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La versatilidad metabólica de los gases traza del metanótrofo facultativo Methylocella silvestris
Andrew T Crombie1, J Colin Murrell1
1School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
Nature
|April 30, 2014
Resumen
Este estudio revela que una sola bacteria, Methylocella silvestris, puede metabolizar tanto el metano como el propano. Este hallazgo desafía las suposiciones anteriores sobre distintos grupos microbianos que manejan estos gases climáticamente activos.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Microbiología Microbiología.
- Ciencias del medio ambiente Ciencias del medio ambiente.
- La bioquímica es la bioquímica.
Sus antecedentes:
- El metano y los alcanos de cadena corta son gases climáticamente activos producidos por fuentes naturales y antropogénicas.
- Los microorganismos metabolizan estos gases en entornos anóxicos y óxidos.
- Anteriormente, se pensaba que los metanótrofos (bacterias que utilizan metano) eran distintos de los que utilizan alcano de cadena corta.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para investigar las capacidades metabólicas de Methylocella silvestris.
- Para determinar si una sola cepa bacteriana puede utilizar tanto metano como alcanos de cadena corta.
- Para dilucidar los mecanismos genéticos que subyacen a este doble potencial metabólico.
Principales métodos:
- Cultivo de Methylocella silvestris en metano, propano y mezclas.
- Análisis de la expresión génica de los grupos de di-hierro monooxigenasa soluble (SDIMO).
- Evaluación de las tasas de consumo de gas durante la utilización conjunta.
Principales resultados:
- Methylocella silvestris demostró la capacidad de utilizar tanto metano como propano como las únicas fuentes de carbono y energía.
- El co-consumo eficiente de ambos gases ocurrió simultáneamente.
- Se identificaron dos grupos de genes SDIMO, expresados diferencialmente, y ambos esenciales para la utilización del propano.
Conclusiones:
- Un solo metanótrofo puede poseer la flexibilidad metabólica para utilizar alcanos de cadena corta.
- Esta plasticidad metabólica puede ser crucial en entornos con co-ocurrencia de metano y alcanos de cadena corta.
- Los sistemas SDIMO identificados son clave para este amplio metabolismo de alcano.
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