Purified 2-methyleneglutarate mutase from Clostridium barkeri contains adenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B12) and varying amounts of oxygen-stable cob(II)alamin. The content of the latter was estimated by EPR spectroscopy at 6-11% of the total cobalamin (2-4 mol/mol enzyme). Tryptic digestion of the enzyme liberated the prosthetic groups, cob(II)alamin being oxidized by air to aquocobalamin. HPLC analysis of the released cobamides from several preparations revealed > 90% adenosylcobalamin and < 10% aquocobalamin. Treatment of active 2-methyleneglutarate mutase with 8M urea followed by gelfiltration yielded an inactive enzyme from which 50% of the adenosylcobalamin and up to 70% of the cob(II)alamin was removed. Addition of adenosylcobalamin to the urea-treated enzyme resulted in complete reactivation, but the content of cob(II)alamin was not increased. These data suggest that the oxygen-stable cob(II)alamin is not involved in catalysis. In the presence of the competitive inhibitor itaconate (methylenesuccinate, Ki = 0.7mM), an alteration of the UV/visible spectrum at 470 nm as well as a new line in the EPR spectrum of the enzyme (around g = 2.1) was observed. The results indicate the formation of an unusual, oxygen sensitive Co(II) species during catalysis. The EPR signal of the oxygen-stable cob(II)alamin (gx,y = 2.24) remained unchanged under those conditions.