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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Agarose-Based Model Ecosystem for Cultivating Methanotrophs in a Methane-Oxygen Counter Gradient
Published on: September 6, 2024
Sodium ion translocation and ATP synthesis in methanogens
Katharina Schlegel1, Volker Müller
1Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
Abstract:
Methanogens are the only significant biological producers of methane. A limited number of C(1) substrates, such as methanol, methylamines, methyl sulfate, formate, H(2)+CO(2) or CO, and acetate, serve as carbon and energy source. During degradation of these compounds, a primary proton as well as a primary sodium ion gradient is established, which is a unique feature of methanogens. This raises the question about the coupling ion for ATP synthesis by the unique A(1)A(o) ATP synthase. Here, we describe how to analyze and determine the Na(+) dependence of two model methanogens, the hydrogenotrophic Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus and the methylotrophic Methanosarcina barkeri. Furthermore, the determination of important bioenergetic parameters like the ΔpH, ΔΨ, or the intracellular volume in M. barkeri is described. For the analyses of the A(1)A(O) ATP synthase, methods for measurement of ATP synthesis as well as ATP hydrolysis in Methanosarcina mazei Gö1 are described.
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