The F₁F_OATP synthase genes inMethanosarcina acetivoransare dispensable for growth and ATP synthesis

There is a long-standing discussion in the literature, based on biochemical and genomic data, whether some archaeal species may have two structurally and functionally distinct ATP synthases in one cell: the archaeal Lambda(1)Lambda(O) together with the bacterial F1FO ATP synthase. To address a potential role of the bacterial F1FO ATP synthase, we have exchanged the F1FO ATPase gene cluster in Methanosarcina acetivorans against a puromycin resistance cassette. Interestingly, the mutant was able to grow with no difference in growth kinetics to the wild type, and cellular ATP contents were identical in the wild type and the mutant. These data demonstrate that the F1FO ATP synthase is dispensable for the growth of M. acetivorans.