Aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria of the Alphaproteobacteria have been found to express a novel ribosomally synthesized post-translationally modified polypeptide (RiPP) termed methanobactin (MB). The primary function of MB in these microbes appears to be for copper uptake, but MB has been shown to have multiple capabilities, including oxidase, superoxide dismutase and hydrogen peroxide reductase activities, the ability to detoxify mercury species, as well as acting as an antimicrobial agent. Herein, we describe the diversity of known MBs as well as the genetics underlying MB biosynthesis. We further propose based on bioinformatics analyses that some methanotrophs may produce novel forms of MB that have yet to be characterized. We also discuss recent findings documenting that MBs play an important role in controlling copper availability to the broader microbial community, and as a result can strongly affect the activity of microbes that require copper for important enzymatic transformations, e.g. conversion of nitrous oxide to dinitrogen. Finally, we describe procedures for the detection/purification of MB, as well as potential medical and industrial applications of this intriguing RiPP.

中文翻译：

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甲烷营养菌的甲烷菌素：遗传学，结构，功能和潜在应用。

业已发现，阿尔法变形杆菌的好氧甲烷氧化细菌可表达一种新型的核糖体合成的翻译后修饰多肽（RiPP），称为甲烷菌素（MB）。MB在这些微生物中的主要功能似乎是对铜的吸收，但MB已显示出多种功能，包括氧化酶，超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢还原酶活性，对汞物质进行解毒的能力以及充当抗菌剂。代理商。在这里，我们描述了已知MB的多样性以及MB生物合成的基础遗传学。我们进一步建议根据生物信息学分析，一些甲烷营养生物可能会产生尚未表征的新型MB。我们还讨论了最近的发现，这些发现证明MB在控制铜向更广泛的微生物群落的可用性方面起着重要作用，因此可以强烈影响需要铜进行重要酶促转化（例如一氧化二氮转化为二氮）的微生物的活性。最后，我们描述了MB的检测/纯化程序，以及这种有趣的RiPP的潜在医学和工业应用。