phosphothreonine and methanopterin

Methanogenesis, the anaerobic production of methane from CO2 or simple carbon compounds, requires seven organic coenzymes. This review describes pathways for the biosynthesis of methanofuran, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydromethanopterin, coenzyme F420, coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid) and coenzyme B (7-mercaptoheptanoyl-L-threonine phosphate). Spectroscopic evidence for the pathways is reviewed and recent efforts are described to identify and characterize the biosynthetic enzymes from methanogenic archaea. The literature from 1971 to September 2001 is reviewed, and 169 references are cited.

Topics: Archaea; Carbon Dioxide; Coenzymes; Diterpenes; Euryarchaeota; Furans; Genomics; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mesna; Methane; Molecular Structure; Phosphothreonine; Pterins; Riboflavin

Our current knowledge of the pathways and genes involved in the biosynthesis of the methanogenic coenzymes methanopterin, coenzyme B, methanofuran, coenzyme F420, and coenzyme M is presented. Proposed reaction mechanisms for several of the novel reactions involved in the pathways are presented.

Topics: Coenzymes; Furans; Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal; Mesna; Methanococcus; Molecular Structure; Phosphothreonine; Pterins; Riboflavin

Topics: Cobamides; Coenzymes; Euryarchaeota; Furans; Mesna; Metalloporphyrins; Metalloproteins; Methane; Molecular Structure; Nickel; Phosphothreonine; Pterins; Riboflavin