title: 7-methylpterin derivatives in extracts of methanogens characterized by a relatively low methanopterin content.
abstract: Cofactor extracts of five hydrogenotrophic methanogenic bacteria which contain relatively low amounts of methanopterin were screened for the presence of 7-methylpterin derivatives. Extracts of Methanospirillum hungatei, Methanobrevibacter smithii and Methanoplanus endosymbiosus were found to contain 7-methylpterin and methanopterin. These compounds were absent in extracts of Methanogenium thermophilicum and Methanogenium tatii. An unidentified methanopterin-like compound was detected in extracts of these two species and of Msp. hungatei, while a 7-methylpterin-like compound was found in extracts of Mp. endosymbiosus. A possible physiological role of the latter two compounds is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Gorris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Drift
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Vogels
mesh_terms: D001685:Biological Factors / Q000032:analysis; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000032:analysis*; D011622:Pterins / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors; D011622:Pterins; C036686:methanopterin