Abstract
METHYLOTROPHIC bacteria are able to use methane derivatives as their sole source of carbon and metabolic energy and so can sustain growth on methane, methanol and other organic compounds which lack carbon–carbon bonds1. They are not autotrophic and, being unable to use carbon dioxide, rely ultimately on their ability to oxidise these substances. Although the primary alcohol dehydrogenases from a variety of methanol-grown bacteria have been purified and compared, and despite the increasing commerical importance of these organisms as sources of ‘single cell protein’, the essential features of these oxidative pathways remain unknown. The dehydrogenases exhibit a rather broad substrate specificity for primary alcohols and formaldehyde, and seem to contain a common and novel cofactor2–6, which may be more generally associated with the oxidation of single-carbon compounds. The structure of the cofactor is reported here.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Colby, J. & Zatman, L. J. Biochem. J. 128, 1373–6 (1972).
Anthony, C. & Zatman, L. J. Biochem. J. 104, 960–969 (1967).
Sperl, G. T., Forrest, H. S. & Gibson, D. T. J. Bact. 118, 541–550 (1974).
Duine, J. A., Frank, J. & Westerling, J. Biochim. biophys. Acta 524, 277–287 (1978).
Patel, R. N., Hou, C. T. & Felix, A. J. Bact. 133, 641–9 (1978).
Wadzinski, A. M. & Ribbons, D. W. J. Bact. 122, 1364–74 (1975).
Sperl, G. T. thesis, Univ. Texas (1973).
Sperl, G. T., Forrest, H. S. & Hoare, D. S. Bact. Proc. 151 (1973).
Dahl, J. S., Mehta, R. J. & Hoare, D. S. J. Bact. 109, 437–445 (1972).
Johnson, C. K. ORTEP Rep. ORNL-3794, (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenessee, 1965).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SALISBURY, S., FORREST, H., CRUSE, W. et al. A novel coenzyme from bacterial primary alcohol dehydrogenases. Nature 280, 843–844 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/280843a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/280843a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.