Role of the precorrin 6-X reductase gene in cobamide biosynthesis inMethanococcus maripaludis
Keyword(s):
InMethanococcus maripaludisstrain JJ, deletion of the homolog tocbiJ, which encodes the corrin biosynthetic enzyme precorrin 6-X reductase, yielded an auxotroph that required either cobamide or acetate for good growth. This phenotype closely resembled that of JJ117, a mutant in which tandem repeats were introduced into the region immediately downstream of the homolog ofcbiJ. Mutant JJ117 also produced low quantities of cobamides, about 15 nmol g–1protein or 1–2% of the amount found in wild-type cells. These results confirm the role of thecbiJhomolog in cobamide biosynthesis in the Archaea and suggest the presence of low amounts of a bypass activity in these organisms.