Breakthrough in methane research: Marburg team decodes key enzymes

Breakthrough in methane research: Marburg team decodes key enzymes

On April 16, 2025, a research team from Philipps University Marburg achieved a promising breakthrough in methane research. The findings, published in the renowned research magazine Nature, focus on the activation of methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR), a central enzyme in biological methane production. Methane (CH4) has a global warming potential many times higher than carbon dioxide (CO2) and therefore represents a significant challenge in the fight against climate change.

For the first time, the researchers were able to isolate and characterize the MCR activation complex from a methanogenic model organism. This process requires a small protein known as McrC, as well as specific methanogenic marker proteins (MMPs) and an ATPase. The activation of MCR is orchestrated by the provision of energy in the form of ATP. Until now, it was unclear exactly how this mechanism works, particularly due to the challenge associated with the nickel atom in cofactor F430.

Developments in biochemical methane production

The researchers identified three specialized metal compounds, called L-clusters, using cryo-electron microscopy. These L-clusters, which were previously only suspected in connection with nitrogenases, show an interesting connection between methane production and nitrogen fixation. This advance could have important implications for regulating methane emissions and understanding biogeochemical cycles.

The results of the study are seen as a milestone in biochemical process research. Prof. Dr. Gert Bange, a leading scientist at the University of Marburg, highlights the university's excellence in microbiology and climate research and emphasizes the perspectives that the new findings offer for climate research and evolutionary biology. The original publication on this is under the DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08890-7 to find.

Connection between methanogens and microbes

The findings on MCR are particularly relevant because they must be considered in the context of previous research. For example, Ueno et al. (2006) the microbial methanogenesis in the early Archaean era. Wolfe and Fournier (2018) also analyze how horizontal gene transfer has influenced the evolution of methanogens. Work by Thauer and others (2008; 2019) shows how ecological differences in energy production and the role of methyl-coenzyme M reductases in anaerobic methane formation are highlighted.

The Max Planck Institute for Biophysics and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg also contribute to this field of knowledge by studying methane production by archaebacteria in oxygen-free environments. These archaebacteria are active in various habitats such as rice fields, moors and cow stomachs and play an essential role in biological methane formation.

Through deeper knowledge of the enzyme structures, especially the nickel-iron hydrogenases, which are crucial for methane formation, future technical applications in hydrogen production could be developed. These enzymes could be optimized to increase their stability towards oxygen and thus open up new possibilities for energy production.

Current research therefore promises not only a better understanding of biological methane production, but also approaches to combating climatic challenges through improved technologies.