An examination of oxidation products of the pterin cofactor in the formate dehydrogenase of Methanobacterium formicicum revealed that the cofactor is a 6-substituted pterin similar to the molybdopterin of xanthine oxidase. In contrast to the molybdopterin from xanthine oxidase the formate dehydrogenase cofactor was unable to complement the cofactor-deficient nitrate reductase of Neurospora crassa mutant nit-1 and possessed two phosphate groups. Incubation of oxidized formate dehydrogenase with cyanide resulted in an irreversible loss of enzyme activity which could not be restored by treatment with sulfide. Equimolar amounts of thiocyanate were released from cyanide-treated formate dehydrogenase suggesting the loss of one terminal sulfur ligand to molybdenum. These results along with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of the cyanide-inactivated formate dehydrogenase suggest that the the molybdenum ligands of the enzyme are similar to those of xanthine oxidase. The concentration of molybdenum and the level of formate dehydrogenase activity in extracts of hydrogen-grown Methanobacterium formicicum decreased by at least 10- fold when the organism was grown for several transfers in molybdenum-deficient media or with added tungstate. Immunochemical analysis showed that both subunits of the formate dehydrogenase were produced regardless of the growth condition. However the amount of formate dehydrogenase protein decreased more than 10-fold when the amount of molybdenum in the cell was low. The pterin cofactor was present in the inactive enzyme from tungstategrown cells; however the protein contained less than 0.05 molecules of molybdenum or tungsten per formate dehydrogenase. Messenger RNA specific for fdh gene was detected in high amount in cells grown without added molybdenum and in low amount in cells that contained high amounts of molybdenum. These results suggest that molybdenum is required for the synthesis of a stable formate dehydrogenase and that a molybdenum-dependent repressor may be required for the termination of fdh transcription. / Ph. D.

The coenzyme F₄₂₀-reducing hydrogenase of Methanobacterium formicicum was purified 87-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity. The enzyme formed aggregates (1,000 kd) of a coenzyme F₄₂₀-active monomer (109 kd) composed of 1 each of a, β, and γ subunits (43.6, 36.7, xy and 28.8 kd, respectively). It contained 1 mol of FAD, 1 mol of nickel, 12-14 mols of iron, and 11 mols of acid-labile sulfide per mol of the 109 kd species, but no selenium. The amino acid sequence I---P--R-EGH-----EV was conserved in the N-terminus of a subunit of the enzyme and the largest subunits of nickel-containing hydrogenases from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, Desulfovibrio baculatus, and Desulfovibrio gigag. FAD dissociated from the coenzyme F42O-reducing hydrogenase during reactivation with H2 and coenzyme F₄₂₀, unless KCl was present, yielding coenzyme F₄₂₀-inactive apoenzyme. The hydrogenase catalyzed H₂ production at a rate 3-fold less than that for H2 uptake. Specific antiserum inhibited the coenzyme F₄₂₀ dependent activity but not the methyl viologen-dependent activity of the purified enzyme. Cell extract of M. formicicum contained a coenzyme F₄₂₀-mediated formate hydrogenlyase system. Formate hydrogenlyase activity was reconstituted with coenzyme F₄₂₀-reducing hydrogenase, coenzyme F₄₂₀-reducing formate dehydrogenase, and coenzyme F₄₂₀, all purified from M. formicicum. The reconstituted system required FAD for maximal activity (kinetic Kd= 4 μM). without FAD, the formate dehydrogenase and hydrogenase rapidly lost coenzyme F₄₂₀-dependent activity relative to methyl viologen-dependent activity. Immunoadsorption of the formate dehydrogenase or hydrogenase from cell extract greatly reduced formate hydrogenlyase activity; addition of the purified enzymes restored activity. Formate hydrogenlyase activity of cell extract and the reconstituted system was reversible. The coenzyme F₄₂₀-reducing hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase of M. formicicum were shown to be located at the cytoplasmic membrane using immunogold labeling of thin sectioned, Lowicryl-embedded cells. Neither enzyme was released from whole cells by osmotic shock treatment. / Ph. D.

The archaeal branch of life represents some of the oldest life forms on Earth. Archaea are believed to have diverged from Prokaryotes roughly 3.5 billion years ago and it’s theorized that biological methane production started around this time as well. This would make methanogenesis one of the oldest metabolisms on our planet. Methanogenesis is a process that, so far, is known to be unique to archaea. Since their evolution, methanogens have had massive impacts on Earth’s climate and biology. Methane is an important part of the global carbon cycle, but is also a major greenhouse gas, making it a vital area of research. The methanogen studied in this thesis is referred to as the wild type (WT) and was isolated from an active serpentinization system at Chimaera seep in Çıralı, Antalya Gulf, Turkey. The Chimaera seep is a geological formation analogous to mid-ocean ridges, but exposed and above land. The research in this thesis focuses on the description of the WT, which is believed to be a new species. Describing the WT consisted of the characterization of extremes as well as optimal growth conditions. The WT was found to grow at initial pH levels of 9.0 and 9.5. It grew from 15 °C to 45 °C, but not at 47 °C and not at 12 °C, and had an optimum at 39 °C. The WT had measurable growth up to 40 g/L NaCl, and had its optimum at 0 g/L. The WT grew best with H2/CO2 substrate, but also grew well on formate.

Methanogens are supposed to be one of the first life forms that emerged and evolved on early Earth inan environment of high depths and pressure utilizing the chemical energy provided by serpentinization.Serpentinization is a geological process that involves the transformation of low-silica ultramafic rocks,which are present in the lower oceanic crust and upper mantle. During this transformation minerals arereacting with water producing H2. Methanogens that can utilize this H2 to reduce the available CO2(hydrogenotrophs) can thrive in an environment like that, taking advantage of the substrate and energyflow that exists and thrive at these ecosystems. Methanobacterium oryzae is a hydrogenotrophicmethanogen that belongs to the order Methanobacteriales and has been isolated from a rice field inPhilippines. Methanobacterium oryzae strain FPi and a strain (wild strain) similar to that, isolated froman ophiolitic outcrop in an active serpentine site in Chimaera, Antalya, Turkey in 2017, have been usedin this study and have been tested for their survivability and adaptation abilities in different iron and O2concentrations. The two strains were cultivated in mediums with 4 different iron and 2 different O2concentrations for a duration ranging from 9 to 21 weeks. Gas chromatography was used to analyzeweekly gas samples for CH4 and CO2 concentrations that have been used as growth indicators. Scanningelectron microscope pictures have been taken to assess cell presence and contamination as well asidentify mineral precipitates. The results indicate the importance of iron for these species showinglimited or no growth when treated with no iron and enhanced growth at higher concentrations of iron.Furthermore, O2 has hindered or inhibited growth in most of the samples, but lower oxygenconcentrations seem to be tolerated by some specimens throughout the experimental time. Furtherresearch for the detection of the mechanisms behind the survivability of the methanogens with no ironand with oxygen in the medium is needed to further reveal the limits of life and provide moreinformation about the organisms that might have been the first ones that inhabited our planet.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:55:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6569.pdf: 7813080 bytes, checksum: 5bddbc1ed667ee4456bc01f930d2c15a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-11-25 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / study evaluated the production of hydrogen and methane from sugarcane vinasse in anaerobic fluidized bed reactor. Two fluidized bed reactors filled with expanded clay were operated under two different concentrations: R5 (5 gCOD.L-1) and R10 (10 g.CODL-1). During the first stage, glucose was used as the primary carbon source. Along the first step vinasse was added from 0% to 100% of the organic source under HRT of 6 h. In a second step with 100% of sugarcane vinasse, HRT was reduced to 4, 2 and 1 h. In another reactor R15 (15 gCOD.L-1) it was varied the substrate (100% glucose; 50 % glucose/ 50 % vinasse; 100 % vinasse) under HRT of 8 h. All reactors were operated in room temperature and a sludge from the treatment of swine wastewater was used. It was not observed methane production in R15. Hydrogen production rate and hydrogen yield reached, respectively: 0,01 L.h-1.L-1 e 0,10 mmolH2.g-1COD added. In reactors R5 and R10, biogas was formed by H2 and CO2 when glucose was present in the feed. Methane was formed when vinasse became the main substrate. The best operating condition occurred under HRT of 1 h, vinasse 100% at a concentration of 5 gCOD. L-1 with a hydrogen production rate of 0.57 L.h.-1L-1. As regards the yield, the best condition was under HRT of 6 h when the affluent comprised vinasse and glucose (3:1) reaching an yield of 3.07 mmolH2.g-1CODadded. Methane production in acidic conditions showed that the methanogens have adapted to a slightly acidic pH of 4.5. The principal metabolites were ethanol, butyric acid, propionic acid and methanol. Microbial characterization revealed the presence of Prevotella and Megasphaera belonging to the domain Bacteria and Methanobacterium and Methanosphaera belonging to the Archaea domain. / O presente estudo avaliou a produção de hidrogênio e metano a partir de vinhaça de cana-de-açúcar em reator anaeróbio de leito fluidizado. Dois reatores de leito fluidizado preenchidos com argila expandida foram operados sob duas diferentes concentrações de substratos: R5 (5 gDQO.L-1) e R10 (10 gDQO.L-1). Durante a primeira etapa, a glicose foi utilizada como fonte de carbono principal. Em seguida, a vinhaça foi adicionada passando de 0% a 100% da fonte orgânica sob o tempo de detenção hidráulica de 6 h. Numa segunda etapa com 100 % de vinhaça, foi feita a redução do TDH para 4, 2 e 1 h. Um terceiro reator foi empregado com uma concentração maior R15 (15 gDQO.L-1) na qual foi variado o substrato (100% glicose, 50% glicose/50 % vinhaça, 100 % vinhaça) sob o tempo de detenção hidráulica de 8 h. Todos os reatores foram operados em temperatura ambiente e foi utilizado lodo proveniente do tratamento de resíduos da suinocultura. Não foi observada produção de metano no reator R15, apenas H2 e CO2. A produção volumétrica e rendimento de hidrogênio atingiu um máximo de 0,01 L.h-1.L-1 e 0,10 mmolH2.g- 1DQOadicionada na fase de alimentação com vinhaça. Nos reatores R5 e R10 o biogás foi formado por H2 e CO2 quando ainda havia glicose como substrato. Metano foi formado quando a vinhaça se tornou o substrato principal. A melhor condição de operação se deu sob o TDH de 1 h, vinhaça 100 % a uma concentração de 5 gDQO.L-1 quando foi obtida uma produção volumétrica de hidrogênio de 0,57 L.h-1.L-1. No que se refere ao rendimento, a melhor condição se deu sob o TDH de 6 h quando o afluente era constituído por vinhaça e glicose (3:1) e um rendimento de 3,07 mmolH2.g-1DQOadicionada. A produção de metano em condições ácidas mostrou que as metanogênicas consumidoras de hidrogênio se adaptaram ao pH levemente ácido de 4,5. Os principais metabólitos produzidos foram etanol, ácido butírico, ácido propiônico e metanol. A caracterização microbiana revelou a presença de Prevotella e Megasphaera pertencentes ao domínio Bacteria e Methanobacterium e Methanosphaera pertencentes ao domínio Archaea.