Corrinoid Compounds of Methanobacillus omelianskii. I. Fractionation of the Corrinoid Compounds and Identification of Factor III and Factor III Coenzyme^*

Abstract

The corrinoid compounds from an extract of M. omelianskii were separated into ten components by chromatographic methods. 5-Hydroxybenzimidazolylcobamide and its co-5 '-deoxyadenosyl derivative (Factor I11 coenzyme) are the most abundant corrinoid compounds in this organism, accounting for 31 and 23 z, respectively, of the total vitamin Biz activity T he possible participation of a vitamin B12 coenzyme in the metabolism of one-carbon compounds of Methanococcus vannielii and Methanobacillus omelianskii was first suggested by Stadtman (1960) because of the high level of cobamide coenzymes in these organisms. The recent finding of Blaylock and Stadtman (1963) and Wolin et al. (1963) that the methyl group of

Effect of trace elements and vitamins on the growth of Methanosarcina barkeri

“…One of the main reasons for that may be the discovery of a new coenzyme, 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (CoM), which acts as the terminal methyl carrier in methanogenesis [ 19, 20, 21, 221. Another reason might be that the quantitative data about corrinoids of 'Methanobacillus omelianskii' (16 pglg wet weight) of LEZIUS and BARKER [23] were not considered any longer, because it was demonstrated that ' M . omelianskii' was a syntrophic association of two organisms [24] and as it was pointed out that the previously isolated B,, protein froin ' M .…”

Microbial Biosynthesis of B12-Like Compounds

“…314) of Nocardia rugosa which has lost the ability to make DBI has been reported (81 ). midazole (168) while in C. thermoaceticum the corrinoids contain 5-meth oxybenzimidazole (see 178). Since a pathway common to DBI and to riboflavin cannot account for these phenolic benzimidazoles, it is likely that a different pathway operates in these bacteria.…”

“…Thus, as mentioned above, M ethanobacterium omelianskii makes fac tor III (containing 5-hydroxybenzimidazole) (168 ). C. thermoaceticum makes factor IIIm (containing 5-methoxybenzimidazole) (133), while in C. tetanomorphum (14,277) and C. sticklandii (257) the main corrinoid ap pears to be pseudo-B'2 although no fi gures are available for factor A.…”

“…Since a pathway common to DBI and to riboflavin cannot account for these phenolic benzimidazoles, it is likely that a different pathway operates in these bacteria. Although 5-hydroxybenzimi dazole was first found in corrinoids from municipal sewage sludge (104, 105 ; see discussion in 168), it is perhaps justified to be slightly skeptical about the bacterial origin of un substituted benzimidazole (107 ), of 5-me thylbenzimidazole (107 ), and of naphthimidazole (106) which have been demonstrated in corrinoids obtained from various kinds of sewage material, until these have been detected in isolated bacteria grown on defined media.…”

Isolation and characterization of the Co‐methyl and Co‐aquo derivative of 5‐hydroxybenzimidazolylcobamide (factor III) from Methanosarcina barkeri grown on methanol

“…Factor III was first isolated from sewage sludge [1,2]. Later it was identified as one of the several corrinoids produced by Methanobacillus omelianskii [3], a syntrophic association of two organisms [4]. Factor III was also isolated from pure cultures of the archaebacterium Methanosarcina barkeri [5-81, a methanogen being present in sewage sludge [9].…”