A novel moderately thermophilic facultative methylotroph within the class Alphaproteobacteria

Islam, Tajul, Hernández, Marcela ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1041-785X, Gessesse, Amare, Murrell, J. Colin and Øvreås, Lise (2021) A novel moderately thermophilic facultative methylotroph within the class Alphaproteobacteria. Microorganisms, 9 (3). ISSN 2076-2607

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Abstract

Methylotrophic bacteria (non-methanotrophic methanol oxidizers) consuming reduced carbon compounds containing no carbon–carbon bonds as their sole carbon and energy source have been found in a great variety of environments. Here, we report a unique moderately thermophilic methanol-oxidising bacterium (strain LS7-MT) that grows optimally at 55 °C (with a growth range spanning 30 to 60 °C). The pure isolate was recovered from a methane-utilizing mixed culture enrichment from an alkaline thermal spring in the Ethiopia Rift Valley, and utilized methanol, methylamine, glucose and a variety of multi-carbon compounds. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that strain LS7-MT represented a new facultatively methylotrophic bacterium within the order Hyphomicrobiales of the class Alphaproteobacteria. This new strain showed 94 to 96% 16S rRNA gene identity to the two methylotroph genera, Methyloceanibacter and Methyloligella. Analysis of the draft genome of strain LS7-MT revealed genes for methanol dehydrogenase, essential for methanol oxidation. Functional and comparative genomics of this new isolate revealed genomic and physiological divergence from extant methylotrophs. Strain LS7-MT contained a complete mxaF gene cluster and xoxF1 encoding the lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (XoxF). This is the first report of methanol oxidation at 55 °C by a moderately thermophilic bacterium within the class Alphaproteobacteria. These findings expand our knowledge of methylotrophy by the phylum Proteobacteria in thermal ecosystems and their contribution to global carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: alphaproteobacteria,facultative,methanol oxidation,moderately thermophilic,thermal spring,microbiology,virology,microbiology (medical) ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2400/2404
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Biology
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 06 Mar 2021 00:57
Last Modified: 23 Oct 2022 02:16
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/79390
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030477

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