Hydrogenases are nature's key catalysts involved in both microbial consumption and production of molecular hydrogen. H 2 exhibits a strongly bonded, almost inert electron pair and requires transition metals for activation. Consequently, all hydrogenases are metalloenzymes that contain at least one iron atom in the catalytic center. For appropriate interaction with H 2 , the iron moiety demands for a sophisticated coordination environment that cannot be provided just by standard amino acids. This dilemma has been overcome by the introduction of unprecedented chemistry-that is, by ligating the iron with carbon monoxide (CO) and cyanide (or equivalent) groups. These ligands are both unprecedented in microbial metabolism and, in their free form, highly toxic to living organisms. Therefore, the formation of the diatomic ligands relies on dedicated biosynthesis pathways. So far, biosynthesis of the CO ligand in [NiFe]-hydrogenases was unknown. Here we show that the aerobic H 2 oxidizer Ralstonia eutropha, which produces active [NiFe]-hydrogenases in the presence of O 2 , employs the auxiliary protein HypX (hydrogenase pleiotropic maturation X) for CO ligand formation. Using genetic engineering and isotope labeling experiments in combination with infrared spectroscopic investigations, we demonstrate that the α-carbon of glycine ends up in the CO ligand of [NiFe]-hydrogenase. The α-carbon of glycine is a building block of the central one-carbon metabolism intermediate, N 10 -formyl-tetrahydrofolate (N 10 -CHO-THF). Evidence is presented that the multidomain protein, HypX, converts the formyl group of N 10 -CHO-THF into water and CO, thereby providing the carbonyl ligand for hydrogenase. This study contributes insights into microbial biosynthesis of metal carbonyls involving toxic intermediates.H ydrogenases are abundant metalloenzymes in prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes in which they catalyze the reversible oxidation of molecular hydrogen into protons and electrons. Depending on the physiological conditions, hydrogenases enable their hosts either to use hydrogen as an energy source or to dissipate excess, reducing power as molecular hydrogen (1, 2). Enzymatic cycling of H 2 is characterized by high substrate specificity and high turnover rates and has received great attention from both fundamental and applied perspectives (3).The two major classes of hydrogenases, [FeFe]-and [NiFe]-hydrogenases, are grouped on the basis of their metal content in the catalytic center. Although their active site structures differ considerably, the two hydrogenase types share uncommon, nonproteinaceous diatomic iron ligands. The diiron site of [FeFe]-hydrogenases is equipped with two cyanide (CN − ) and three carbon monoxide (CO) molecules, whereas the active site iron of [NiFe]-hydrogenases ligates two CN − residues and one CO (1-5). Biosynthesis of these diatomic ligands involves intriguing chemistry, which is challenging for a living cell because of the toxicity of free CN − and CO molecules. In the case of [NiFe]-hydrogenases, at least...