title: Structural elements of methanopterin, a novel pterin present in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum.
abstract: During short-time labeling experiments, cells of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum incorporate a substantial part of 14CO2 in a yellow fluorescent compound (called YFC) [Daniels, L. & Zeikus, J. G. (1978) J. Bacteriol. 136, 75-84]. As the compound was present only in small amounts, its more abundant, metabolic precursor was identified, extracted and purified by column chromatography. The chromophore of this compound is 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine (pterin) as indicated by its ultraviolet-visible-light absorption and fluorescence properties. Decomposition studies revealed the presence of a number of structural elements, viz. glutamic acid, phosphate and a hexosamine. 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectra pointed to the presence of additional, as yet unidentified, elements. The compound is a complex, novel pterin derivative, which we have called methanopterin.
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer / Q000379:methods; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000032:analysis*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011622:Pterins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D011622:Pterins; C036686:methanopterin