Crucial step identified in the conversion of biomass to methane
Researchers find the enzymatic link in the formation of methane from fatty acids by cooperating microorganisms
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Study on oxidoreductase
The scientists investigated a previously uncharacterized membrane-bound oxidoreductase (EMO) from the fermenting bacterium Syntrophus aciditrophicus. They provided biochemical evidence that the heme-b cofactors of this membrane-bound oxidoreductase and a modified quinone with perfectly matched redox potentials are the main players in this microbial process. Bioinformatics analyses also suggest that these oxidoreductases are widely distributed in prokaryotes, organisms such as bacteria and archaea whose cells lack a nucleus. “The results not only close our knowledge gap on the conversion of biomass to methane,” Boll explains. “We may additionally identify EMOs as previously overlooked key components of lipid metabolism in the vast majority of all microorganisms.”
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