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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Biomimetic Materials to Characterize Bacteria-host Interactions
Published on: November 16, 2015
An adhesin from hydrogen-utilizing rumen methanogen Methanobrevibacter ruminantium M1 binds a broad range of
Filomena Ng1,2, Sandra Kittelmann1, Mark L Patchett2
1Grasslands Research Centre, AgResearch Ltd, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Abstract:
Symbiotic associations are ubiquitous in the microbial world and have a major role in shaping the evolution of both partners. One of the most interesting mutualistic relationships exists between protozoa and methanogenic archaea in the fermentative forestomach (rumen) of ruminant animals. Methanogens reside within and on the surface of protozoa as symbionts, and interspecies hydrogen transfer is speculated to be the main driver for physical associations observed between the two groups. In silico analyses of several rumen methanogen genomes have previously shown that up to 5% of genes encode adhesin-like proteins, which may be central to rumen interspecies attachment. We hypothesized that adhesin-like proteins on methanogen cell surfaces facilitate attachment to protozoal hosts. Using phage display technology, we have identified a protein (Mru_1499) from Methanobrevibacter ruminantium M1 as an adhesin that binds to a broad range of rumen protozoa (including the genera Epidinium and Entodinium). This unique adhesin also binds the cell surface of the bacterium Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus, suggesting a broad adhesion spectrum for this protein.
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