Open AccessClostridium thermoaceticum forms methanol from carbon monoxide in the presence of viologen dyes
Author(s) -
White Hiltrud,
Lebertz Herbert,
Thanos Iordanes,
Simon Helmut
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02118.x
Subject(s) - carbon monoxide dehydrogenase , carbon monoxide , methanol , chemistry , viologen , ethanol , clostridium , inorganic chemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry , bacteria , biology , genetics
Abstract Whole cells of Clostridium thermoaceticum , crude extracts of such cells as well as the supernatant of 100 000 × g centrifugations catalyse the reduction of carbon monoxide to methanol in the presence of viologens or cobalt sepulchrate. Without such a mediator methanol could not be detected. The reaction shows a marked optimum at pH 5. The incubation of [5‐ 14 C]methyltetrahydrofolate led only to the formation of 14 C‐labeled ethanol; the radioactivity in methanol was negligible. The reaction seems to be catalysed by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase.