FEATURES

FAMILY

methyl-coenzyme M reductase alpha subunit family

DESCRIPTION

Also known as MCRA_METTM, mcrA. Component of the methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) I that catalyzes the reductive cleavage of methyl-coenzyme M (CoM-S-CH3 or 2-(methylthio)ethanesulfonate) using coenzyme B (CoB or 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate) as reductant which results in the production of methane and the mixed heterodisulfide of CoB and CoM (CoM-S-S-CoB). This is the final step in methanogenesis (PubMed:2269306, PubMed:3350018, PubMed:27140643). Neither N-6-mercaptohexanoylthreonine phosphate (H-S-HxoTP) nor N-8-mercaptooctanoylthreonine phosphate (H-SOcoTP) nor any other thiol compound such as CoA or CoM can substitute for CoB as the electron donor (PubMed:3350018). MCR is a hexamer of two alpha, two beta, and two gamma chains, forming a dimer of heterotrimers.

EXTERNAL LINKS

mcrA

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase I subunit alpha

mcrA

Molecular Synopsis