Cloning and characterization of the methyl coenzyme M reductase genes from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum

The genes coding for methyl coenzyme M reductase were cloned from a genomic library of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg into Escherichia coli by using plasmid expression vectors. When introduced into E. coli, the reductase genes were expressed, yielding polypeptides identical in size to the three known subunits of the isolated enzyme, alpha, beta, and gamma. The polypeptides also reacted with the antibodies raised against the respective enzyme subunits. In M. thermoautotrophicum, the subunits are encoded by a gene cluster whose transcript boundaries were mapped. Sequence analysis revealed two more open reading frames of unknown function located between two of the methyl coenzyme M reductase genes.