[Research progress on microbial properties of nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidising bacteria]

Nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (N-DAMO) is a recently discovered process that constitutes a unique association between the two major global elements essential for life, carbon and nitrogen. This process is one of the most important discoveries in the fields of environmental science and microbiology. The discovery of N-DAMO process supplements biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen in nature, extends microbial diversity and urges development of novel simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal process. The N-DAMO process is mediated by the bacterium " Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera" (M. oxyfera), which belongs to the candidate phylum NC10. Currently, a series of breakthroughs have been made in the research of M. oxyfera. The properties of M. oxyfera morphology, chemical composition, enrichment culture, physiology and biochemistry, and ecology have been revealed. Most importantly, the special ultrastructure (star-like) of the cell shape and unique chemical composition (10MeC(16,1Δ7)) of M. oxyfera have been revealed. In addition, a new intra-aerobic metabolism (the fourth biological pathway to produce oxygen) was discovered in M. oxyfera. It was observed that M. oxyfera bypassed the denitrification intermediate nitrous oxide by the conversion of two nitric oxide molecules to dinitrogen gas and oxygen, which was then used to oxidise methane. The present review summarises various aspects of microbiological properties of M. oxyfera.