Reductive activation of the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase system of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum delta H.

When titanium(III) citrate was used as electron donor for the reduction of methyl coenzyme M by the methyl coenzyme M methylreductase system of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum delta H, component A1 was no longer required. The simpler system thus obtained required components A2, A3, and C as well as catalytic amounts of ATP, vitamin B12, and the disulfide of 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate in addition to titanium(III) citrate. This three component enzyme system also could produce CH4 when stoichiometric amounts of 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate were used as a source of electrons under an H2 atmosphere. When 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate or H2 was used alone no CH4 was produced, indicating a dual requirement for reducing equivalents: one to activate the methylreductase system and the other to reduce methyl coenzyme M. This is the first evidence that the activation of methyl coenzyme M methylreductase is a reductive process.