Corrinoids in anaerobic bacteria

1990/12/01 by Erhard Stupperich, Hans-Jürgen Eisinger, Hans-Jà ⁄ rgen Eisinger +1
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Folate and B Vitamins Research #Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide #Porphyrin Metabolism and Disorders

paper · doi:10.1111/j.1574-6968.1990.tb04936.x

openalex publication_date 1990/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

C1-metabolizing bacteria were analyzed for their corrinoids. The autotrophic phototrophe Chloroflexus aurantiacus contains predominantly the light-sensitive coenzyme B12. The corrinoid could be teh prostethic group of a methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, which is involved in the CO2 fixing reaction sequence from proplonyl-CoA to succinyl CoA. Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and Sporomusa ovata contain only traces of light-sensitive corrinoids, indicating that the demethylation reaction is favored, if these corrinoids are involved in methyl transfer reactions. The chemical structure of the unique p-cresolyl cobamide is specific for the acetogenic bacterium S. ovata, rather than the corrinoid ‘factor III’ for methanogenic bacteria.

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