Methanogenesis marker 16 metalloprotein is the primary coenzyme M synthase in Methanosarcina acetivorans

2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (Coenzyme M, CoM) is an organic sulfur-containing cofactor used for hydrocarbon metabolism in archaea and bacteria. In archaea, CoM serves as an alkyl group carrier for enzymes belonging to the alkyl-CoM reductase family, including methyl-CoM reductase, which catalyzes methane formation in methanogens. Two pathways for the biosynthesis of CoM have been identified in methanogenic archaea. The initial steps of these pathways are distinct but the last two reactions, leading up to CoM formation, are universally conserved. The final step is proposed to be mediated by methanogenesis marker metalloprotein 16 (MMP16), a putative sulfurtransferase, that replaces the aldehyde group of sulfoacetaldehyde with a thiol to generate CoM. Based on prior research, assignment of MMP16 as CoM synthase (ComF) is not widely accepted as deletion mutants have been shown to grow without any CoM dependence. Here, we investigate the role of MMP16 in the model methanogen, Methanosarcina acetivorans. We show that a mutant lacking MMP16 has a CoM-dependent growth phenotype and a global transcriptomic profile reflective of CoM-starvation. Additionally, the ∆ MMP16 mutant is a CoM auxotroph in sulfide-free medium. These data reinforce prior claims that MMP16 is a bona fide ComF but point to backup pathway(s) that can conditionally compensate for its absence. We found that L-aspartate semialdehyde sulfurtransferase (L-ASST), catalyzing a sulfurtransferase reaction during homocysteine biosynthesis in methanogens, is potentially involved in genetic compensation of the MMP16 deletion. Even though both L-ASST and MMP16 are members of the COG1900 family, site-directed mutagenesis of conserved cysteine residues implicated in catalysis reveal that the underlying reaction mechanisms may be distinct.