Molecular Biology and Physiology of Methanogenic Archaebacteria

摘要

Methane-producing archaebacteria are worthy of their novel biology and potential in anaerobic bioprocessing. This work continues to study the biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology of the thermophilic autotroph Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. DNA from antimetabolite-resistant mutant strains was used to transform sensitive recipient cells to resistance, and DNA was cloned into Escherichia coli plasmids. This DNA will be mutated with transposons in the E. coli host, then isolated and used to transform methanogen cells to selectable mutant phenotypes. Mutant strains resistant to purine analogs were used to determine that wild type cells of M. thermoautotrophicum possess an almost complete set of enzymes for uptake, activation, and interconversion of purine bases and nucleosides. These mutants and the information about the pathways will be the basis for generating a genetic map. Metabolic studies of a unique formate auxotroph revealed a new role for this one carbon compound in the anabolic metabolism of this methanogen. (aw)