Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41365856›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Identification of overoxidizing and non-overoxidizing NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenases and implications for synthetic methylotrophy.

Philipp Keller, Emese Hegedis, Benedikt Jäger, Simon H Rüdisser, Hedwig Schultz, Lars A Büchel, Andrea M Ochsner, Timothy Bradley, Michael A Reiter, Donald Hilvert and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Comparative Genomic Analysis and Data About the Metabolism of the GenusInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Philipp Keller *Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. kellerp@ethz.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3962-5078
Emese Hegedis *Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-4306-7842
Benedikt JägerInstitute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-1191
Simon H RüdisserBiomolecular NMR Spectroscopy Platform, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Hedwig SchultzInstitute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-8627-5530
Lars A BüchelInstitute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-7016-9234
Andrea M OchsnerInstitute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Timothy BradleyInstitute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8049-7851
Michael A ReiterInstitute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-8614-2727
Donald HilvertLaboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3941-621X
Julia A VorholtInstitute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. jvorholt@ethz.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6011-4910

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 10.002.015Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 310030B-201265
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Synthetic methylotrophy offers opportunities for sustainable chemical and biofuel production. While recently established methylotrophic E. coli can grow on methanol, undesirable formate accumulation occurs during growth and bioproduction. Here, we show that NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenase Mdh2 from Cupriavidus necator inherently overoxidizes methanol to formate, a trait we find to be widespread among NAD-dependent Mdh enzymes. In contrast, Mdh/Mdh1 enzymes from Bacillus methanolicus exclusively oxidize methanol to formaldehyde without overoxidation, as we validate in vitro for Mdh Bm MGA3 with and without activator protein Act. Since only formaldehyde is assimilated via the ribulose monophosphate pathway, this explains the physiological role of Mdh/Mdh1 paralogs in natural methylotrophs and highlights the importance of selecting appropriate Mdh variants for synthetic methylotrophy. We demonstrate methanol-dependent growth using non-overoxidizing Mdh Bm MGA3, strongly reducing formate accumulation and carbon loss. Our findings reveal a characteristic of NAD-dependent Mdh enzymes and provide insights for engineering synthetic methylotrophs.

Indexed as

Alcohol OxidoreductasesBacterial ProteinsCupriavidus necatorMethanolNADBacillusEscherichia coliFormaldehydeFormatesOxidation-Reductionalcohol dehydrogenase (acceptor)Alcohol OxidoreductasesBacterial ProteinsFormaldehydeFormatesformic acidMethanolNAD

Identifiers

PMID41365856
PMCPMC12690137

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.