzyme M, the terminal step of CO2 reduction by methanogenic bacteria, requires protein components A1, A2, A3, and C in addition to component B, FAD, ATP, and Mg2+.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1983

Growth and plating efficiency of methanococci on agar media.

Plating techniques for cultivation of methanogenic bacteria have been optimized for two members of the genus Methanococcus. Methanococcus maripaludis and Methanococcus voltae were cultivated on aerobically and anaerobically prepared agar media. Maintenance of O(2) levels below 5 mul/liter within an anaerobic glove box was necessary during plating and incubation for 90% recovery of plated cells. Under an atmosphere of H(2), CO(2), and H(2)S (79:20:1), 2 to 3 days of incubation at 37 degrees C were sufficient for the formation of visible colonies. The viability of plated cells was significantly affected by the growth phase of the culture, H(2)S concentration, and the volume of medium per plate. In addition, colony size of methanococci was affected by agar type, as well as by the concentrations of agar, H(2)S, and bicarbonate.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1983

Activation of the methylreductase system from Methanobacterium bryantii by ATP.

The methylreductase of Methanobacterium bryantii required ATP for activity. There was sufficient ATP synthesis in extracts to account for the observed activity. Hexokinase inhibited the methylreductase by competing for endogenously synthesized ATP. The uncoupler, carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethyoxyphenyl hydrazone, inhibited only at concentrations greater than 0.5 mM, and detergents and non-halogenated membrane-permeable-ions did not inhibit. Thus, membrane proton gradients are not important in activation. In addition, maximal activation was obtained with less than 0.25 mM ATP, was inhibited by beta, gamma-imido ATP, and was strongly temperature dependent. The activated state was very unstable, having a half-life of 5 to 15 min. After gel filtration at 5 degrees C, the methylreductase retained partial activity for a short time in the absence of ATP. These observations indicate that activation involves the modification of a protein or protein-bound cofactor of the methylreductase system.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1982

Nickel-containing factor F430: chromophore of the methylreductase of Methanobacterium.

The yellow chromophore of the methyl-coenzyme M methylreductase of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum has been found to be the nickel-containing factor F430. Treatment of 63Ni-labeled methylreductase with 80% aqueous methanol released the radiolabel as well as the yellow chromophore; both properties were associated with a single compound that was found to be identical to F430, the stoichiometry being 1 mol of nickel per mol of F430 and 2 mol of F430 per mol of methylreductase.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1982

Nutrition and carbon metabolism of Methanococcus voltae.

Methanococcus voltae is a heterotrophic, H2-oxidizing methanogenic bacterium. In complex medium, this bacterium has a doubling time of 1.2 h at its temperature optimum of 38 degrees C. In defined medium, optimal growth is obtained with 0.75 mM isoleucine, 0.75 mM leucine, 2.5 mM acetate, 5 mM NH4Cl, 84 mM MgSO4, 0.4 M NaCl, 1 mM CaCl2, 10 microM Fe2O3, and 0.2 microM NiCl2. In addition, pantothenate, sodium selenate, and cobalt stimulate growth. Optimal growth is obtained between pH 6.0 and 7.0 with either H2 or formate as the electron donor. The volatile fatty acids 2-methylbutyrate and isovalerate can substitute for isoleucine and leucine, respectively. Cellular carbon is derived from acetate (31%), isoleucine (22%), leucine (25%), and carbon dioxide (23%). The amino acids and fatty acids are incorporated almost exclusively into protein. A comparison of the incorporation of U-14C-amino acids and 1-14C-fatty acids indicated that the fatty acids are degraded during incorporation into cell protein. The distribution of carbon from the amino acids suggests that acetyl coenzyme A is not a major intermediate in the degradation of these compounds. Thus, M. voltae may convert isoleucine and leucine to other amino acids by a unique mechanism. The lipid carbon is derived largely from acetate. Thus, the isoprenoid lipids are synthesized de novo from acetate rather than by degradation of leucine. The carbon in the nucleic acids is derived from carbon dioxide (45%), the C-1 of acetate (25%), the C-2 of acetate (22%), and isoleucine and leucine (7%). This labeling pattern is consistent with known biochemical pathways.

Acetates↗
PubMed1982

Coupling of methyl coenzyme M reduction with carbon dioxide activation in extracts of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum.

The stimulation of carbon dioxide reduction to methane by addition of 2-(methylthio)ethanesulfonate (CH3-S-CoM) to cell extracts of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum was investigated. Similar stimulation of CO2 reduction by CH3-S-CoM was found for cell extracts of Methanobacterium bryantii and Methanospirillum hungatei. The CH3-S-CoM requirement could be met by the methanogenic precursors formaldehyde, serine, or pyruvate, or by 2-(ethylthio)ethanesulfonate (CH3CH2-S-CoM), but not by other coenzyme M derivatives. Efficient reduction of CO2 to CH4 was favored by low concentrations of CH3-S-CoM and high concentrations of CO2. Sulfhydryl compounds were identified as effective inhibitors of CO2 reduction. Both an allosteric model and a free-radical model for the mechanism of CO2 activation and reduction are discussed.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1981

Interaction of coenzyme M and formaldehyde in methanogenesis.

Chemical reaction of coenzyme M, sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulphonate (HS-CoM, Na+), and formaldehyde formed sodium 2-(hydroxymethylthio)ethanesulphonate (HOCH2-S-CoM), whereas reaction with the ammonium salt of HS-CoM yielded iminobis-[2-(methylthio)ethanesulphonate], monoammonium salt [NH = (CH2 - S - CoM)2]. In water, NH = (CH2 - S - CoM)2 decomposed to 2-(aminomethylthio)ethanesulphonate (NH2CH2 - S - CoM) and HOCH2-S-CoM. NH-2-CH2 - CoM was degraded further to form more HOCH2-S-CoM. The structures of these coenzyme M derivatives were confirmed by i.r. and n.m.r. spectroscopy and by elemental analysis. When added to cell extracts of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, methane was formed from either HOCH2 - S - CoM or NH = (CH2 - S - CoM)2 at rates comparable with the rate of methane formation from the methanogenic precursor 2-(methylthio)-ethanesulphonate (CH3 - S - CoM). Formaldehyde was reduced to methane at similar rates. In addition, certain hemimercaptals, including thiazolidine and thiazolidine-4-carboxylate, were reduced, although at slower rates. The reduction of formaldehyde, thiazolidine, or thiazolidine-4-carboxylate required catalytic amounts of HS-CoM. ATP was required by cells extracts for reduction of each of these methane precursors.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1981

Component C of the methylreductase system of Methanobacterium.

Component C of the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase system of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum has been purified to homogeneity with a 17% recovery of initial units. The native protein has a molecular weight of 300,000 and is composed of three different subunits with masses of 68,000, 45,000, and 38,500. They are present in equal proportion, suggesting a stoichiometry of alpha 2, beta 2, gamma 2 in the native protein. The amino acid composition reveals a preponderance of acidic amino acid residues. The protein is yellow, having an absorption maximum at 425 nm and a shoulder at 455 nm. Reconstitution of the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase activity was linearly dependent on added component C. Component C has been detected in cell extracts of other methanogens.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1980

Sequence homologies in the N-terminal region of the ribosomal 'A' proteins from Methanobacterium Thermoautotrophicum and Halobacterium cutirubrum.

The ribosomal 'A' protein from the methanogen, Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, has been isolated and purified. The amino acid composition and mobility on two-dimensional gels indicates that this protein shows characteristics similar to the equivalent protein from the extreme halophile, Halobacterium cutirubrum, and is significantly different from the equivalent protein from other bacteria. The first 48 residues of the methanogenic 'A' protein were sequenced and showed a large amount of sequence homology to the H. cutirubrum 'A' protein. When the sequences of these two proteins were compared to the 'A' protein from other procaryotes (eubacteria), much less homology was evident. These results support the hypothesis (Woese, C.R. and Fox, G.F., (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 5088-5090) of two procaryotic lines of evolutionary descent, the eubacteria and the archaebacteria, the latter including the methanogens and the extreme halophiles. The sequence data from the 'A' proteins also indicate that, phylogenetically, the archaebacteria are much closer to the cytoplasmic components of eucaryotes than they are to the eubacteria (or 'true bacteria').

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1980

Role of component C in the methylreductase system of Methanobacterium.

A major simplification of the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase system of Methanobacterium has been effected. The 500,000-dalton hydrogenase complex has been replaced by an NADPH-coenzyme F420 oxidoreductase. By use of this electron-generating reaction, the methylreductase was found to be localized in component C, an acidic protein fraction. In the presence of the oxidoreductase and the methylreductase, formation of methane under a nitrogen atmosphere was dependent upon the addition of NADPH, coenzyme F420, component B (a new cofactor of unknown structure), ATP, Mg2+, and methyl coenzyme M.

Euryarchaeota↗