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Isolation of a methyl-reducing methanogen outside the Euryarchaeota
Kejia Wu1,2, Lei Zhou1, Guillaume Tahon2
1Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China.
Nature
|July 24, 2024
Summary
Researchers isolated Methanosuratincola petrocarbonis LWZ-6, a novel hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogen. This discovery expands the known diversity of methanogens beyond Euryarchaeota, highlighting their role in global methane emissions and carbon cycling.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Methanogenic archaea are key drivers of methane emissions, influencing carbon cycling and global warming.
- Previously, methanogens were primarily classified within Euryarchaeota, but metagenomic data suggested broader taxonomic distribution.
- Laboratory cultivation of non-euryarchaeotal methanogens was needed to confirm their metabolic capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize novel methanogens from non-euryarchaeotal lineages.
- To confirm the methanogenic potential and physiological characteristics of newly discovered archaea.
- To investigate the prevalence of hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogenesis in the environment.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and cultivation of thermophilic archaea from an oil field environment.
- Genomic and comparative (meta)genomic analyses.
- Physiological characterization of the isolated strain, including metabolic pathway analysis.
Main Results:
- Isolation of Methanosuratincola petrocarbonis LWZ-6, a thermophilic archaeon from the class Methanosuratincolia (phylum Thermoproteota).
- Strain LWZ-6 confirmed as a strict hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogen, utilizing methanol and monomethylamine with hydrogen as the electron donor.
- Comparative genomics revealed hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogenesis as a common trait within Methanosuratincolia.
Conclusions:
- Methanogenesis is taxonomically more diverse than previously confined to Euryarchaeota.
- Methanosuratincola petrocarbonis LWZ-6 expands the known diversity of methanogens.
- Hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogenesis is a significant, widespread metabolic pathway impacting global methane production and carbon cycling.
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