Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Biochemistry

Origin of a key player in methane biosynthesis

Nature volume 543, pages 49–50 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

A Correction to this article was published on 04 May 2017

The biosynthesis of a coenzyme in the microbial production of methane has been determined — completing the biosynthetic pathways for the family of compounds that includes chlorophyll, haem and vitamin B12. See Article p.78

The biosynthesis of methane by microorganisms has fascinated scientists for almost a century. The nickel-containing coenzyme F430 is the most complex and mechanistically intriguing of the five coenzymes involved in methanogenesis, and is used by the enzyme methyl-coenzyme M reductase5. This enzyme is responsible for producing about one billion tonnes of methane per year6. It has been estimated that one-third of this methane escapes into the atmosphere, where it makes a substantial contribution to global warming6.

Your institute does not have access to this article

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

Figure 1: The biosynthetic pathway for coenzyme F430.

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Deppenmeier, U. Prog. Nucleic Acid Res. Mol. Biol. 71, 223–283 (2002).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Zhang, K. et al. Science 354, 339–342 (2016).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Moore, S. J. et al. Nature 543, 78–82 (2017).

    ADS  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Mucha, H., Keller, E., Weber, H., Lingens, F. & Trösch, W. FEBS Lett. 190, 169–171 (1985).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wongnate, T. et al. Science 352, 953–958 (2016).

    ADS  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Thauer, R. K. Microbiology 144, 2377–2406 (1998).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Brindley, A. A., Raux, E., Leech, H. K., Schubert, H. L. & Warren, M. J. J. Biol. Chem. 278, 22388–22395 (2003).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Raux, E., Schubert, H. L., Roper, J. M., Wilson, K. S. & Warren, M. J. Bioorg. Chem. 27, 100–118 (1999).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tadhg P. Begley is in the Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.,

    Tadhg P. Begley

Authors
  1. Tadhg P. Begley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tadhg P. Begley.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Biochemistry: Unexpected role for vitamin B2

Microbiology: Deep-sea secrets of butane metabolism

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Begley, T. Origin of a key player in methane biosynthesis. Nature 543, 49–50 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21507

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21507

Further reading

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing