Methanococcus jannaschii Coenzyme F 420 Analogs Contain a Terminal α-Linked Glutamate

Abstract
Analyses of the F 420 s present in Methanococcus jannaschii have shown that these cells contain a series of γ-glutamyl-linked F 420 s capped with a single, terminal α-linked l -glutamate. The predominant form of F 420 was designated as α-F 420 -3 and represented 86% of the F 420 s in these cells. Analyses of Methanosarcina thermophila , Methanosarcina barkeri , Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum , Archaeoglobus fulgidus , and Mycobacterium smegmatis showed that they contained only γ-glutamyl-linked F 420 s.