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Riverbed methanotrophy sustained by high carbon conversion efficiency.

Mark Trimmer1, Felicity C Shelley1, Kevin J Purdy2

  • 1School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Riverbed microbes efficiently convert methane to organic carbon, with high carbon conversion efficiency (~50%) maintained across varying methane levels and methanotroph communities. This ensures sustained carbon production in streams.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Global Carbon Cycle

Background:

  • Freshwater ecosystems play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, yet data on methane cycling, particularly in rivers and streams, remains limited.
  • Methanotrophy, the oxidation of methane, is critical for understanding methane's fate in aquatic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) of methanotrophy in riverbed environments.
  • To determine how variations in methanotroph communities influence CCE and methane oxidation rates.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified the CCE of riverbed methanotrophs across a range of methane concentrations (10-7000 nM).
  • Assessed CCE stability despite variations in methane oxidation rates and methanotroph community composition, including operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA) gene and shifts in Type I and Type II methanotroph abundance.
  • Studied eight replicate chalk streams to analyze community variations.

Main Results:

  • Riverbed methanotrophs consistently exhibited a high CCE of approximately 50%, irrespective of methane concentration or oxidation rate.
  • This high CCE was conserved across significant variations in pmoA gene diversity (70 OTUs) and shifts in methanotroph types.
  • Data suggest functional redundancy within riverbed methanotroph communities, with diverse pmoA enzymes potentially enabling oxidation across a wide methane concentration range.

Conclusions:

  • Methanotrophy in riverbeds demonstrates a consistently high carbon conversion efficiency, contributing significantly to carbon cycling.
  • The adaptability of methanotroph communities, indicated by functional redundancy and diverse pmoA enzymes, allows for sustained net carbon production year-round.
  • These findings revise our understanding of freshwater's role in the global carbon cycle, highlighting the importance of methanotrophy.