title: Thermophilic archaea activate butane via alkyl-coenzyme M formation.
abstract: The anaerobic formation and oxidation of methane involve unique enzymatic mechanisms and cofactors, all of which are believed to be specific for C1-compounds. Here we show that an anaerobic thermophilic enrichment culture composed of dense consortia of archaea and bacteria apparently uses partly similar pathways to oxidize the C4hydrocarbon butane. The archaea, proposed genus 'Candidatus Syntrophoarchaeum', show the characteristic autofluorescence of methanogens, and contain highly expressed genes encoding enzymes similar to methyl-coenzyme M reductase. We detect butyl-coenzyme M, indicating archaeal butane activation analogous to the first step in anaerobic methane oxidation. In addition, Ca. Syntrophoarchaeum expresses the genes encoding β-oxidation enzymes, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and reversible C1methanogenesis enzymes. This allows for the complete oxidation of butane. Reducing equivalents are seemingly channelled to HotSeep-1, a thermophilic sulfate-reducing partner bacterium known from the anaerobic oxidation of methane. Genes encoding 16S rRNA and methyl-coenzyme M reductase similar to those identifying Ca. Syntrophoarchaeum were repeatedly retrieved from marine subsurface sediments, suggesting that the presented activation mechanism is naturally widespread in the anaerobic oxidation of short-chain hydrocarbons.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.|Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laso-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.|Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.|MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wegener
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Knittel
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Widdel
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Katie J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.|Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krukenberg
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dimitri V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.|Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Halina E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Tegetmeyer
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Hermann
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Richnow
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Lorenz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adrian
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reemtsma
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Lechtenfeld
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.|Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Florin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Musat
mesh_terms: D000478:Alkylation; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055162:Biocatalysis; D002073:Butanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015080:Mesna / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D002073:Butanes; D013431:Sulfates; C046888:butane; D015080:Mesna