| PW402413 | Formaldehyde assimilation ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway | Reaction compounds not found | | The formaldehyde assimilation ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway is a key metabolic route in certain methylotrophic bacteria that allows the incorporation of formaldehyde, derived from methane oxidation, into central metabolism. Methane, the simplest hydrocarbon, can originate from natural sources like wetlands, geologic seepages, or anaerobic digestion of organic matter, as well as anthropogenic sources such as agriculture, fossil fuel extraction, and landfills. Methanotrophic bacteria oxidize methane to methanol via methane monooxygenase (MMO) and further oxidize methanol to formaldehyde using methanol dehydrogenase. In the RuMP pathway, formaldehyde reacts with ribulose-5-phosphate, a pentose phosphate pathway intermediate, to form hexulose-6-phosphate in a reaction catalyzed by hexulose phosphate synthase. This intermediate is subsequently isomerized into fructose-6-phosphate, which can enter glycolysis or biosynthetic pathways. The RuMP pathway enables bacteria to efficiently assimilate methane-derived carbon into biomass, providing both energy and carbon under aerobic conditions. This process is essential for bacteria living in methane-rich environments and contributes to global methane cycling by reducing methane levels in the atmosphere. |
