Cleavage of the acetyl carbon-carbon bond of acetyl-CoA in Methanosarcina barkeri is catalyzed by a high molecular mass multienzyme complex. The complex contains a corrinoid protein and carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and requires tetrahydrosarcinapterin (H4SPt) as methyl group acceptor. Reactions of the enzyme complex with carbon monoxide and with the methyl group donor N5-methyltetrahydrosarcinapterin (CH3-H4SPt) have been analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy. Reduction of the enzyme complex by CO occurred in two steps. In the first step, difference spectra exhibited peaks of maximal absorbance decrease at 426 nm (major) and 324 nm (minor), characteristic of Fe-S cluster reduction. In the second step, corrinoid reduction to the Co1+ level was indicated by a prominent peak of increased absorbance at 394 nm. Spectrophotometric analyses of the corrinoid redox state were performed on the intact complex at potentials poised by equilibration with gas mixtures containing different [CO2]/[CO] ratios or by variation of the [H+]/[H2] ratio. The corrinoid Co2+/1+ midpoint potential was -426 mV (+/- 4 mV, n = 1.16 electrons, 24 degrees C), independent of pH (pH 6.4-8.0). The results indicated a significant fraction of Co1+ corrinoid at potentials existing in vivo. The reduced corrinoid reacted very rapidly with CH3-H4SPt. Reaction with methyl iodide was slow, and methylation by S-adenosylmethionine was not observed. Tne rate of methyl group transfer from CH3-H4SPt greatly exceeded the rate of CO reduction of enzyme centers. The enzyme complex catalyzed efficient synthesis of acetyl-CoA from coenzyme A, CO, and CH3-H4SPt. During acetyl-CoA synthesis, demethylation of CH3-H4SPt was monitored by the absorbance increase at 312 nm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)