Analysis of Methane Monooxygenase Genes in Mono Lake Suggests That Increased Methane Oxidation Activity May Correlate with a Change in Methanotroph Community Structure

Mono Lake is an alkaline hypersaline lake that supports high methane oxidation rates. Retrieved pmoA sequences showed a broad diversity of aerobic methane oxidizers including the type I methanotrophs Methylobacter (the dominant genus), Methylomicrobium, and Methylothermus, and the type II methanotroph Methylocystis. Stratification of Mono Lake resulted in variation of aerobic methane oxidation rates with depth. Methanotroph diversity as determined by analysis of pmoA using new denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis primers suggested that variations in methane oxidation activity may correlate with changes in methanotroph community composition.     

Detection of Methanotroph Diversity on Roots of Submerged Rice Plants by Molecular Retrieval of pmoA, mmoX, mxaF, and 16S rRNA and Ribosomal DNA, Including pmoA-Based Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Profiling

The diversity of methanotrophic bacteria associated with roots of submerged rice plants was assessed using cultivation-independent techniques. The research focused mainly on the retrieval of pmoA, which encodes the α subunit of the particulate methane monooxygenase. A novel methanotroph-specific community-profiling method was established using the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique. The T-RFLP profiles clearly revealed a more complex root-associated methanotrophic community than did banding patterns obtained by pmoA-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The comparison of pmoA-based T-RFLP profiles obtained from rice roots and bulk soil of flooded rice microcosms suggested that there was a substantially higher abundance of type I methanotrophs on rice roots than in the bulk soil. These were affiliated to the genera Methylomonas, Methylobacter, Methylococcus, and to a novel type I methanotroph sublineage. By contrast, type II methanotrophs of the Methylocystis-Methylosinus group could be detected with high relative signal intensity in both soil and root compartments. Phylogenetic treeing analyses and a set of substrate-diagnostic amino acid residues provided evidence that a novel pmoA lineage was detected. This branched distinctly from all currently known methanotrophs. To examine whether the retrieval of pmoA provided a complete view of root-associated methanotroph diversity, we also assessed the diversity detectable by recovery of genes coding for subunits of soluble methane monooxygenase (mmoX) and methanol dehydrogenase (mxaF). In addition, both 16S rRNA and 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were retrieved using a PCR primer set specific to type I methanotrophs. The overall methanotroph diversity detected by recovery of mmoX, mxaF, and 16S rRNA and 16S rDNA corresponded well to the diversity detectable by retrieval of pmoA.     

Termites Facilitate Methane Oxidation and Shape the Methanotrophic Community

Termite-derived methane contributes 3 to 4% to the total methane budget globally. Termites are not known to harbor methane-oxidizing microorganisms (methanotrophs). However, a considerable fraction of the methane produced can be consumed by methanotrophs that inhabit the mound material, yet the methanotroph ecology in these environments is virtually unknown. The potential for methane oxidation was determined using slurry incubations under conditions with high (12%) and in situ (∼0.004%) methane concentrations through a vertical profile of a termite (Macrotermes falciger) mound and a reference soil. Interestingly, the mound material showed higher methanotrophic activity. The methanotroph community structure was determined by means of a pmoA-based diagnostic microarray. Although the methanotrophs in the mound were derived from populations in the reference soil, it appears that termite activity selected for a distinct community. Applying an indicator species analysis revealed that putative atmospheric methane oxidizers (high-indicator-value probes specific for the JR3 cluster) were indicative of the active nest area, whereas methanotrophs belonging to both type I and type II were indicative of the reference soil. We conclude that termites modify their environment, resulting in higher methane oxidation and selecting and/or enriching for a distinct methanotroph population.     

Gammaproteobacterial Methanotrophs Dominate Cold Methane Seeps in Floodplains of West Siberian Rivers

A complex system of muddy fluid-discharging and methane (CH₄)-releasing seeps was discovered in a valley of the river Mukhrinskaya, one of the small rivers of the Irtysh Basin, West Siberia. CH₄ flux from most (90%) of these gas ebullition sites did not exceed 1.45 g CH₄ h⁻¹, while some seeps emitted up to 5.54 g CH₄ h⁻¹. The δ¹³C value of methane released from these seeps varied between −71.1 and −71.3‰, suggesting its biogenic origin. Although the seeps were characterized by low in situ temperatures (3.5 to 5°C), relatively high rates of methane oxidation (15.5 to 15.9 nmol CH₄ ml⁻¹ day⁻¹) were measured in mud samples. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected 10⁷ methanotrophic bacteria (MB) per g of mud (dry weight), which accounted for up to 20.5% of total bacterial cell counts. Most (95.8 to 99.3%) methanotroph cells were type I (gammaproteobacterial) MB. The diversity of methanotrophs in this habitat was further assessed by pyrosequencing of pmoA genes, encoding particulate methane monooxygenase. A total of 53,828 pmoA gene sequences of seep-inhabiting methanotrophs were retrieved and analyzed. Nearly all of these sequences affiliated with type I MB, including the Methylobacter-Methylovulum-Methylosoma group, lake cluster 2, and several as-yet-uncharacterized methanotroph clades. Apparently, microbial communities attenuating methane fluxes from these local but strong CH₄ sources in floodplains of high-latitude rivers have a large proportion of potentially novel, psychrotolerant methanotrophs, thereby providing a challenge for future isolation studies.     

Genomic insights into methanotrophy: the complete genome sequence of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath)

Methanotrophs are ubiquitous bacteria that can use the greenhouse gas methane as a sole carbon and energy source for growth, thus playing major roles in global carbon cycles, and in particular, substantially reducing emissions of biologically generated methane to the atmosphere. Despite their importance, and in contrast to organisms that play roles in other major parts of the carbon cycle such as photosynthesis, no genome-level studies have been published on the biology of methanotrophs. We report the first complete genome sequence to our knowledge from an obligate methanotroph, Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), obtained by the shotgun sequencing approach. Analysis revealed a 3.3-Mb genome highly specialized for a methanotrophic lifestyle, including redundant pathways predicted to be involved in methanotrophy and duplicated genes for essential enzymes such as the methane monooxygenases. We used phylogenomic analysis, gene order information, and comparative analysis with the partially sequenced methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens to detect genes of unknown function likely to be involved in methanotrophy and methylotrophy. Genome analysis suggests the ability of M. capsulatus to scavenge copper (including a previously unreported nonribosomal peptide synthetase) and to use copper in regulation of methanotrophy, but the exact regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. One of the most surprising outcomes of the project is evidence suggesting the existence of previously unsuspected metabolic flexibility in M. capsulatus, including an ability to grow on sugars, oxidize chemolithotrophic hydrogen and sulfur, and live under reduced oxygen tension, all of which have implications for methanotroph ecology. The availability of the complete genome of M. capsulatus (Bath) deepens our understanding of methanotroph biology and its relationship to global carbon cycles. We have gained evidence for greater metabolic flexibility than was previously known, and for genetic components that may have biotechnological potential.     

The particulate methane monooxygenase gene pmoA and its use as a functional gene probe for methanotrophs

The particulate methane monooxygenase gene pmoA, encoding the 27 kDa polypeptide of the membrane-bound particulate methane monooxygenase, was amplified by PCR from DNA isolated from a blanket peat bog and from enrichment cultures established, from the same environment, using methane as sole carbon and energy source. The resulting 525 bp PCR products were cloned and a representative number of clones were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the derived amino acid sequences of the pmoA clones retrieved directly from environmental DNA samples revealed that they form a distinct cluster within representative PmoA sequences from type II methanotrophs and may originate from a novel group of acidophilic methanotrophs. The study also demonstrated the utility of the pmoA gene as a phylogenetic marker for identifying methanotroph-specific DNA sequences in the environment.     

Genomic Insights into Methanotrophy: The Complete Genome Sequence of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath)

Methanotrophs are ubiquitous bacteria that can use the greenhouse gas methane as a sole carbon and energy source for growth, thus playing major roles in global carbon cycles, and in particular, substantially reducing emissions of biologically generated methane to the atmosphere. Despite their importance, and in contrast to organisms that play roles in other major parts of the carbon cycle such as photosynthesis, no genome-level studies have been published on the biology of methanotrophs. We report the first complete genome sequence to our knowledge from an obligate methanotroph, Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), obtained by the shotgun sequencing approach. Analysis revealed a 3.3-Mb genome highly specialized for a methanotrophic lifestyle, including redundant pathways predicted to be involved in methanotrophy and duplicated genes for essential enzymes such as the methane monooxygenases. We used phylogenomic analysis, gene order information, and comparative analysis with the partially sequenced methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens to detect genes of unknown function likely to be involved in methanotrophy and methylotrophy. Genome analysis suggests the ability of M. capsulatus to scavenge copper (including a previously unreported nonribosomal peptide synthetase) and to use copper in regulation of methanotrophy, but the exact regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. One of the most surprising outcomes of the project is evidence suggesting the existence of previously unsuspected metabolic flexibility in M. capsulatus, including an ability to grow on sugars, oxidize chemolithotrophic hydrogen and sulfur, and live under reduced oxygen tension, all of which have implications for methanotroph ecology. The availability of the complete genome of M. capsulatus (Bath) deepens our understanding of methanotroph biology and its relationship to global carbon cycles. We have gained evidence for greater metabolic flexibility than was previously known, and for genetic components that may have biotechnological potential.     

Diversity of active aerobic methanotrophs along depth profiles of arctic and subarctic lake water column and sediments

Methane (CH₄) emitted from high-latitude lakes accounts for 2–6% of the global atmospheric CH₄ budget. Methanotrophs in lake sediments and water columns mitigate the amount of CH₄ that enters the atmosphere, yet their identity and activity in arctic and subarctic lakes are poorly understood. We used stable isotope probing (SIP), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), pyrosequencing and enrichment cultures to determine the identity and diversity of active aerobic methanotrophs in the water columns and sediments (0–25 cm) from an arctic tundra lake (Lake Qalluuraq) on the north slope of Alaska and a subarctic taiga lake (Lake Killarney) in Alaska''s interior. The water column CH₄ oxidation potential for these shallow (∼2 m deep) lakes was greatest in hypoxic bottom water from the subarctic lake. The type II methanotroph, Methylocystis, was prevalent in enrichment cultures of planktonic methanotrophs from the water columns. In the sediments, type I methanotrophs (Methylobacter, Methylosoma and Methylomonas) at the sediment-water interface (0–1 cm) were most active in assimilating CH₄, whereas the type I methanotroph Methylobacter and/or type II methanotroph Methylocystis contributed substantially to carbon acquisition in the deeper (15–20 cm) sediments. In addition to methanotrophs, an unexpectedly high abundance of methylotrophs also actively utilized CH₄-derived carbon. This study provides new insight into the identity and activity of methanotrophs in the sediments and water from high-latitude lakes.     

好氧甲烷氧化菌生态学研究进展

好氧甲烷氧化菌是一群以甲烷为碳源和能源的细菌。好氧甲烷氧化菌在自然环境中分布广泛,人类已从土壤、淡水和海洋沉积、泥炭沼泽、热泉、海水和南极环境分离到甲烷氧化菌的纯培养。好氧甲烷氧化菌可分为14个属,包括研究较为深入的隶属于变形菌门Alpha和Gamma纲的细菌,以及属于疣微菌门的极端嗜热嗜酸甲烷氧化菌。最近,好氧甲烷氧化菌还被发现存在于苔藓类植物（尤其是泥炭苔藓）共生体中,兼性营养好氧甲烷氧化菌也被发现。本文通过对好氧甲烷氧化菌的分类、生理生化特征、分子生物学检测方法以及微生物生态学中的研究成果的总结与分析,以及对甲烷氧化菌研究所面临的问题进行讨论,以期为今后进一步开展好氧甲烷氧化菌及其在碳循环中的作用研究提供参考。     

The oxidative TCA cycle operates during methanotrophic growth of the Type I methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1

Methanotrophs are a group of bacteria that use methane as sole carbon and energy source. Type I methanotrophs are gamma-proteobacterial methanotrophs using the ribulose monophosphate cycle (RuMP) cycle for methane assimilation. In order to facilitate metabolic engineering in the industrially promising Type I methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1, flux analysis of cellular metabolism is needed and ¹³C tracer analysis is a foundational tool for such work. This biological system has a single-carbon input and a special network topology that together pose challenges to the current well-established methodology for ¹³C tracer analysis using a multi-carbon input such as glucose, and to date, no ¹³C tracer analysis of flux in a Type I methanotroph has been reported. In this study, we showed that by monitoring labeling patterns of several key intermediate metabolites in core metabolism, it is possible to quantitate the relative flux ratios for important branch points, such as the malate node. In addition, it is possible to assess the operation of the TCA cycle, which has been thought to be incomplete in Type I methanotrophs. Surprisingly, our analysis provides direct evidence of a complete, oxidative TCA cycle operating in M. buryatense 5GB1 using methane as sole carbon and energy substrate, contributing about 45% of the total flux for de novo malate production. Combined with mutant analysis, this method was able to identify fumA (METBUDRAFT_1453/MBURv2__60244) as the primary fumarase involved in the oxidative TCA cycle, among 2 predicted fumarases, supported by ¹³C tracer analysis on both fumA and fumC single knockouts. Interrupting the oxidative TCA cycle leads to a severe growth defect, suggesting that the oxidative TCA cycle functions to not only provide precursors for de novo biomass synthesis, but also to provide reducing power to the system. This information provides new opportunities for metabolic engineering of M. buryatense for the production of industrially relevant products.     

Molecular characterization of a microbial consortium involved in methane oxidation coupled to denitrification under micro‐aerobic conditions

Methane can be used as an alternative carbon source in biological denitrification because it is nontoxic, widely available and relatively inexpensive. A microbial consortium involved in methane oxidation coupled to denitrification (MOD) was enriched with nitrite and nitrate as electron acceptors under micro‐aerobic conditions. The 16S rRNA gene combined with pmoA phylogeny of methanotrophs and nirK phylogeny of denitrifiers were analysed to reveal the dominant microbial populations and functional microorganisms. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed high numbers of methanotrophs and denitrifiers in the enriched consortium. The 16S rRNA gene clone library revealed that Methylococcaceae and Methylophilaceae were the dominant populations in the MOD ecosystem. Phylogenetic analyses of pmoA gene clone libraries indicated that all methanotrophs belonged to Methylococcaceae, a type I methanotroph employing the ribulose monophosphate pathway for methane oxidation. Methylotrophic denitrifiers of the Methylophilaceae that can utilize organic intermediates (i.e. formaldehyde, citrate and acetate) released from the methanotrophs played a vital role in aerobic denitrification. This study is the first report to confirm micro‐aerobic denitrification and to make phylogenetic and functional assignments for some members of the microbial assemblages involved in MOD.     

Anaerobic methanotrophy is stimulated by graphene oxide in a brackish urban canal sediment

Anthropogenic activities are influencing aquatic environments through increased chemical pollution and thus are greatly affecting the biogeochemical cycling of elements. This has increased greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, from lakes, wetlands, and canals. Most of the methane produced in anoxic sediments is converted into carbon dioxide by methanotrophs before it reaches the atmosphere. Anaerobic oxidation of methane requires an electron acceptor such as sulphate, nitrate, or metal oxides. Here, we explore the anaerobic methanotrophy in sediments of three urban canals in Amsterdam, covering a gradient from freshwater to brackish conditions. Biogeochemical analysis showed the presence of a shallow sulphate–methane transition zone in sediments of the most brackish canal, suggesting that sulphate could be a relevant electron acceptor for anaerobic methanotrophy in this setting. However, sediment incubations amended with sulphate or iron oxides (ferrihydrite) did not lead to detectable rates of methanotrophy. Despite the presence of known nitrate-dependent anaerobic methanotrophs (Methanoperedenaceae), no nitrate-driven methanotrophy was observed in any of the investigated sediments either. Interestingly, graphene oxide stimulated anaerobic methanotrophy in incubations of brackish canal sediment, possibly catalysed by anaerobic methanotrophs of the ANME-2a/b clade. We propose that natural organic matter serving as electron acceptor drives anaerobic methanotrophy in brackish sediments.     

Stable Isotope Probing Analysis of the Diversity and Activity of Methanotrophic Bacteria in Soils from the Canadian High Arctic

The melting of permafrost and its potential impact on CH₄ emissions are major concerns in the context of global warming. Methanotrophic bacteria have the capacity to mitigate CH₄ emissions from melting permafrost. Here, we used quantitative PCR (qPCR), stable isotope probing (SIP) of DNA, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA and pmoA genes to study the activity and diversity of methanotrophic bacteria in active-layer soils from Ellesmere Island in the Canadian high Arctic. Results showed that most of the soils had the capacity to oxidize CH₄ at 4°C and at room temperature (RT), but the oxidation rates were greater at RT than at 4°C and were significantly enhanced by nutrient amendment. The DGGE banding patterns associated with active methanotrophic bacterial populations were also different depending on the temperature of incubation and the addition of nutrients. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA and pmoA genes indicated a low diversity of the active methanotrophic bacteria, with all methanotroph 16S rRNA and pmoA gene sequences being related to type I methanotrophs from Methylobacter and Methylosarcina. The dominance of type I methanotrophs over type II methanotrophs in the native soil samples was confirmed by qPCR of the 16S rRNA gene with primers specific for these two groups of bacteria. The 16S rRNA and pmoA gene sequences related to those of Methylobacter tundripaludum were found in all soils, regardless of the incubation conditions, and they might therefore play a role in CH₄ degradation in situ. This work is providing new information supporting the potential importance of Methylobacter spp. in Arctic soils found in previous studies and contributes to the limited body of knowledge on methanotrophic activity and diversity in this extreme environment.Permafrost regions occupy approximately 22% of the exposed land area of the Northern Hemisphere (63). In the past 100 years, the average temperatures in the arctic regions have increased at almost twice the average global rate (25). The melting of permafrost is one of the most important impacts of global warming on these high-latitude environments, and theoretical modeling suggests that as much as 90% of the permafrost could thaw by the end of the 21st century (29). While it has been generally reported that 15% of the total soil organic carbon is stocked in permafrost (42), a recent estimate indicates that it contains as much as 50% of the global belowground organic carbon pool (53). Carbon stocked in permafrost is now regarded as one of the most important carbon-climate feedbacks because of the size of the carbon pool and the intensity of climate change at high latitudes (46, 47). The presence of these large amounts of carbon in permafrost is raising serious concerns whether melting permafrost, and the resulting increase in microbial activity, might be a source of extensive emissions of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane (CH₄) to the atmosphere. The actual emissions of CH₄ from soils of high latitudes have been estimated to represent about 25% of the emissions from natural sources (19). Methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas (25), is produced by methanogenic archaea under anaerobic conditions. These microorganisms are known to inhabit permafrost environments (44, 49), and their capacity to produce methane at cold temperatures has been reported (20, 35, 44, 56). Their methanogenic activity is expected to increase as permafrost soil temperature increases (20). Moreover, large amounts of methane are stocked as methane hydrates in permafrost at an average depth of several hundred meters (33). Methane is also found in permafrost layers near the surface and could potentially be liberated to the atmosphere as permafrost melts (44).Methane can be oxidized in aerobic zones by aerobic methanotrophic bacteria or in anaerobic zones by anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (for a recent review, see reference 27). Anaerobic methane oxidizers were not covered in the context of this study, which focused exclusively on aerobic methanotrophs. These bacteria utilize methane as the sole carbon and energy source through the activity of the enzyme methane monooxygenase (MMO). Most known aerobic methanotrophs are divided into two major groups (type I and type II) based on phylogeny and carbon assimilation pathways (5). Type I methanotrophs, also known as Gammaproteobacteria methanotrophs (6) belong to the family Methylococcaceae within the Gammaproteobacteria subdivision, while type II methanotrophs (Alphaproteobacteria methanotrophs) belong to the family Methylocystaceae in the Alphaproteobacteria subdivision (5). Because of their capacity to oxidize methane, aerobic methanotrophs can significantly reduce methane emissions to the atmosphere and play an important role in the global methane cycle (12, 22). Methanotrophic activity has been observed in cold environments, and methanotrophs might contribute to the reduction of methane emissions from melting permafrost. Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria from cold environments have been reviewed in detail elsewhere (54).Most studies addressing methanotrophs from cold environments were conducted on soils from very few sites located in Northern Europe and Siberia (14, 30, 31, 40, 56-58), while methanotrophic bacterial populations in soils from the Canadian high Arctic remain mostly unexplored (41). In addition, most of these studies were conducted at low latitudes, and the pool of knowledge concerning the activity and diversity of methanotrophic bacterial populations in high Arctic soils is limited. The question being addressed in this study is whether there are active methanotrophs in the active-layer soil in the high Arctic. Therefore, the present work had two objectives: (i) to evaluate the methane oxidation capacity of three active-layer soils from the Canadian high Arctic under various incubation conditions and (ii) to identify and characterize the diversity of the active methanotrophs in these soils using stable isotope probing (SIP) of DNA (DNA-SIP) and sequencing of the 16S rRNA and pmoA genes. With this work, we identify for the first time active methanotrophs in high Arctic soils through the use of DNA-SIP.     

Methane-Oxidizing Bacteria in a California Upland Grassland Soil: Diversity and Response to Simulated Global Change

We investigated the diversity of methane-oxidizing bacteria (i.e., methanotrophs) in an annual upland grassland in northern California, using comparative sequence analysis of the pmoA gene. In addition to identifying type II methanotrophs commonly found in soils, we discovered three novel pmoA lineages for which no cultivated members have been previously reported. These novel pmoA clades clustered together either with clone sequences related to “RA 14” or “WB5FH-A,” which both represent clusters of environmentally retrieved sequences of putative atmospheric methane oxidizers. Conservation of amino acid residues and rates of nonsynonymous versus synonymous nucleotide substitution in these novel lineages suggests that the pmoA genes in these clades code for functionally active methane monooxygenases. The novel clades responded to simulated global changes differently than the type II methanotrophs. We observed that the relative abundance of type II methanotrophs declined in response to increased precipitation and increased atmospheric temperature, with a significant antagonistic interaction between these factors such that the effect of both together was less than that expected from their individual effects. Two of the novel clades were not observed to respond significantly to these environmental changes, while one of the novel clades had an opposite response, increasing in relative abundance in response to increased precipitation and atmospheric temperature, with a significant antagonistic interaction between these factors.