Corphin is the F-430 cofactor found in methyl-coenzyme M reductase, a nickel containing enzyme that catalyzes one step in the conversion of carbon dioxide to methane in methanogenic Archaea. (Methane producing organisms are known only in the domain Archaea. Archaea are single celled microorganisms, once believed to be bacteria, but now known to have evolved separately from bacteria.) The Ni ion in F-430 is coordinated by the tetrahydrocorphin ligand. This ligand combines the structural elements of both porphyrins and corrins.
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