5,10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase (Mer)

5,10-Methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductase (Mer) is a vital enzyme in the methanogenesis pathway of archaea, including those residing in the human gut such as Methanobrevibacter smithii. It catalyzes the reversible reduction of 5,10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin to 5-methyltetrahydromethanopterin using reduced coenzyme F420 as an electron donor. This reaction is a key step in the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane, a process that allows methanogens to conserve energy for ATP synthesis. In human health, the presence of methanogens in the gut has been linked to increased energy harvest from the diet, which is associated with obesity, and to the production of methane gas, which is a known factor in constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). While Mer is a potential therapeutic target for modulating the gut microbiome to address metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, most current anti-methanogenic research focuses on other enzymes in the pathway, such as methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR). No drugs specifically targeting Mer are currently in clinical use, but it remains a subject of interest for developing selective inhibitors to reduce methane production in both medical and environmental contexts.

Other names

N5,N10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin reductaseMethylene-H4MPT reductaseCoenzyme F420-dependent N5,N10-methenyltetrahydromethanopterin reductase5,10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin:coenzyme-F420 oxidoreductase5-methyltetrahydromethanopterin:coenzyme-F420 oxidoreductase

Inhibition of the methanogenesis pathway to reduce methane production and energy harvest from the gut microbiome.