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Updated: May 27, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
Published on: January 31, 2025
[Detection of the quorum sensing signals in methanogenic archaea]
Xiaopeng Guo1, Guishan Zhang, Xiaoli Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. guoxiaop@gmail.com
Unlabelled:
Methanosaeta harundinacea 6Ac displayed a cell-density dependent cell morphology transition between short rods (3 microm - 5 microm) and filaments ( >200 microm), implying a quorum sensing system in this archaeon.
Objective:
This study aimed to confirm that cell morphology related quorum sensing exists in Methanosaeta harundinacea.
Methods:
By using the bioassay of Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL4, we determined the presence of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) in the spent cultures of Methanosaeta harundinacea 6Ac and other three methanogens. A chemical synthetic AHL, N-(beta-Ketooctanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone was added into the culture of short rods to detect the morphology change.
Results:
We determined that AHLs were produced by Methanosaeta harundinacea, Methanosarcina mazei, Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus and Methanobacterium formicicum. Addition of N-(beta-Ketooctanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone into the culture of Methanosaeta harundinacea 6Ac stimulated the formation of filamentous cells.
Conclusion:
This study indicates that AHL-based quorum sensing may be used by several species of methanogenic Archaea.
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