Methane-generating microorganisms (methanogens) synthesize methane as both an alternative energy source and a greenhouse gas. In addition to their environmental impacts, these organisms are medically important because methanogens in the human gut have been correlated with obesity. Research in the principal investigator's laboratory focuses on the discovery of proteins needed for microbial methane generation and the development of chemical inhibitors that may decrease methanogen contributions to greenhouse gases and obesity in the future. The research is conducted by high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students at California State University at Fullerton, a primary undergraduate institution and Hispanic-serving university. This research contributes to the reduction of biological methane production and to the development of the next generation of scientific researchers in the United States.
With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding research by Professor Madeline Rasche at California State University-Fullerton to understand and chemically inhibit dihydromethanopterin reductase. Tetrahydromethanopterin (H4MPT) is an unusual folate-like cofactor required for the microbial synthesis of methane as an energy source and greenhouse gas. The flavoprotein dihydromethanopterin reductase (Dmr) catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of H4MPT, and this enzyme is a potential target for chemical inhibitors designed to mitigate biological methane production. Based on the X-ray crystal structure of dihydromethanopterin reductase B (DmrB) from Burkholderia xenovorans, a ping-pong mechanism for electron transfer has been proposed. The goal of this NSF-funded research is to test structure-based hypotheses about the mechanism of electron transfer in the bacterial protein (DmrB) and in a homolog of dihydromethanopterin reductase (DmrX) from a true methane-producing microorganism. The research is conducted by an integrated network of high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students at California State University at Fullerton, a primarily undergraduate institution and Hispanic-serving university. This research contributes to the development of chemical inhibitors of methane as a greenhouse gas and to the education of the next generation of chemistry researchers in the United States.
