Skip to main content
Log in

Characterization of Methanosarcina mazeii TMA isolated from a paddy field soil

  • Published:
Current Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We isolated a methanogenic strain, designated as strain TMA (=DSM 9195), from an enrichment culture inoculated with a Japanese paddy field soil. Strain TMA was Gram positive and strictly anaerobic. Cell shape was pseudosarcina-like, and cells were nonmotile. The strain was able to use methylamines, methanol, H2−CO2, and acetate as substrates for methanogenesis, but did not utilize formate. The optimum temperature and optimum pH were 30–37°C and 6.5–7.5 respectively. The G+C content of the DNA was 42.1 mol %. Strain TMA had DNA-DNA hybridization values of more than 80% with Methanosarcina mazeii S-6T (T = type strain). On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, we identified strain TMA as M. mazeii. This is the first methylotrophic methanogen isolated from a paddy field soil and identified to the species level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  1. Akagawa-Matsushita M, Matsuo M, Koga Y, Yamasato K (1992) Alteromonas atlantica sp. nov. and Alteromonas carrageenovora sp. nov., bacteria that decompose algal polysaccharides. Int J Syst Bacteriol 42:621–627

    Google Scholar 

  2. Asakawa S, Morii H, Akagawa-Matsushita M, Koga Y, Hayano K (1993) Characterization of Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus SA isolated from a paddy field soil and DNA-DNA hybridization among M. arboriphilus strains. Int J Syst Bacteriol 43:683–686

    Google Scholar 

  3. Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR, Wolfe RS (1979) Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 43:260–296

    Google Scholar 

  4. Boone DR, Whitman WB (1988) Proposal of minimal standards for describing new taxa of methanogenic bacteria. Int J Syst Bacteriol 38:212–219

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cairó JJ, Clarens M, Touzel JP, Bardulet M, París JM (1992) Methanosarcina mazei JC2, a new methanogenic strain isolated from lake sediments, that does not use H2/CO2. Microbiologia SEM 8:21–31

    Google Scholar 

  6. Clarens M, Cairó JJ, París JM, Macario AJL, Conway de Macario E (1993) Characterization and forms of JC3, a new Methanosarcina isolate: comparison with Methanosarcina mazei strains S-6T, MC3, and LYC. Curr Microbiol 26:167–174

    Google Scholar 

  7. Daniels L, Fuchs G, Thauer RK, Zeikus JG (1977) Carbon monoxide oxidation by methanogenic bacteria. J Bacteriol 132:118–126

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fetzer S, Bak F, Conrad R (1993) Sensitivity of methanogenic bacteroa from paddy field soil to oxygen and desiccation. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 12:107–115

    Google Scholar 

  9. IPCC (1992) Climate change 1992, the supplementary report to the IPCC scientific assessment. Houghton JT, Callender BA, Varney SK (eds) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kiene RP (1991) Production and consumption of methane in aquatic systems. In: Rogers JE, Whitman WB (eds) Microbial production and consumption of greenhouse gases: methane, nitrogen oxides, and halomethanes. Washington DC: American Society for Microbiology, pp 111–146

    Google Scholar 

  11. Koga Y, Akagawa-Matsushita M, Ohga M, Nishihara M (1993) Taxonomic significance of the distribution of component parts of polar lipids in methanogens. Syst Appl Microbiol 16:342–351

    Google Scholar 

  12. Maestrojuán GM, Boone DR (1991) Characterization of Methanosarcina barkeri MST and 227, Methanosarcina mazei S-6T, and Methanosarcina vacuolata Z-761T. Int J Syst Bacteriol 41:267–274

    Google Scholar 

  13. Maestrojuán GM, Boone JE, Mah RA, Menaia JAGF, Sachs MS, Boone DR (1992) Taxonomy and halotolerance of mesophilic Methanosarcina strains, assignment of strains to species, and synonymy of Methanosarcina mazei and Methanosarcina frisia. Int J Syst Bacteriol 42:561–567

    Google Scholar 

  14. Mah RA (1980) Isolation and characterization of Methanococcus mazei. Curr Microbiol 3:321–326

    Google Scholar 

  15. Mah RA, Kuhn DA (1984) Transfer of the type species of the genus Methanococcus to the genus Methanosarcina, naming it Methanosarcina mazei (Barker 1936) comb. nov. et emend. and conservation of the genus Methanococcus (approved lists 1980) with Methanococcus vannielii (approved lists 1980) as the type species. Int J Syst Bacteriol 34:263–265

    Google Scholar 

  16. Miller TL (1991) Biogenic sources of methane. In: Rogers JE, Whitman WB (eds) Microbial production and consumption of greenhouse gases: methane, nitrogen oxides, and halomethanes. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology, pp 175–187

    Google Scholar 

  17. Morii H, Nishihara M, Koga Y (1983) Isolation, characterization and physiology of a new formate-assimilable methanogenic strain (A2) of Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus. Agric Biol Chem 47:2781–2789

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ni S, Woese CR, Aldrich HC, Boone DR (1994) Transfer of Methanolobus siciliae to the genus Methanosarcina, naming it Methanosarcina siciliae, and emendation of the genus Methanosarcina. Int J Syst Bacteriol 44:357–359

    Google Scholar 

  19. Nishihara M, Morii H, Koga Y (1987) Structure determination of a quartet of novel tetraether lipids from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. J Biochem 101:1007–1015

    Google Scholar 

  20. Nishihara M, Utagawa M, Akutsu H, Koga Y (1992) Archaea contain a novel diether phosphoglycolipid with a polar head group identical to the conserved core of eucaryal glycosyl phosphatidylinositol. J Biol Chem 267:12432–12435

    Google Scholar 

  21. Rajagopal BS, Belay N, Daniels L (1988) Isolation and characterization of methanogenic bacteria from rice paddies. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 53:153–158

    Google Scholar 

  22. Saito H, Miura K (1963) Preparation of transforming deoxyribonucleic acid by phenol treatment. Biochim Biophys Acta 72:619–629

    Google Scholar 

  23. Sowers KR, Johnson JL, Ferry JG (1984) Phylogenetic relationships among the methylotrophic methane producing bacteria and emendation of the family Methanosarcinaceae. Int J Syst Bacteriol 34:444–450

    Google Scholar 

  24. Sowers KR, Boone JE, Gunsalus RP (1993) Disaggregation of Methanosarcina spp. and growth as single cells at elevated osmolarity. Appl Environ Microbiol 59:3832–3839

    Google Scholar 

  25. Takai Y (1970) The mechanism of methane fermentation in flooded paddy soil. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 16:238–244

    Google Scholar 

  26. Tamaoka J, Komagata K (1984) Determination of DNA base composition by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. FEMS Microbiol Lett 25:125–128

    Google Scholar 

  27. Xun L, Boone DR, Mah RA (1988) Control of the life cycle of Methanosarcina mazei S-6 by manipulation of growth conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:2064–2068

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zeikus JG (1977) The biology of methanogenic bacteria. Bacteriol Rev 41:514–541

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zhilina TN, Zavarzin GA (1987) Methanosarcina vacuolata sp. nov., a vacuolated Methanosarcina. Int J Syst Bacteriol 37:281–283

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Asakawa, S., Akagawa-Matsushita, M., Morii, H. et al. Characterization of Methanosarcina mazeii TMA isolated from a paddy field soil. Current Microbiology 31, 34–38 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00294631

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00294631

Keywords

Navigation