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Methane oxidation activity and diversity of aerobic methanotrophs in pH-neutral and semi-neutral thermal springs of the Kunashir Island, Russian Far East

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Abstract

Aerobic methane oxidation has been mostly studied in environments with moderate to low temperatures. However, the process also occurs in terrestrial thermal springs, where little research on the subject has been done to date. The potential activity of methane oxidation and diversity of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria were studied in sediments of thermal springs with various chemical and physical properties, sampled across the Kunashir Island, the Kuriles archipelago. Activity was measured by means of the radioisotope tracer technique utilizing 14C-labeled methane. Biodiversity assessments were based on the particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA) gene, which is found in all known thermophilic and thermotolerant methanotrophs. We demonstrated the possibility of methane oxidation in springs with temperature exceeding 74 °C, and the most intensive methane uptake was shown in springs with temperatures about 46 °C. PmoA was detected in 19 out of 30 springs investigated and the number of pmoA gene copies varied between 104 and 106 copies per ml of sediment. Phylogenetic analysis of PmoA sequences revealed the presence of methanotrophs from both the Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria. Our results suggest that methanotrophs inhabiting thermal springs with temperature exceeding 50 °C may represent novel thermophilic and thermotolerant species of the genera Methylocystis and Methylothermus, as well as previously undescribed Gammaproteobacteria.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the RFBR research project 12-04-31546a for young scientists. Authors would like to thank members of the Laboratory of Hyperthermophilic Microorganisms (Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, RAS), who have organized the expedition to Kuril Islands. Authors are also grateful to the staff of Kurilsky natural reserve for their assistance in sampling. Dr. Svetlana Dedysh (Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, RAS), Dr. Stefan Spring and Dr. Brian J. Tindall (Leibniz-Institute DSMZ) are acknowledged for the valuable comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60-let Octyabrya 7/2, 117312, Moscow, Russia

    A. K. Kizilova, N. V. Pimenov & I. K. Kravchenko

  2. Centre ‘Bioengineering’, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60-let Octyabrya 7/1, 117312, Moscow, Russia

    M. V. Sukhacheva

  3. Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstraße 7B, 38124, Brunswick, Germany

    A. M. Yurkov

Authors
  1. A. K. Kizilova
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  2. M. V. Sukhacheva
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  3. N. V. Pimenov
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  4. A. M. Yurkov
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  5. I. K. Kravchenko
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Correspondence to A. K. Kizilova.

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Communicated by F. Robb.

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Kizilova, A.K., Sukhacheva, M.V., Pimenov, N.V. et al. Methane oxidation activity and diversity of aerobic methanotrophs in pH-neutral and semi-neutral thermal springs of the Kunashir Island, Russian Far East. Extremophiles 18, 207–218 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-013-0603-z

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