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Characterization Of Iron-Sulfur Cluster Biogenesis In Methanogenic Archaea, Thomas Modlin Deere
Characterization Of Iron-Sulfur Cluster Biogenesis In Methanogenic Archaea, Thomas Modlin Deere
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are among the oldest cofactors on the planet, used by proteins in almost all forms of life on Earth to carry out processes ranging from energy transfer to DNA replication. Among the organisms believed to use these Fe-S proteins more extensively than almost any others are the methanogens, an ancient lineage of archaeal microbes that produce methane as a required product of their metabolism. Methane, the primary component of commercial natural gas, is both a potent greenhouse gas and an important fossil fuel. It can also be renewably produced as a biofuel. Biogenic methane is almost entirely …
Oxidative Stress Response In Archaea: Elucidation Of Oxidant Sensing And Tolerance Mechanisms In Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Matthew Edward Jennings
Oxidative Stress Response In Archaea: Elucidation Of Oxidant Sensing And Tolerance Mechanisms In Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Matthew Edward Jennings
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Methanogens are archaea possessing a conserved metabolic pathway which produces methane. Many of the enzymes in the methanogenesis pathway are Fe-S proteins, meaning methanogens are sensitive to conditions which disrupt Fe-S clusters. Molecular oxygen is capable of disrupting Fe-S clusters through oxidation of the iron atoms. Furthermore, reduced iron can facilitate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), meaning methanogens must possess antioxidant mechanisms. Detection and eradication of ROS is important for all cells, due to the potentially fatal consequences of unchecked oxidation. This dissertation presents two separate projects investigating mechanisms the model methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans possess for dealing with …