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Showing papers on "Methanogen published in 1983"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Antigenic relationship of cells and the 16S ribosomal RNA catalog indicate that the salt marsh methanogen is a unique species of Methanococcus, for which the name Methanitis maripaludis sp.
Abstract: A predominant methanogenic bacterium was isolated from salt-marsh sediment near Pawley's Island, South Carolina. A habitat-simulating medium with H2:CO2 as substrate was used for enrichment and isolation. The methanogen is strictly anaerobic, weakly-motile, non-sporeforming, Gram negative, and a pleomorphic coccoid-rod averaging 1.2 by 1.6 μm. Colonies are circular, translucent, pale yellow, and have a smooth surface and an entire edge. The organism is a mesophile, growing between 18 and 47°C, with an optimum near 38°C. The pH optimum for growth is 6.8–7.2, and only formate or a mixture of H2 plus CO2 serve as substrates. Seawater (20–70% v/v) is required, but it can be replaced by 15 mM, or greater, magnesium. Optimal growth occurs with 110 mM sodium. Growth rate is stimulated by selenium (10 μM) but organic compounds (acetate, vitamins, amino acids) are neither stimulatory nor required. The methanogen grows well in autotrophic medium with a doubling time of about 2h. Cells are fragile, are lysed by aqueous solutions of low osmolality and by detergents, and the lack muramic acid. The cell wall is a single electron dense layer. The DNA base composition is 33 mol % guanine plus cytosine. Antigenic relationship of cells and the 16S ribosomal RNA catalog indicate that the salt marsh methanogen is a unique species of Methanococcus, for which we propose the name Methanococcus maripaludis sp. nov.

201 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A thermophilic methanogen was isolated from enrichment cultures originally inoculated with sludge from an anaerobic kelp digester and exhibited a temperature optimum of 55 to 60 degrees C and a maximum near 70 degrees C, and was sensitive to tetracycline and chloramphenicol but not penicillin G or cycloserine.
Abstract: A thermophilic methanogen was isolated from enrichment cultures originally inoculated with sludge from an anaerobic kelp digester (55 degrees C). This isolate exhibited a temperature optimum of 55 to 60 degrees C and a maximum near 70 degrees C. Growth occurred throughout the pH range of 5.5 to 9.0, with optimal growth near pH 7.2. Although 4% salt was present in the isolation medium, salt was not required for optimal growth. The thermophile utilized formate or H(2)-CO(2) but not acetate, methanol, or methylamines for growth and methanogenesis. Growth in complex medium was very rapid, and a minimum doubling time of 1.8 h was recorded in media supplemented with rumen fluid. Growth in defined media required the addition of acetate and an unknown factor(s) from digester supernatant, rumen fluid, or Trypticase. Cells in liquid culture were oval to coccoid, 0.7 to 1.8 mum in diameter, often occurring in pairs. The cells were easily lysed upon exposure to oxygen or 0.08 mg of sodium dodecyl sulfate per ml. The isolate was sensitive to tetracycline and chloramphenicol but not penicillin G or cycloserine. The DNA base composition was 59.69 mol% guanine plus cytosine.

91 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A methanogenic coccus isolated from human feces requires H2 andCH3OH for growth and uses H2 to reduce CH3OH to CH4 and is not incorporated into cell carbon in a complex medium.
Abstract: A methanogenic coccus isolated from human feces requires H2 and CH3OH for growth and uses H2 to reduce CH3OH to CH4. Growth does not occur with CH3OH alone. The organism does not grow or produce CH4 from acetate or methylamines without or with H2 or from H2 and CO2 or formate. In a complex medium. CO2 is required for formation of approximately 50% of cell carbon, whereas the methyl carbon from methanol is not incorporated into cell carbon.

60 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The stoichiometric conversion of acetate to CH4 in the absence of added H suggests that all the CH4 is derived most probably from the Me group of acetates, which may help to improve the performance of biogas digesters.
Abstract: Isolation and characterization of a fast-growing filament-forming methanogen (Methanothrix soehngenii strain VNBF) which uses acetate as the sole energy source for growth are reported. The stoichiometric conversion of acetate to CH4 [74-82-8] in the absence of added H suggests that all the CH4 is derived most probably from the Me group of acetate. The strain VNBF may be playing a key role in methanogenesis from org. wastes. Its high efficiency of CH4 prodn. may help to improve the performance of biogas digesters.

34 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new mesophilic methanogenic bacterial species isolated from marine sediments collected in the Cayman Islands is described, and the name Methanomicrobium paynteri is proposed in honor of M. B. Paynter.
Abstract: A new mesophilic methanogenic bacterial species isolated from marine sediments collected in the Cayman Islands is described. Cells are small rods occuring singly without filaments, are not motile, and do not possess flagella. Colonies are semitransparent and off-white in color. After 2 weeks of incubation at 37 degrees C colonies are 1 to 2 mm in size, circular, and have entire edges. Only hydrogen-carbon dioxide is a substrate for growth and methane formation. Cells can tolerate a variety of organic secondary buffers (bicarbonate-CO(2) being the primary buffer). Cells do not require yeast extract or Trypticase, but do require acetate, for growth. The optimum growth temperature is 40 degrees C. The optimum sodium concentration is 0.15 M. The optimum pH for growth is 7.0. The minimum generation time is 4.8 h. The DNA base composition is 44.9 mol% guanine plus cytosine. The name Methanomicrobium paynteri is proposed in honor of M. J. B. Paynter. The type strain is G-2000 (=ATCC 33997, =DSM 2545).

31 citations