Methyl-coenzyme M reductase

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) is a crucial enzyme in archaea metabolism. MCR catalyzes the last step of methane reduction in methanogens and the first step of methane oxidation into CO2 in methanotrophic and alkanotrophic archaea. Methane is an important gas in the energetic field but again is the principal greenhouse gas emitted by ruminant husbandry. In the past few decades, researchers discovered MCR inhibitors to decrease gas emissions by animals and control the phenomenon of the greenhouse effect. Currently, there are no data on the identification of activators of the archaeal MCR.