The pterin lumazine inhibits growth of methanogens and methane formation (original) (raw)

Abstract

The pterin compound lumazine [2, 4-(1H, 3H)-pteridinedione] inhibited the growth of several methanogenic archaea completely at a concentration of ≤ 0.6 mM and was bacteriocidal for Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum strain Marburg. In contrast, growth of two non-methanogenic archaea, several eubacteria, and one eukaryote was not strongly affected at much higher concentrations. In washed-cell suspensions, methanogenesis from H2 and CO2 by Mb. thermoautotrophicum or from H2 and methanol by Methanosarcina barkeri was inhibited by addition of lumazine. In cell-free extracts of Mb. thermoautotrophicum, H2-driven methane production from CO2 or CH3-S-CoM was completely inhibited by 0.6 mM lumazine. The results suggest that the compound may be useful in probing the methanogenesis pathway or in selecting against methanogens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Microbiology, Room 131, University of Oklahoma, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, Ok 73019-0245, USA Tel. +1-405-325-1657; Fax +1-405-325-7619 e-mail dpnagle@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu, , , , , , US
    Kesava R. Nagar-Anthal, Veronica E. Worrell, Ross Teal & D. P. Nagle

Authors

  1. Kesava R. Nagar-Anthal
  2. Veronica E. Worrell
  3. Ross Teal
  4. D. P. Nagle

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Received: 30 January 1996 / Accepted 15 May 1996

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Nagar-Anthal, K., Worrell, V., Teal, R. et al. The pterin lumazine inhibits growth of methanogens and methane formation.Arch Microbiol 166, 136–140 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002030050368

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