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Xu J, Ming H, Ren K, Li D, Huang H, Li J, Shao K, Li H, Fan J. Spatial heterogeneity plays a vital role in shaping the structure and function of estuarine carbon-fixing bacterial communities. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 198:106544. [PMID: 38795574 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Carbon-fixing bacterial communities are essential drivers of carbon fixation in estuarine ecosystems that critically affect the global carbon cycle. This study compared the abundances of the Calvin cycle functional genes cbbL and cbbM and Reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle gene aclB, as well as compared carbon-fixing bacterial community features in the two estuaries, predicted potential ecological functions of carbon-fixation bacteria, and analyzed their symbiosis strategies in two estuaries having different geographical distributions. Gammaproteobacteria was the dominant carbon-fixing bacterial community in the two estuaries. However, a higher number of Alphaproteobacteria were noted in the Liaohe Estuary, and a higher number of Betaproteobacteria were found in the Yalujiang Estuary. The carbon-fixing functional gene levels exhibited the order of aclB > cbbL > cbbM, and significant effects of Cu, Pb, and petroleum were observed (p < 0.05). Nitrogen-associated nutrient levels are major environmental factors that affect carbon-fixing bacterial community distribution patterns. Spatial factors significantly affected cbbL carbon-fixing functional bacterial community structure more than environmental factors. With the increase in offshore distance, the microbial-led processes of methylotrophy and nitrogen fixation gradually weakened, but a gradual strengthening of methanotrophy and nitrification was observed. Symbiotic network analysis of the microorganisms mediating these ecological processes revealed that the carbon-fixing bacterial community in these two estuaries had a non-random symbiotic pattern, and microbial communities from the same module were strongly linked among the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycle. These findings could advance the understanding of carbon fixation in estuarine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Xu
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Hongxia Ming
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Kaijia Ren
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Dongwei Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, 116026, China
| | - Huiling Huang
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Jiajie Li
- Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2007, Australia
| | - Kuishuang Shao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Hongjun Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Jingfeng Fan
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China.
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Iizuka R, Hattori S, Kosaka Y, Masaki Y, Kawano Y, Ohtsu I, Hibbett D, Katayama Y, Yoshida M. Sulfur assimilation using gaseous carbonyl sulfide by the soil fungus Trichoderma harzianum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0201523. [PMID: 38299812 PMCID: PMC10880591 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02015-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungi have the capacity to assimilate a diverse range of both inorganic and organic sulfur compounds. It has been recognized that all sulfur sources taken up by fungi are in soluble forms. In this study, we present evidence that fungi can utilize gaseous carbonyl sulfide (COS) for the assimilation of a sulfur compound. We found that the filamentous fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain THIF08, which has constitutively high COS-degrading activity, was able to grow with COS as the sole sulfur source. Cultivation with 34S-labeled COS revealed that sulfur atom from COS was incorporated into intracellular metabolites such as glutathione and ergothioneine. COS degradation by strain THIF08, in which as much of the moisture derived from the agar medium as possible was removed, indicated that gaseous COS was taken up directly into the cell. Escherichia coli transformed with a COS hydrolase (COSase) gene, which is clade D of the β-class carbonic anhydrase subfamily enzyme with high specificity for COS but low activity for CO2 hydration, showed that the COSase is involved in COS assimilation. Comparison of sulfur metabolites of strain THIF08 revealed a higher relative abundance of reduced sulfur compounds under the COS-supplemented condition than the sulfate-supplemented condition, suggesting that sulfur assimilation is more energetically efficient with COS than with sulfate because there is no redox change of sulfur. Phylogenetic analysis of the genes encoding COSase, which are distributed in a wide range of fungal taxa, suggests that the common ancestor of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota acquired COSase at about 790-670 Ma.IMPORTANCEThe biological assimilation of gaseous CO2 and N2 involves essential processes known as carbon fixation and nitrogen fixation, respectively. In this study, we found that the fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain THIF08 can grow with gaseous carbonyl sulfide (COS), the most abundant and ubiquitous gaseous sulfur compound, as a sulfur source. When the fungus grew in these conditions, COS was assimilated into sulfur metabolites, and the key enzyme of this assimilation process is COS hydrolase (COSase), which specifically degrades COS. Moreover, the pathway was more energy efficient than the typical sulfate assimilation pathway. COSase genes are widely distributed in Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota and also occur in some Chytridiomycota, indicating that COS assimilation is widespread in fungi. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes revealed that the acquisition of COSase in filamentous fungi was estimated to have occurred at about 790-670 Ma, around the time that filamentous fungi transitioned to a terrestrial environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuka Iizuka
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Hattori
- International Center for Isotope Effects Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yusuke Kosaka
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Masaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kawano
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Euglena Co., Ltd., Minato‑ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Iwao Ohtsu
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Euglena Co., Ltd., Minato‑ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - David Hibbett
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yoko Katayama
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
- Independent Administrative Institution, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Yoshida
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
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Pearce D, Brooks E, Wright C, Rankin D, Crombie AT, Murrell JC. Complete genome sequences of Methylococcus capsulatus (Norfolk) and Methylocaldum szegediense (Norfolk) isolated from a landfill methane biofilter. Microbiol Resour Announc 2024; 13:e0067523. [PMID: 38236040 PMCID: PMC10868220 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00675-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Here we report the complete genome sequence of two moderately thermophilic methanotrophs isolated from a landfill methane biofilter, Methylococcus capsulatus (Norfolk) and Methylocaldum szegediense (Norfolk).
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pearce
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Elliot Brooks
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Andrew T. Crombie
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - J. Colin Murrell
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Tucci FJ, Rosenzweig AC. Direct Methane Oxidation by Copper- and Iron-Dependent Methane Monooxygenases. Chem Rev 2024; 124:1288-1320. [PMID: 38305159 PMCID: PMC10923174 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change and is primarily regulated in Nature by methanotrophic bacteria, which consume methane gas as their source of energy and carbon, first by oxidizing it to methanol. The direct oxidation of methane to methanol is a chemically difficult transformation, accomplished in methanotrophs by complex methane monooxygenase (MMO) enzyme systems. These enzymes use iron or copper metallocofactors and have been the subject of detailed investigation. While the structure, function, and active site architecture of the copper-dependent particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) have been investigated extensively, its putative quaternary interactions, regulation, requisite cofactors, and mechanism remain enigmatic. The iron-dependent soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) has been characterized biochemically, structurally, spectroscopically, and, for the most part, mechanistically. Here, we review the history of MMO research, focusing on recent developments and providing an outlook for future directions of the field. Engineered biological catalysis systems and bioinspired synthetic catalysts may continue to emerge along with a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of biological methane oxidation. Harnessing the power of these enzymes will necessitate combined efforts in biochemistry, structural biology, inorganic chemistry, microbiology, computational biology, and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J Tucci
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Amy C Rosenzweig
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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Woern C, Grossmann L. Microbial gas fermentation technology for sustainable food protein production. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108240. [PMID: 37647973 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel, sustainable, and robust food production technologies represents one of the major pillars to address the most significant challenges humanity is going to face on earth in the upcoming decades - climate change, population growth, and resource depletion. The implementation of microfoods, i.e., foods formulated with ingredients from microbial cultivation, into the food supply chain has a huge potential to contribute towards energy-efficient and nutritious food manufacturing and represents a means to sustainably feed a growing world population. This review recapitulates and assesses the current state in the establishment and usage of gas fermenting bacteria as an innovative feedstock for protein production. In particular, we focus on the most promising representatives of this taxon: the hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria (hydrogenotrophs) and the methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs). These unicellular microorganisms can aerobically metabolize gaseous hydrogen and methane, respectively, to provide the required energy for building up cell material. A protein yield over 70% in the dry matter cell mass can be reached with no need for arable land and organic substrates making it a promising alternative to plant- and animal-based protein sources. We illuminate the holistic approach to incorporate protein extracts obtained from the cultivation of gas fermenting bacteria into microfoods. Herein, the fundamental properties of the bacteria, cultivation methods, downstream processing, and potential food applications are discussed. Moreover, this review covers existing and future challenges as well as sustainability aspects associated with the production of microbial protein through gas fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Woern
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Lutz Grossmann
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Awala SI, Kim Y, Gwak JH, Seo C, Lee S, Kang M, Rhee SK. Methylococcus mesophilus sp. nov., the first non-thermotolerant methanotroph of the genus Methylococcus, from a rice field. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73. [PMID: 37824181 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Strain 16-5T, a mesophilic methanotroph of the genus Methylococcus, was isolated from rice field soil sampled in Chungcheong Province, Republic of Korea. Strain 16-5T had both particulate and soluble methane monooxygenases and could only grow on methane and methanol as electron donors. Strain 16-5 T cells are Gram-negative, white to light tan in color, non-motile, non-flagellated, diplococcoid to cocci, and have the typical type I intracytoplasmic membrane system. Strain 16-5T grew at 18-38 °C (optimum, 27 °C) and at pH 5.0-8.0 (optimum, pH 6.5-7.0). C16 : 1 ω7c (38.8%), C16 : 1 ω5c (18.8%), C16 : 1 ω6c (16.8%) and C16 : 0 (16.9%) were the major fatty acids, and phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified phospholipid were the major polar lipids. The main respiratory quinone was methylene-ubiquinone-8. Strain 16-5T displayed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to other taxonomically recognized members of the genus Methylococcus, i.e. Methylococcus capsulatus TexasT (98.62%) and Methylococcus geothermalis IM1T (98.49 %), which were its closest relatives. It did, however, differ from all other taxonomically described Methylococcus species due to some phenotypic differences, most notably its inability to grow at temperatures above 38 °C, where other Methylococcus species thrive. Its 4.34 Mbp-sized genome has a DNA G+C content of 62.47 mol%, and multiple genome-based properties such as average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization value distanced it from its closest relatives. Based on the data presented above, this strain represents the first non-thermotolerant species of the genus Methylococcus. The name Methylococcus mesophilus sp. nov. is proposed, and 16-5T (=JCM 35359T=KCTC 82050T) is the type strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Imisi Awala
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongman Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo-Han Gwak
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Chanmee Seo
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungki Lee
- National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Minseo Kang
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Keun Rhee
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
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Wang J, Wang C, Chu YX, Tian G, He R. Characterization of methanotrophic community and activity in landfill cover soils under dimethyl sulfide stress. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 161:263-274. [PMID: 36917925 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Landfill cover soil is the environmental interface between landfills and the atmosphere and plays an important role in mitigating CH4 emission from landfills. Here, stable isotope probing microcosms with CH4 or CH4 and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) were carried out to characterize activity and community structure of methanotrophs in landfill cover soils under DMS stress. The CH4 oxidation activity in the landfill cover soils was not obviously influenced at the DMS concentration of 0.05%, while it was inhibited at the DMS concentrations of 0.1% and 0.2%. DMS-S was mainly oxidized to sulfate (SO42-) in the landfill cover soils. In the landfill cover soils, DMS could inhibit the expression of bacteria and decrease the abundances of pmoA and mmoX genes, while it could prompt the expression of pmoA and mmoX genes. γ-Proteobacteria methanotrophs including Methylocaldum, Methylobacter, Crenothrix and unclassified Methylococcaceae and α-Proteobacteria methanotrophs Methylocystis dominated in assimilating CH4 in the landfill cover soils. Of them, Methylobacter and Crenothrix had strong tolerance to DMS or DMS could promote the growth and activity of Methylobacter and Crenothrix, while Methylocaldum had weak tolerance to DMS and showed an inhibitory effect. Metagenomic analyses showed that methanotrophs had the genes of methanethiol oxidation and could metabolize CH4 and methanethiol simultaneously in the landfill cover soils. These findings suggested that methanotrophs might metabolize sulfur compounds in the landfill cover soils, which may provide the potential application in engineering for co-removal of CH4 and sulfur compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yi-Xuan Chu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Guangming Tian
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ruo He
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Nair IM, Kochupurackal J. Squalene hopene cyclases and oxido squalene cyclases: potential targets for regulating cyclisation reactions. Biotechnol Lett 2023; 45:573-588. [PMID: 37055654 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-023-03366-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Squalene hopene cyclases (SHC) convert squalene, the linear triterpene to fused ring product hopanoid by the cationic cyclization mechanism. The main function of hopanoids, a class of pentacyclic triterpenoids in bacteria involves the maintenance of membrane fluidity and stability. 2, 3-oxido squalene cyclases are functional analogues of SHC in eukaryotes and both these enzymes have fascinated researchers for the high stereo selectivity, complexity, and efficiency they possess. The peculiar property of the enzyme squalene hopene cyclase to accommodate substrates other than its natural substrate can be exploited for the use of these enzymes in an industrial perspective. Here, we present an extensive overview of the enzyme squalene hopene cyclase with emphasis on the cloning and overexpression strategies. An attempt has been made to explore recent research trends around squalene cyclase mediated cyclization reactions of flavour and pharmaceutical significance by using non-natural molecules as substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indu Muraleedharan Nair
- School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Athirampuzha, Kottayam, 686560, India
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, T12 XF62, Ireland
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Cre/ lox-Mediated CRISPRi Library Reveals Core Genome of a Type I Methanotroph Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0188322. [PMID: 36622175 PMCID: PMC9888281 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01883-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Methanotrophs play key roles in global methane cycling and are promising platforms for methane bioconversion. However, major gaps existing in fundamental knowledge undermines understanding of these methane-consuming microorganisms. To associate genes with a phenotype at the genome-wide level, we developed a Cre/lox-mediated method for constructing a large-scale CRISPRi library in a model methanotroph Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C. The efficiency of this Cre mediated integration method was up to a level of 105 CFU/μg DNA. Targeting 4,100 predicted protein-coding genes, our CRISPRi pooled screening uncovered 788 core genes for the growth of strain 5GB1C using methane. The core genes are highly consistent with the gene knockout results, indicating the reliability of the CRISPRi screen. Insights from the core genes include that annotated isozymes generally exist in metabolic pathways and many core genes are hypothetical genes. This work not only provides functional genomic data for both fundamental research and metabolic engineering of methanotrophs, but also offers a method for CRISPRi library construction. IMPORTANCE Due to their key role in methane cycling and their industrial potential, methanotrophs have drawn increasing attention. Genome-wide experimental approaches for gene-phenotype mapping accelerate our understanding and engineering of a bacterium. However, these approaches are still unavailable in methanotrophs. This work has two significant implications. First, the core genes identified here provide functional genetic basics for complete reconstruction of the metabolic network and afford more clues for knowledge gaps. Second, the Cre-mediated knock-in method developed in this work enables large-scale DNA library construction in methanotrophs; the CRISPRi library can be used to screen the genes associated with special culture conditions.
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Alrashed W, Chandra R, Abbott T, Lee HS. Nitrite reduction using a membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) in a hypoxic environment with dilute methane under low pressures. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156757. [PMID: 35718173 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Methane-based membrane biofilm reactors (MBfRs) can be an effective solution for nitrogen control in wastewater, but there is limited information on nitrite reduction for dilute wastewater (e.g., municipal wastewater) in hypoxic MBfRs. This study assessed the impacts of dilute (20 %), low-pressure methane (0.35-2.41 kPa) applied to MBfRs at hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 2-12 h on nitrite removals, dissolved methane concentrations, and the resulting changes in the microbial community. High nitrite flux along with rapid and virtually complete (>99 %) nitrite removals were observed at methane pressures of 1.03-2.41 kPa at HRTs above 4 h, despite the use of diluted methane gas for the MBfR. The lowest methane pressure (0.35 kPa) was also able to achieve up to 98 % nitrite removals but required HRTs of up to 12 h. All scenarios had low dissolved methane concentrations (<10 mg/L), indicating that dilute methane at low supply pressures can effectively remove nitrite while meeting dissolved methane guidelines in treated effluent. Methylococcus genus was the key bacterium in MBfR biofilm grown at different HRTs and methane pressures, along with Methylocystis and other heterotrophic denitrifiers (Terrimonas and Hyphomicrobium). This study indicates that methane-based denitrification MBfRs can be a valuable tool to meet nitrogen limits for dilute wastewater coupled to partial nitrification, while limiting the release of methane to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wael Alrashed
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Rashmi Chandra
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Timothy Abbott
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Hyung-Sool Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; KENTECH Institute for Environmental and Climate Technology, Korea Institute of Energy Technology, 200 Hyeoksin-ro, Naju, Jeonnam 58330, Republic of Korea.
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Lee C, Hwang Y, Kang HG, Lee SJ. Electron Transfer to Hydroxylase through Component Interactions in Soluble Methane Monooxygenase. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 32:287-293. [PMID: 35131957 PMCID: PMC9628860 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2201.01029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The hydroxylation of methane (CH4) is crucial to the field of environmental microbiology, owing to the heat capacity of methane, which is much higher than that of carbon dioxide (CO2). Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO), a member of the bacterial multicomponent monooxygenase (BMM) superfamily, is essential for the hydroxylation of specific substrates, including hydroxylase (MMOH), regulatory component (MMOB), and reductase (MMOR). The diiron active site positioned in the MMOH α-subunit is reduced through the interaction of MMOR in the catalytic cycle. The electron transfer pathway, however, is not yet fully understood due to the absence of complex structures with reductases. A type II methanotroph, Methylosinus sporium 5, successfully expressed sMMO and hydroxylase, which were purified for the study of the mechanisms. Studies on the MMOH-MMOB interaction have demonstrated that Tyr76 and Trp78 induce hydrophobic interactions through π-π stacking. Structural analysis and sequencing of the ferredoxin domain in MMOR (MMOR-Fd) suggested that Tyr93 and Tyr95 could be key residues for electron transfer. Mutational studies of these residues have shown that the concentrations of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and iron ions are changed. The measurements of dissociation constants (Kds) between hydroxylase and mutated reductases confirmed that the binding affinities were not significantly changed, although the specific enzyme activities were significantly reduced by MMOR-Y93A. This result shows that Tyr93 could be a crucial residue for the electron transfer route at the interface between hydroxylase and reductase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaemin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunha Hwang
- Department of Chemistry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Goo Kang
- Department of Neurology, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University and Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju 54907, Republic of Korea,Corresponding authors H.G. Kang Phone: +82-63-250-1590 Fax: +82-63-251-9363 E-mail:
| | - Seung Jae Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea,Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea,
S.J. Lee Phone: +82-63-270-3412 Fax: +82-63-270-3407 E-mail:
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Systems Metabolic Engineering of Methanotrophic Bacteria for Biological Conversion of Methane to Value-Added Compounds. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 180:91-126. [DOI: 10.1007/10_2021_184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Oshkin IY, Danilova OV, But SY, Miroshnikov KK, Suleimanov RZ, Belova SE, Tikhonova EN, Kuznetsov NN, Khmelenina VN, Pimenov NV, Dedysh SN. Expanding Characterized Diversity and the Pool of Complete Genome Sequences of Methylococcus Species, the Bacteria of High Environmental and Biotechnological Relevance. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:756830. [PMID: 34691008 PMCID: PMC8527097 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.756830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial genus Methylococcus, which comprises aerobic thermotolerant methanotrophic cocci, was described half-a-century ago. Over the years, a member of this genus, Methylococcus capsulatus Bath, has become a major model organism to study genomic and metabolic basis of obligate methanotrophy. High biotechnological potential of fast-growing Methylococcus species, mainly as a promising source of feed protein, has also been recognized. Despite this big research attention, the currently cultured Methylococcus diversity is represented by members of the two species, M. capsulatus and M. geothermalis, while finished genome sequences are available only for two strains of these methanotrophs. This study extends the pool of phenotypically characterized Methylococcus strains with good-quality genome sequences by contributing four novel isolates of these bacteria from activated sludge, landfill cover soil, and freshwater sediments. The determined genome sizes of novel isolates varied between 3.2 and 4.0Mb. As revealed by the phylogenomic analysis, strains IO1, BH, and KN2 affiliate with M. capsulatus, while strain Mc7 may potentially represent a novel species. Highest temperature optima (45-50°C) and highest growth rates in bioreactor cultures (up to 0.3h-1) were recorded for strains obtained from activated sludge. The comparative analysis of all complete genomes of Methylococcus species revealed 4,485 gene clusters. Of these, pan-genome core comprised 2,331 genes (on average 51.9% of each genome), with the accessory genome containing 846 and 1,308 genes in the shell and the cloud, respectively. Independently of the isolation source, all strains of M. capsulatus displayed surprisingly high genome synteny and a striking similarity in gene content. Strain Mc7 from a landfill cover soil differed from other isolates by the high content of mobile genetic elements in the genome and a number of genome-encoded features missing in M. capsulatus, such as sucrose biosynthesis and the ability to scavenge phosphorus and sulfur from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Y. Oshkin
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V. Danilova
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey Y. But
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- G. K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Kirill K. Miroshnikov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ruslan Z. Suleimanov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana E. Belova
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina N. Tikhonova
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolai N. Kuznetsov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Valentina N. Khmelenina
- G. K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Nikolai V. Pimenov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana N. Dedysh
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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14
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Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (RubisCO) Is Essential for Growth of the Methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus Strain Bath. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0088121. [PMID: 34288705 PMCID: PMC8388818 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00881-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) enzyme found in plants, algae, and an array of autotrophic bacteria is also encoded by a subset of methanotrophs, but its role in these microbes has largely remained elusive. In this study, we showed that CO2 was requisite for RubisCO-encoding Methylococcus capsulatus strain Bath growth in a bioreactor with continuous influent and effluent gas flow. RNA sequencing identified active transcription of several carboxylating enzymes, including key enzymes of the Calvin and serine cycles, that could mediate CO2 assimilation during cultivation with both CH4 and CO2 as carbon sources. Marker exchange mutagenesis of M. capsulatus Bath genes encoding key enzymes of potential CO2-assimilating metabolic pathways indicated that a complete serine cycle is not required, whereas RubisCO is essential for growth of this bacterium. 13CO2 tracer analysis showed that CH4 and CO2 enter overlapping anaplerotic pathways and implicated RubisCO as the primary enzyme mediating CO2 assimilation in M. capsulatus Bath. Notably, we quantified the relative abundance of 3-phosphoglycerate and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate 13C isotopes, which supported that RubisCO-produced 3-phosphoglycerate is primarily converted to ribulose-1-5-bisphosphate via the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in M. capsulatus Bath. Collectively, our data establish that RubisCO and CO2 play essential roles in M. capsulatus Bath metabolism. This study expands the known capacity of methanotrophs to fix CO2 via RubisCO, which may play a more pivotal role in the Earth's biogeochemical carbon cycling and greenhouse gas regulation than previously recognized. Further, M. capsulatus Bath and other CO2-assimilating methanotrophs represent excellent candidates for use in the bioconversion of biogas waste streams that consist of both CH4 and CO2. IMPORTANCE The importance of RubisCO and CO2 in M. capsulatus Bath metabolism is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that both CO2 and RubisCO are essential for M. capsulatus Bath growth. 13CO2 tracing experiments supported that RubisCO mediates CO2 fixation and that a noncanonical Calvin cycle is active in this organism. Our study provides insights into the expanding knowledge of methanotroph metabolism and implicates dually CH4/CO2-utilizing bacteria as more important players in the biogeochemical carbon cycle than previously appreciated. In addition, M. capsulatus and other methanotrophs with CO2 assimilation capacity represent candidate organisms for the development of biotechnologies to mitigate the two most abundant greenhouse gases, CH4 and CO2.
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15
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Lee H, Baek JI, Lee JY, Jeong J, Kim H, Lee DH, Kim DM, Lee SG. Syntrophic co-culture of a methanotroph and heterotroph for the efficient conversion of methane to mevalonate. Metab Eng 2021; 67:285-292. [PMID: 34298134 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
As the bioconversion of methane becomes increasingly important for bio-industrial and environmental applications, methanotrophs have received much attention for their ability to convert methane under ambient conditions. This includes the extensive reporting of methanotroph engineering for the conversion of methane to biochemicals. To further increase methane usability, we demonstrated a highly flexible and efficient modular approach based on a synthetic consortium of methanotrophs and heterotrophs mimicking the natural methane ecosystem to produce mevalonate (MVA) from methane. In the methane-conversion module, we used Methylococcus capsulatus Bath as a highly efficient methane biocatalyst and optimized the culture conditions for the production of high amounts of organic acids. In the MVA-synthesis module, we used Escherichia coli SBA01, an evolved strain with high organic acid tolerance and utilization ability, to convert organic acids to MVA. Using recombinant E. coli SBA01 possessing genes for the MVA pathway, 61 mg/L (0.4 mM) of MVA was successfully produced in 48 h without any addition of nutrients except methane. Our platform exhibited high stability and reproducibility with regard to cell growth and MVA production. We believe that this versatile system can be easily extended to many other value-added processes and has a variety of potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyewon Lee
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji In Baek
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Young Lee
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeong Jeong
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Haseong Kim
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Hee Lee
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea; Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Goo Lee
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea; Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea.
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16
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Lamb DC, Hargrove TY, Zhao B, Wawrzak Z, Goldstone JV, Nes WD, Kelly SL, Waterman MR, Stegeman JJ, Lepesheva GI. Concerning P450 Evolution: Structural Analyses Support Bacterial Origin of Sterol 14α-Demethylases. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:952-967. [PMID: 33031537 PMCID: PMC7947880 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterol biosynthesis, primarily associated with eukaryotic kingdoms of life, occurs as an abbreviated pathway in the bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus. Sterol 14α-demethylation is an essential step in this pathway and is catalyzed by cytochrome P450 51 (CYP51). In M. capsulatus, the enzyme consists of the P450 domain naturally fused to a ferredoxin domain at the C-terminus (CYP51fx). The structure of M. capsulatus CYP51fx was solved to 2.7 Å resolution and is the first structure of a bacterial sterol biosynthetic enzyme. The structure contained one P450 molecule per asymmetric unit with no electron density seen for ferredoxin. We connect this with the requirement of P450 substrate binding in order to activate productive ferredoxin binding. Further, the structure of the P450 domain with bound detergent (which replaced the substrate upon crystallization) was solved to 2.4 Å resolution. Comparison of these two structures to the CYP51s from human, fungi, and protozoa reveals strict conservation of the overall protein architecture. However, the structure of an "orphan" P450 from nonsterol-producing Mycobacterium tuberculosis that also has CYP51 activity reveals marked differences, suggesting that loss of function in vivo might have led to alterations in the structural constraints. Our results are consistent with the idea that eukaryotic and bacterial CYP51s evolved from a common cenancestor and that early eukaryotes may have recruited CYP51 from a bacterial source. The idea is supported by bioinformatic analysis, revealing the presence of CYP51 genes in >1,000 bacteria from nine different phyla, >50 of them being natural CYP51fx fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Lamb
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Tatiana Y Hargrove
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
| | - Zdzislaw Wawrzak
- Synchrotron Research Center, Life Science Collaborative Access Team, Northwestern University, Argonne, IL
| | - Jared V Goldstone
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
| | - William David Nes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
| | - Steven L Kelly
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Michael R Waterman
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
| | - John J Stegeman
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
| | - Galina I Lepesheva
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN.,Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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17
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Wang S, Liu Q, Li J, Wang Z. Methane in wastewater treatment plants: status, characteristics, and bioconversion feasibility by methane oxidizing bacteria for high value-added chemicals production and wastewater treatment. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 198:117122. [PMID: 33865027 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methane is a type of renewable fuel that can generate many types of high value-added chemicals, however, besides heat and power production, there is little methane utilization in most of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) all round the world currently. In this review, the status of methane production performance from WWTPs was firstly investigated. Subsequently, based on the identification and classification of methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB), the key enzymes and metabolic pathway of MOB were presented in depth. Then the production, extraction and purification process of high value-added chemicals, including methanol, ectoine, biofuel, bioplastic, methane protein and extracellular polysaccharides, were introduced in detail, which was conducive to understand the bioconversion process of methane. Finally, the use of methane in wastewater treatment process, including nitrogen removal, emerging contaminants removal as well as resource recovery was extensively explored. These findings could provide guidance in the development of sustainable economy and environment, and facilitate biological methane conversion by using MOB in further attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Biomass Energy and Carbon Reduction Technology, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiangsu College of Water Treatment Technology and Material Collaborative Innovation Center, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Qixin Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Ji Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Biomass Energy and Carbon Reduction Technology, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiangsu College of Water Treatment Technology and Material Collaborative Innovation Center, Suzhou 215009, China.
| | - Zhiwu Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
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18
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Chen YY, Soma Y, Ishikawa M, Takahashi M, Izumi Y, Bamba T, Hori K. Metabolic alteration of Methylococcus capsulatus str. Bath during a microbial gas-phase reaction. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 330:125002. [PMID: 33770731 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study demonstrates the metabolic alteration of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), a representative bacterium among methanotrophs, in microbial gas-phase reactions. For comparative metabolome analysis, a bioreactor was designed to be capable of supplying gaseous substrates and liquid nutrients continuously. Methane degradation by M. capsulatus (Bath) was more efficient in a gas-phase reaction operated in the bioreactor than in an aqueous phase reaction operated in a batch reactor. Metabolome analysis revealed remarkable alterations in the metabolism of cells in the gas-phase reaction; in particular, pyruvate, 2-ketoglutarate, some amino acids, xanthine, and hypoxanthine were accumulated, whereas 2,6-diaminopimelate was decreased. Based on the results of metabolome analysis, cells in the gas-phase reaction seemed to alter their metabolism to reduce the excess ATP and NADH generated upon increased availability of methane and oxygen. Our findings will facilitate the development of efficient processes for methane-based bioproduction with low energy consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Yu Chen
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
| | - Yuki Soma
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masahito Ishikawa
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Masatomo Takahashi
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Izumi
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Takeshi Bamba
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Hori
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
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19
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Khider MLK, Brautaset T, Irla M. Methane monooxygenases: central enzymes in methanotrophy with promising biotechnological applications. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 37:72. [PMID: 33765207 PMCID: PMC7994243 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-03038-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, the use of methane is limited to generating power, electricity, heating, and for production of chemicals. We believe this valuable gas can be employed more widely. Here we review the possibility of using methane as a feedstock for biotechnological processes based on the application of synthetic methanotrophs. Methane monooxygenase (MMO) enables aerobic methanotrophs to utilize methane as a sole carbon and energy source, in contrast to industrial microorganisms that grow on carbon sources, such as sugar cane, which directly compete with the food market. However, naturally occurring methanotrophs have proven to be difficult to manipulate genetically and their current industrial use is limited to generating animal feed biomass. Shifting the focus from genetic engineering of methanotrophs, towards introducing metabolic pathways for methane utilization in familiar industrial microorganisms, may lead to construction of efficient and economically feasible microbial cell factories. The applications of a technology for MMO production are not limited to methane-based industrial synthesis of fuels and value-added products, but are also of interest in bioremediation where mitigating anthropogenic pollution is an increasingly relevant issue. Published research on successful functional expression of MMO does not exist, but several attempts provide promising future perspectives and a few recent patents indicate that there is an ongoing research in this field. Combining the knowledge on genetics and metabolism of methanotrophy with tools for functional heterologous expression of MMO-encoding genes in non-methanotrophic bacterial species, is a key step for construction of synthetic methanotrophs that holds a great biotechnological potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- May L K Khider
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Trygve Brautaset
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marta Irla
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
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20
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Carere CR, Hards K, Wigley K, Carman L, Houghton KM, Cook GM, Stott MB. Growth on Formic Acid Is Dependent on Intracellular pH Homeostasis for the Thermoacidophilic Methanotroph Methylacidiphilum sp. RTK17.1. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:651744. [PMID: 33841379 PMCID: PMC8024496 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.651744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the genus Methylacidiphilum, a clade of metabolically flexible thermoacidophilic methanotrophs from the phylum Verrucomicrobia, can utilize a variety of substrates including methane, methanol, and hydrogen for growth. However, despite sequentially oxidizing methane to carbon dioxide via methanol and formate intermediates, growth on formate as the only source of reducing equivalents (i.e., NADH) has not yet been demonstrated. In many acidophiles, the inability to grow on organic acids has presumed that diffusion of the protonated form (e.g., formic acid) into the cell is accompanied by deprotonation prompting cytosolic acidification, which leads to the denaturation of vital proteins and the collapse of the proton motive force. In this work, we used a combination of biochemical, physiological, chemostat, and transcriptomic approaches to demonstrate that Methylacidiphilum sp. RTK17.1 can utilize formate as a substrate when cells are able to maintain pH homeostasis. Our findings show that Methylacidiphilum sp. RTK17.1 grows optimally with a circumneutral intracellular pH (pH 6.52 ± 0.04) across an extracellular range of pH 1.5–3.0. In batch experiments, formic acid addition resulted in no observable cell growth and cell death due to acidification of the cytosol. Nevertheless, stable growth on formic acid as the only source of energy was demonstrated in continuous chemostat cultures (D = 0.0052 h−1, td = 133 h). During growth on formic acid, biomass yields remained nearly identical to methanol-grown chemostat cultures when normalized per mole electron equivalent. Transcriptome analysis revealed the key genes associated with stress response: methane, methanol, and formate metabolism were differentially expressed in response to growth on formic acid. Collectively, these results show formic acid represents a utilizable source of energy/carbon to the acidophilic methanotrophs within geothermal environments. Findings expand the known metabolic flexibility of verrucomicrobial methanotrophs to include organic acids and provide insight into potential survival strategies used by these species during methane starvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo R Carere
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Kiel Hards
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Center for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kathryn Wigley
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Luke Carman
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Karen M Houghton
- Geomicrobiology Research Group, Department of Geothermal Sciences, GNS Science, Taupō, New Zealand
| | - Gregory M Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Center for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Matthew B Stott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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21
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Abstract
Methanotrophic bacteria represent a potential route to methane utilization and mitigation of methane emissions. In the first step of their metabolic pathway, aerobic methanotrophs use methane monooxygenases (MMOs) to activate methane, oxidizing it to methanol. There are two types of MMOs: a particulate, membrane-bound enzyme (pMMO) and a soluble, cytoplasmic enzyme (sMMO). The two MMOs are completely unrelated, with different architectures, metal cofactors, and mechanisms. The more prevalent of the two, pMMO, is copper-dependent, but the identity of its copper active site remains unclear. By contrast, sMMO uses a diiron active site, the catalytic cycle of which is well understood. Here we review the current state of knowledge for both MMOs, with an emphasis on recent developments and emerging hypotheses. In addition, we discuss obstacles to developing expression systems, which are needed to address outstanding questions and to facilitate future protein engineering efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Koo
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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22
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Schmitz RA, Peeters SH, Versantvoort W, Picone N, Pol A, Jetten MSM, Op den Camp HJM. Verrucomicrobial methanotrophs: ecophysiology of metabolically versatile acidophiles. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:6125968. [PMID: 33524112 PMCID: PMC8498564 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanotrophs are an important group of microorganisms that counteract methane emissions to the atmosphere. Methane-oxidising bacteria of the Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria have been studied for over a century, while methanotrophs of the phylum Verrucomicrobia are a more recent discovery. Verrucomicrobial methanotrophs are extremophiles that live in very acidic geothermal ecosystems. Currently, more than a dozen strains have been isolated, belonging to the genera Methylacidiphilum and Methylacidimicrobium. Initially, these methanotrophs were thought to be metabolically confined. However, genomic analyses and physiological and biochemical experiments over the past years revealed that verrucomicrobial methanotrophs, as well as proteobacterial methanotrophs, are much more metabolically versatile than previously assumed. Several inorganic gases and other molecules present in acidic geothermal ecosystems can be utilised, such as methane, hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide, ammonium, nitrogen gas and perhaps also hydrogen sulfide. Verrucomicrobial methanotrophs could therefore represent key players in multiple volcanic nutrient cycles and in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from geothermal ecosystems. Here, we summarise the current knowledge on verrucomicrobial methanotrophs with respect to their metabolic versatility and discuss the factors that determine their diversity in their natural environment. In addition, key metabolic, morphological and ecological characteristics of verrucomicrobial and proteobacterial methanotrophs are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob A Schmitz
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stijn H Peeters
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Versantvoort
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nunzia Picone
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Pol
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mike S M Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Huub J M Op den Camp
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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23
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Yuan XJ, Chen WJ, Ma ZX, Yuan QQ, Zhang M, He L, Mo XH, Zhang C, Zhang CT, Wang MY, Xing XH, Yang S. Rewiring the native methanol assimilation metabolism by incorporating the heterologous ribulose monophosphate cycle into Methylorubrum extorquens. Metab Eng 2021; 64:95-110. [PMID: 33493644 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Methanol is assimilated through the serine cycle to generate acetyl-CoA without carbon loss. However, a highly active serine cycle requires high consumption of reducing equivalents and ATP, thereby leading to the impaired efficiency of methanol conversion to reduced chemicals. In the present study, a genome-scale flux balance analysis (FBA) predicted that the introduction of the heterologous ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) cycle, a more energy-efficient pathway for methanol assimilation, could theoretically increase growth rate by 31.3% for the model alphaproteobacterial methylotroph Methylorubrum extorquens AM1. Based on this analysis, we constructed a novel synergistic assimilation pathway in vivo by incorporating the RuMP cycle into M. extroquens metabolism with the intrinsic serine cycle. We demonstrated that the operation of the synergistic pathway could increase cell growth rate by 16.5% and methanol consumption rate by 13.1%. This strategy rewired the central methylotrophic metabolism through adjusting core gene transcription, leading to a pool size increase of C2 to C5 central intermediates by 1.2- to 3.6-fold and an NADPH cofactor improvement by 1.3-fold. The titer of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), a model product in the newly engineered chassis of M. extorquens AM1, was increased to 91.2 mg/L in shake-flask culture, representing a 3.1-fold increase compared with the control strain with only the serine cycle. The final titer of 3-HP was significantly improved to 0.857 g/L in the fed-batch bioreactor, which was more competitive compared with the other 3-HP producers using methane and CO2 as C1 sources. Collectively, our current study demonstrated that engineering the synergistic methanol assimilation pathway was a promising strategy to increase the carbon assimilation and the yields of reduced chemicals in diverse host strains for C1 microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Jie Yuan
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China; Department of Molecular Biology, Qingdao Vland Biotech Inc., Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zeng-Xin Ma
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian-Qian Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lian He
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xu-Hua Mo
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang-Tai Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng-Ying Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Hui Xing
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China; Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, And Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Song Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, And Qingdao International Center on Microbes Utilizing Biogas, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
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Genome-scale revealing the central metabolic network of the fast growing methanotroph Methylomonas sp. ZR1. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 37:29. [PMID: 33452942 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-02995-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Methylomonas sp. ZR1 was an isolated new methanotrophs that could utilize methane and methanol growing fast and synthesizing value added compounds such as lycopene. In this study, the genomic study integrated with the comparative transcriptome analysis were taken to understanding the metabolic characteristic of ZR1 grown on methane and methanol at normal and high temperature regime. Complete Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway (EMP), Entner-Doudoroff pathway (ED), Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PP) and Tricarboxy Acid Cycle (TCA) were found to be operated in ZR1. In addition, the energy saving ppi-dependent EMP enzyme, coupled with the complete and efficient central carbon metabolic network might be responsible for its fast growing nature. Transcript level analysis of the central carbon metabolism indicated that formaldehyde metabolism was a key nod that may be in charge of the carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) divergent of ZR1 grown on methanol and methane. Flexible nitrogen and carotene metabolism pattern were also investigated in ZR1. Nitrogenase genes in ZR1 were found to be highly expressed with methane even in the presence of sufficient nitrate. It appears that, higher lycopene production in ZR1 grown on methane might be attributed to the higher proportion of transcript level of C40 to C30 metabolic gene. Higher transcript level of exopolysaccharides metabolic gene and stress responding proteins indicated that ZR1 was confronted with severer growth stress with methanol than with methane. Additionally, lower transcript level of the TCA cycle, the dramatic high expression level of the nitric oxide reductase and stress responding protein, revealed the imbalance of the central carbon and nitrogen metabolic status, which would result in the worse growth of ZR1 with methanol at 30 °C.
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25
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Avdeeva LV, Gvozdev RI. Oxidation of L-Ascorbic Acid in the Presence of the Copper-Binding Compound from Methanotrophic Bacteria Methylococcus capsulatus (M). Biomimetics (Basel) 2020; 5:biomimetics5040048. [PMID: 33049942 PMCID: PMC7709488 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics5040048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The oxidation of ascorbic acid by air oxygen and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the copper-binding compound (cbc) from bacteria Methylococcus capsulatus (M) was studied. The rate constant of ascorbic acid oxidation by air oxygen in the presence of the copper complex with cbc from M. capsulatus (M) was shown to be 1.5 times higher than that of the noncatalytic reaction. The rate constant of ascorbic acid oxidation by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the copper complex with cbc from M. capsulatus (M) decreased by almost one-third compared to the reaction in the absence of the copper complex with cbc. It was assumed that cbc can be involved in a multilevel system of antioxidant protection and can protect a bacterial cell from oxidation stress. Thus, the cbc is mimetic ascorbate oxidase in the oxidation of ascorbic acid by molecular oxygen.
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Farhan Ul Haque M, Xu HJ, Murrell JC, Crombie A. Facultative methanotrophs - diversity, genetics, molecular ecology and biotechnological potential: a mini-review. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2020; 166:894-908. [PMID: 33085587 PMCID: PMC7660913 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) play a vital role in reducing atmospheric methane emissions, and hence mitigating their potent global warming effects. A significant proportion of the methane released is thermogenic natural gas, containing associated short-chain alkanes as well as methane. It was one hundred years following the description of methanotrophs that facultative strains were discovered and validly described. These can use some multi-carbon compounds in addition to methane, often small organic acids, such as acetate, or ethanol, although Methylocella strains can also use short-chain alkanes, presumably deriving a competitive advantage from this metabolic versatility. Here, we review the diversity and molecular ecology of facultative methanotrophs. We discuss the genetic potential of the known strains and outline the consequent benefits they may obtain. Finally, we review the biotechnological promise of these fascinating microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hui-Juan Xu
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Present address: Joint Institute for Environmental Research & Education, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - J. Colin Murrell
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Andrew Crombie
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Present address: School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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Awala SI, Bellosillo LA, Gwak JH, Nguyen NL, Kim SJ, Lee BH, Rhee SK. Methylococcus geothermalis sp. nov., a methanotroph isolated from a geothermal field in the Republic of Korea. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:5520-5530. [PMID: 32910751 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and coccoid methanotroph, strain IM1T, was isolated from hot spring soil. Cells of strain IM1T were catalase-negative, oxidase-positive and displayed a characteristic intracytoplasmic membrane arrangement of type I methanotrophs. The strain possessed genes encoding both membrane-bound and soluble methane monooxygenases and grew only on methane or methanol. The strain was capable of growth at temperatures between 15 and 48 °C (optimum, 30-45 °C) and pH values between pH 4.8 and 8.2 (optimum, pH 6.2-7.0). Based on phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene and PmoA sequences, strain IM1T was demonstrated to be affiliated to the genus Methylococcus. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of this strain was most closely related to the sequences of an uncultured bacterium clone FD09 (100 %) and a partially described cultured Methylococcus sp. GDS2.4 (99.78 %). The most closely related taxonomically described strains were Methylococcus capsulatus TexasT (97.92 %), Methylococcus capsulatus Bath (97.86 %) and Methyloterricola oryzae 73aT (94.21 %). Strain IM1T shared average nucleotide identity values of 85.93 and 85.62 % with Methylococcus capsulatus strains TexasT and Bath, respectively. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization value with the closest type strain was 29.90 %. The DNA G+C content of strain IM1T was 63.3 mol% and the major cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0 (39.0 %), C16 : 1 ω7c (24.0 %), C16 : 1 ω6c (13.6 %) and C16 : 1 ω5c (12.0 %). The major ubiquinone was methylene-ubiquinone-8. On the basis of phenotypic, genetic and phylogenetic data, strain IM1T represents a novel species of the genus Methylococcus for which the name Methylococcus geothermalis sp. nov. is proposed, with strain IM1T (=JCM 33941T=KCTC 72677T) as the type strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Imisi Awala
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Lorraine Araza Bellosillo
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo-Han Gwak
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Ngoc-Loi Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - So-Jeong Kim
- Geologic Environment Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, 34132 Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung-Hee Lee
- Microorganism Resources Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Keun Rhee
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
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28
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A Novel Moderately Thermophilic Type Ib Methanotroph Isolated from an Alkaline Thermal Spring in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8020250. [PMID: 32069978 PMCID: PMC7074724 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8020250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aerobic moderately thermophilic and thermophilic methane-oxidizing bacteria make a substantial contribution in the control of global warming through biological reduction of methane emissions and have a unique capability of utilizing methane as their sole carbon and energy source. Here, we report a novel moderately thermophilic Methylococcus-like Type Ib methanotroph recovered from an alkaline thermal spring (55.4 °C and pH 8.82) in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The isolate, designated LS7-MC, most probably represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Methylococcaceae of the class Gammaproteobacteria. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny indicated that strain LS7-MC is distantly related to the closest described relative, Methylococcus capsulatus (92.7% sequence identity). Growth was observed at temperatures of 30–60 °C (optimal, 51–55 °C), and the cells possessed Type I intracellular membrane (ICM). The comparison of the pmoA gene sequences showed that the strain was most closely related to M.capsulatus (87.8%). Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) was not detected, signifying the biological oxidation process from methane to methanol by the particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO). The other functional genes mxaF, cbbL and nifH were detected by PCR. To our knowledge, the new strain is the first isolated moderately thermophilic methanotroph from an alkaline thermal spring of the family Methylococcaceae. Furthermore, LS7-MC represents a previously unrecognized biological methane sink in thermal habitats, expanding our knowledge of its ecological role in methane cycling and aerobic methanotrophy.
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Chen YY, Ishikawa M, Suzuki R, Ito H, Kamachi T, Hori K. Evaluation of methane degradation performance in microbial gas-phase reactions using effectively immobilized methanotrophs. Biochem Eng J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2019.107441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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30
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François JM, Lachaux C, Morin N. Synthetic Biology Applied to Carbon Conservative and Carbon Dioxide Recycling Pathways. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 7:446. [PMID: 31998710 PMCID: PMC6966089 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The global warming conjugated with our reliance to petrol derived processes and products have raised strong concern about the future of our planet, asking urgently to find sustainable substitute solutions to decrease this reliance and annihilate this climate change mainly due to excess of CO2 emission. In this regard, the exploitation of microorganisms as microbial cell factories able to convert non-edible but renewable carbon sources into biofuels and commodity chemicals appears as an attractive solution. However, there is still a long way to go to make this solution economically viable and to introduce the use of microorganisms as one of the motor of the forthcoming bio-based economy. In this review, we address a scientific issue that must be challenged in order to improve the value of microbial organisms as cell factories. This issue is related to the capability of microbial systems to optimize carbon conservation during their metabolic processes. This initiative, which can be addressed nowadays using the advances in Synthetic Biology, should lead to an increase in products yield per carbon assimilated which is a key performance indice in biotechnological processes, as well as to indirectly contribute to a reduction of CO2 emission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Marie François
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France.,Toulouse White Biotechnology Center (TWB), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
| | - Cléa Lachaux
- Toulouse White Biotechnology Center (TWB), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
| | - Nicolas Morin
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France.,Toulouse White Biotechnology Center (TWB), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
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31
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Wang S, An Z, Wang ZW. Bioconversion of methane to chemicals and fuels by methane-oxidizing bacteria. ADVANCES IN BIOENERGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aibe.2020.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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32
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Thriving in Wetlands: Ecophysiology of the Spiral-Shaped Methanotroph Methylospira mobilis as Revealed by the Complete Genome Sequence. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7120683. [PMID: 31835835 PMCID: PMC6956133 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7120683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Candidatus Methylospira mobilis is a recently described spiral-shaped, micro-aerobic methanotroph, which inhabits northern freshwater wetlands and sediments. Due to difficulties of cultivation, it could not be obtained in a pure culture for a long time. Here, we report on the successful isolation of strain Shm1, the first axenic culture of this unique methanotroph. The complete genome sequence obtained for strain Shm1 was 4.7 Mb in size and contained over 4800 potential protein-coding genes. The array of genes encoding C1 metabolic capabilities in strain Shm1 was highly similar to that in the closely related non-motile, moderately thermophilic methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus Bath. The genomes of both methanotrophs encoded both low- and high-affinity oxidases, which allow their survival in a wide range of oxygen concentrations. The repertoire of signal transduction systems encoded in the genome of strain Shm1, however, by far exceeded that in Methylococcus capsulatus Bath but was comparable to those in other motile gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs. The complete set of motility genes, the presence of both the molybdenum–iron and vanadium-iron nitrogenases, as well as a large number of insertion sequences were also among the features, which define environmental adaptation of Methylospira mobilis to water-saturated, micro-oxic, heterogeneous habitats depleted in available nitrogen.
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33
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Methyl Selenol as a Precursor in Selenite Reduction to Se/S Species by Methane-Oxidizing Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01379-19. [PMID: 31519658 PMCID: PMC6821961 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01379-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment. Two well-characterized strains, Mc. capsulatus (Bath) and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, representing gamma- and alphaproteobacterial methanotrophs, respectively, can convert selenite, an environmental pollutant, to volatile selenium compounds and selenium-containing particulates. Both conversions can be harnessed for the bioremediation of selenium pollution using biological or fossil methane as the feedstock, and these organisms could be used to produce selenium-containing particles for food and biotechnological applications. Using an extensive suite of techniques, we identified precursors of selenium nanoparticle formation and also found that these nanoparticles are made up of eight-membered mixed selenium and sulfur rings. A wide range of microorganisms have been shown to transform selenium-containing oxyanions to reduced forms of the element, particularly selenium-containing nanoparticles. Such reactions are promising for the detoxification of environmental contamination and the production of valuable selenium-containing products, such as nanoparticles for application in biotechnology. It has previously been shown that aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria, including Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), are able to perform the methane-driven conversion of selenite (SeO32−) to selenium-containing nanoparticles and methylated selenium species. Here, the biotransformation of selenite by Mc. capsulatus (Bath) has been studied in detail via a range of imaging, chromatographic, and spectroscopic techniques. The results indicate that the nanoparticles are produced extracellularly and have a composition distinct from that of nanoparticles previously observed from other organisms. The spectroscopic data from the methanotroph-derived nanoparticles are best accounted for by a bulk structure composed primarily of octameric rings in the form Se8 −xSx with an outer coat of cell-derived biomacromolecules. Among a range of volatile methylated selenium and selenium-sulfur species detected, methyl selenol (CH3SeH) was found only when selenite was the starting material, although selenium nanoparticles (both biogenic and chemically produced) could be transformed into other methylated selenium species. This result is consistent with methyl selenol being an intermediate in the methanotroph-mediated biotransformation of selenium to all the methylated and particulate products observed. IMPORTANCE Aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment. Two well-characterized strains, Mc. capsulatus (Bath) and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, representing gamma- and alphaproteobacterial methanotrophs, respectively, can convert selenite, an environmental pollutant, to volatile selenium compounds and selenium-containing particulates. Both conversions can be harnessed for the bioremediation of selenium pollution using biological or fossil methane as the feedstock, and these organisms could be used to produce selenium-containing particles for food and biotechnological applications. Using an extensive suite of techniques, we identified precursors of selenium nanoparticle formation and also found that these nanoparticles are made up of eight-membered mixed selenium and sulfur rings.
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Firsova YE, Torgonskaya ML. Different roles of two groEL homologues in methylotrophic utiliser of dichloromethane Methylorubrum extorquens DM4. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2019; 113:101-116. [PMID: 31463590 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-019-01320-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The genome of methylotrophic bacteria Methylorubrum extorquens DM4 contains two homologous groESL operons encoding the 60-kDa and 10-kDa subunits of GroE heat shock chaperones with highly similar amino acid sequences. To test a possible functional redundancy of corresponding GroEL proteins we attempted to disrupt the groEL1 and groEL2 genes. Despite the large number of recombinants analysed and the gentle culture conditions the groEL1-lacking mutant was not constructed suggesting that the loss of GroEL1 was lethal for cells. At the same time the ∆groEL2 strain was viable and varied from the wild-type by increased sensitivity to acid, salt and desiccation stresses as well as by the impaired growth with a toxic halogenated compound-dichloromethane (DCM). The evaluation of activity of putative PgroE1 and PgroE2 promoters using the reporter gene of green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed that the expression of groESL1 operon greatly prevails (about two orders of magnitude) over those of groESL2 under all tested conditions. However the above promoters demonstrated differential regulation in response to stresses. The expression from PgroE1 was heat-inducible, while the activity of PgroE2 was upregulated upon acid shock and cultivation with DCM. Based on these results we conclude that the highly conservative groESL1 operon (old locus tags METDI5839-5840) encodes the housekeeping chaperone essential for fundamental cellular processes. On the contrary the second pair of paralogues (METDI4129-4130) is dispensable, but corresponding GroE2 chaperone promotes the tolerance to acid and salt stresses, in particular, during the growth with DCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia E Firsova
- Laboratory of Radioactive Isotopes, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, FRC Pushchino Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia, 142290
| | - Maria L Torgonskaya
- Laboratory of Radioactive Isotopes, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, FRC Pushchino Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia, 142290.
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Houghton KM, Carere CR, Stott MB, McDonald IR. Thermophilic methanotrophs: in hot pursuit. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 95:5543213. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACTMethane is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for 20–30% of global climate change effects. The global methane budget is ∼500–600 Tg y−1, with the majority of methane produced via microbial processes, including anthropogenic-mediated sources such as ruminant animals, rice fields, sewage treatment facilities and landfills. It is estimated that microbially mediated methane oxidation (methanotrophy) consumes >50% of global methane flux each year. Methanotrophy research has primarily focused on mesophilic methanotrophic representatives and cooler environments such as freshwater, wetlands or marine habitats from which they are sourced. Nevertheless, geothermal emissions of geological methane, produced from magma and lithosphere degassing micro-seepages, mud volcanoes and other geological sources, contribute an estimated 33–75 Tg y−1 to the global methane budget. The aim of this review is to summarise current literature pertaining to the activity of thermophilic and thermotolerant methanotrophs, both proteobacterial (Methylocaldum, Methylococcus, Methylothermus) and verrucomicrobial (Methylacidiphilum). We assert, on the basis of recently reported molecular and geochemical data, that geothermal ecosystems host hitherto unidentified species capable of methane oxidation at higher temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Houghton
- GNS Science, Wairakei Research Centre, 114 Karetoto Rd, Taupō 3384, New Zealand
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Knighton Rd, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Carlo R Carere
- GNS Science, Wairakei Research Centre, 114 Karetoto Rd, Taupō 3384, New Zealand
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, 20 Kirkwood Ave, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Matthew B Stott
- GNS Science, Wairakei Research Centre, 114 Karetoto Rd, Taupō 3384, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, 20 Kirkwood Ave, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Ian R McDonald
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Knighton Rd, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
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Petersen LAH, Lieven C, Nandy SK, Villadsen J, Jørgensen SB, Christensen I, Gernaey KV. Dynamic investigation and modeling of the nitrogen cometabolism in
Methylococcus capsulatus
(
Bath
). Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:2884-2895. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.27113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leander A. H. Petersen
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringTechnical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
- Unibio A/S Odense Denmark
| | - Christian Lieven
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for BiosustainabilityTechnical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
| | | | - John Villadsen
- Center for Combustion and Harmful Emission Control (CHEC), Department of Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringTechnical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
| | - Sten B. Jørgensen
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringTechnical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
| | | | - Krist V. Gernaey
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringTechnical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
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Salcher MM, Schaefle D, Kaspar M, Neuenschwander SM, Ghai R. Evolution in action: habitat transition from sediment to the pelagial leads to genome streamlining in Methylophilaceae. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:2764-2777. [PMID: 31292537 PMCID: PMC6794327 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0471-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The most abundant aquatic microbes are small in cell and genome size. Genome-streamlining theory predicts gene loss caused by evolutionary selection driven by environmental factors, favouring superior competitors for limiting resources. However, evolutionary histories of such abundant, genome-streamlined microbes remain largely unknown. Here we reconstruct the series of steps in the evolution of some of the most abundant genome-streamlined microbes in freshwaters (“Ca. Methylopumilus”) and oceans (marine lineage OM43). A broad genomic spectrum is visible in the family Methylophilaceae (Betaproteobacteria), from sediment microbes with medium-sized genomes (2–3 Mbp genome size), an occasionally blooming pelagic intermediate (1.7 Mbp), and the most reduced pelagic forms (1.3 Mbp). We show that a habitat transition from freshwater sediment to the relatively oligotrophic pelagial was accompanied by progressive gene loss and adaptive gains. Gene loss has mainly affected functions not necessarily required or advantageous in the pelagial or is encoded by redundant pathways. Likewise, we identified genes providing adaptations to oligotrophic conditions that have been transmitted horizontally from pelagic freshwater microbes. Remarkably, the secondary transition from the pelagial of lakes to the oceans required only slight modifications, i.e., adaptations to higher salinity, gained via horizontal gene transfer from indigenous microbes. Our study provides first genomic evidence of genome reduction taking place during habitat transitions. In this regard, the family Methylophilaceae is an exceptional model for tracing the evolutionary history of genome streamlining as such a collection of evolutionarily related microbes from different habitats is rare in the microbial world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela M Salcher
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Limnological Station, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Seestrasse 187, 8802, Kilchberg, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel Schaefle
- Limnological Station, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Seestrasse 187, 8802, Kilchberg, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melissa Kaspar
- Limnological Station, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Seestrasse 187, 8802, Kilchberg, Switzerland
| | - Stefan M Neuenschwander
- Limnological Station, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Seestrasse 187, 8802, Kilchberg, Switzerland.,Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, 3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rohit Ghai
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Nguyen LT, Lee EY. Biological conversion of methane to putrescine using genome-scale model-guided metabolic engineering of a methanotrophic bacterium Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:147. [PMID: 31223337 PMCID: PMC6570963 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1490-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methane is the primary component of natural gas and biogas. The huge abundance of methane makes it a promising alternative carbon source for industrial biotechnology. Herein, we report diamine compound, putrescine, production from methane by an industrially promising methanotroph Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z. RESULTS We conducted adaptive evolution to improve putrescine tolerance of M. alcaliphilum 20Z because putrescine highly inhibits the cell growth. The evolved strain 20ZE was able to grow in the presence of 400 mM of putrescine dihydrochloride. The expression of linear pathway ornithine decarboxylase genes from Escherichia coli and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b allowed the engineered strain to produce putrescine. A higher putrescine titer of 12.44 mg/L was obtained in the strain 20ZE-pACO with ornithine decarboxylase from M. trichosporium OB3b. For elimination of the putrescine utilization pathway, spermidine synthase (MEALZ_3408) was knocked out, resulting in no spermidine formation in the strain 20ZES1-pACO with a putrescine titer of 18.43 mg/L. Next, a genome-scale metabolic model was applied to identify gene knockout strategies. Acetate kinase (MEALZ_2853) and subsequently lactate dehydrogenase (MEALZ_0534) were selected as knockout targets, and the deletion of these genes resulted in an improvement of the putrescine titer to 26.69 mg/L. Furthermore, the putrescine titer was improved to 39.04 mg/L by overexpression of key genes in the ornithine biosynthesis pathway under control of the pTac promoter. Finally, suitable nitrogen sources for growth of M. alcaliphilum 20Z and putrescine production were optimized with the supplement of 2 mM ammonium chloride to nitrate mineral salt medium, and this led to the production of 98.08 mg/L putrescine, almost eightfold higher than that from the initial strain. Transcriptome analysis of the engineered strains showed upregulation of most genes involved in methane assimilation, citric acid cycle, and ammonia assimilation in ammonia nitrate mineral salt medium, compared to nitrate mineral salt medium. CONCLUSIONS The engineered M. alcaliphilum 20ZE4-pACO strain was able to produce putrescine up to 98.08 mg/L, almost eightfold higher than the initial strain. This study represents the bioconversion of methane to putrescine-a high value-added diamine compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linh Thanh Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104 Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Yeol Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104 Republic of Korea
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Gupta A, Ahmad A, Chothwe D, Madhu MK, Srivastava S, Sharma VK. Genome-scale metabolic reconstruction and metabolic versatility of an obligate methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus str. Bath. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6685. [PMID: 31316867 PMCID: PMC6613435 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase in greenhouse gases with high global warming potential such as methane is a matter of concern and requires multifaceted efforts to reduce its emission and increase its mitigation from the environment. Microbes such as methanotrophs can assist in methane mitigation. To understand the metabolic capabilities of methanotrophs, a complete genome-scale metabolic model (GSMM) of an obligate methanotroph, Methylococcus capsulatus str. Bath was reconstructed. The model contains 535 genes, 899 reactions and 865 metabolites and is named iMC535. The predictive potential of the model was validated using previously-reported experimental data. The model predicted the Entner–Duodoroff pathway to be essential for the growth of this bacterium, whereas the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway was found non-essential. The performance of the model was simulated on various carbon and nitrogen sources and found that M. capsulatus can grow on amino acids. The analysis of network topology of the model identified that six amino acids were in the top-ranked metabolic hubs. Using flux balance analysis, 29% of the metabolic genes were predicted to be essential, and 76 double knockout combinations involving 92 unique genes were predicted to be lethal. In conclusion, we have reconstructed a GSMM of a methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus str. Bath. This is the first high quality GSMM of a Methylococcus strain which can serve as an important resource for further strain-specific models of the Methylococcus genus, as well as identifying the biotechnological potential of M. capsulatus Bath.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Ahmad Ahmad
- Systems Biology for Biofuels Group, International Centre For Genetic Engineering And Biotechnology, New Delhi, India.,Department of Biotechnology, Noida International University, Noida, India
| | - Dipesh Chothwe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Midhun K Madhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Shireesh Srivastava
- Systems Biology for Biofuels Group, International Centre For Genetic Engineering And Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Vineet K Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, India
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Methylotetracoccus oryzae Strain C50C1 Is a Novel Type Ib Gammaproteobacterial Methanotroph Adapted to Freshwater Environments. mSphere 2019; 4:4/3/e00631-18. [PMID: 31167950 PMCID: PMC6553558 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00631-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most of the methane produced on our planet gets naturally oxidized by a group of methanotrophic microorganisms before it reaches the atmosphere. These microorganisms are able to oxidize methane, both aerobically and anaerobically, and use it as their sole energy source. Although methanotrophs have been studied for more than a century, there are still many unknown and uncultivated groups prevalent in various ecosystems. This study focused on the diversity and adaptation of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria in different environments by comparing their phenotypic and genotypic properties. We used lab-scale microcosms to create a countergradient of oxygen and methane for preenrichment, followed by classical isolation techniques to obtain methane-oxidizing bacteria from a freshwater environment. This resulted in the discovery and isolation of a novel methanotroph with interesting physiological and genomic properties that could possibly make this bacterium able to cope with fluctuating environmental conditions. Methane-oxidizing microorganisms perform an important role in reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere. To date, known bacterial methanotrophs belong to the Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and NC10 phyla. Within the Proteobacteria phylum, they can be divided into type Ia, type Ib, and type II methanotrophs. Type Ia and type II are well represented by isolates. Contrastingly, the vast majority of type Ib methanotrophs have not been able to be cultivated so far. Here, we compared the distributions of type Ib lineages in different environments. Whereas the cultivated type Ib methanotrophs (Methylococcus and Methylocaldum) are found in landfill and upland soils, lineages that are not represented by isolates are mostly dominant in freshwater environments, such as paddy fields and lake sediments. Thus, we observed a clear niche differentiation within type Ib methanotrophs. Our subsequent isolation attempts resulted in obtaining a pure culture of a novel type Ib methanotroph, tentatively named “Methylotetracoccus oryzae” C50C1. Strain C50C1 was further characterized to be an obligate methanotroph, containing C16:1ω9c as the major membrane phospholipid fatty acid, which has not been found in other methanotrophs. Genome analysis of strain C50C1 showed the presence of two pmoCAB operon copies and XoxF5-type methanol dehydrogenase in addition to MxaFI. The genome also contained genes involved in nitrogen and sulfur cycling, but it remains to be demonstrated if and how these help this type Ib methanotroph to adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions in freshwater ecosystems. IMPORTANCE Most of the methane produced on our planet gets naturally oxidized by a group of methanotrophic microorganisms before it reaches the atmosphere. These microorganisms are able to oxidize methane, both aerobically and anaerobically, and use it as their sole energy source. Although methanotrophs have been studied for more than a century, there are still many unknown and uncultivated groups prevalent in various ecosystems. This study focused on the diversity and adaptation of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria in different environments by comparing their phenotypic and genotypic properties. We used lab-scale microcosms to create a countergradient of oxygen and methane for preenrichment, followed by classical isolation techniques to obtain methane-oxidizing bacteria from a freshwater environment. This resulted in the discovery and isolation of a novel methanotroph with interesting physiological and genomic properties that could possibly make this bacterium able to cope with fluctuating environmental conditions.
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Abstract
The global atmospheric level of methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas, is currently increasing by ∼10 million tons per year. Microbial oxidation in unsaturated soils is the only known biological process that removes CH4 from the atmosphere, but so far, bacteria that can grow on atmospheric CH4 have eluded all cultivation efforts. In this study, we have isolated a pure culture of a bacterium, strain MG08 that grows on air at atmospheric concentrations of CH4 [1.86 parts per million volume (p.p.m.v.)]. This organism, named Methylocapsa gorgona, is globally distributed in soils and closely related to uncultured members of the upland soil cluster α. CH4 oxidation experiments and 13C-single cell isotope analyses demonstrated that it oxidizes atmospheric CH4 aerobically and assimilates carbon from both CH4 and CO2 Its estimated specific affinity for CH4 (a0 s) is the highest for any cultivated methanotroph. However, growth on ambient air was also confirmed for Methylocapsa acidiphila and Methylocapsa aurea, close relatives with a lower specific affinity for CH4, suggesting that the ability to utilize atmospheric CH4 for growth is more widespread than previously believed. The closed genome of M. gorgona MG08 encodes a single particulate methane monooxygenase, the serine cycle for assimilation of carbon from CH4 and CO2, and CO2 fixation via the recently postulated reductive glycine pathway. It also fixes dinitrogen and expresses the genes for a high-affinity hydrogenase and carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, suggesting that atmospheric CH4 oxidizers harvest additional energy from oxidation of the atmospheric trace gases carbon monoxide (0.2 p.p.m.v.) and hydrogen (0.5 p.p.m.v.).
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Esparza M, Jedlicki E, González C, Dopson M, Holmes DS. Effect of CO 2 Concentration on Uptake and Assimilation of Inorganic Carbon in the Extreme Acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:603. [PMID: 31019493 PMCID: PMC6458275 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was motivated by surprising gaps in the current knowledge of microbial inorganic carbon (Ci) uptake and assimilation at acidic pH values (pH < 3). Particularly striking is the limited understanding of the differences between Ci uptake mechanisms in acidic versus circumneutral environments where the Ci predominantly occurs either as a dissolved gas (CO2) or as bicarbonate (HCO3 -), respectively. In order to gain initial traction on the problem, the relative abundance of transcripts encoding proteins involved in Ci uptake and assimilation was studied in the autotrophic, polyextreme acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans whose optimum pH for growth is 2.5 using ferrous iron as an energy source, although they are able to grow at pH 5 when using sulfur as an energy source. The relative abundance of transcripts of five operons (cbb1-5) and one gene cluster (can-sulP) was monitored by RT-qPCR and, in selected cases, at the protein level by Western blotting, when cells were grown under different regimens of CO2 concentration in elemental sulfur. Of particular note was the absence of a classical bicarbonate uptake system in A. ferrooxidans. However, bioinformatic approaches predict that sulP, previously annotated as a sulfate transporter, is a novel type of bicarbonate transporter. A conceptual model of CO2 fixation was constructed from combined bioinformatic and experimental approaches that suggests strategies for providing ecological flexibility under changing concentrations of CO2 and provides a portal to elucidating Ci uptake and regulation in acidic conditions. The results could advance the understanding of industrial bioleaching processes to recover metals such as copper at acidic pH. In addition, they may also shed light on how chemolithoautotrophic acidophiles influence the nutrient and energy balance in naturally occurring low pH environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Esparza
- Laboratorio de Biominería, Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Eugenia Jedlicki
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina González
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mark Dopson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - David S. Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
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Lieven C, Petersen LAH, Jørgensen SB, Gernaey KV, Herrgard MJ, Sonnenschein N. A Genome-Scale Metabolic Model for Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) Suggests Reduced Efficiency Electron Transfer to the Particulate Methane Monooxygenase. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2947. [PMID: 30564208 PMCID: PMC6288188 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Genome-scale metabolic models allow researchers to calculate yields, to predict consumption and production rates, and to study the effect of genetic modifications in silico, without running resource-intensive experiments. While these models have become an invaluable tool for optimizing industrial production hosts like Escherichia coli and S. cerevisiae, few such models exist for one-carbon (C1) metabolizers. Results: Here, we present a genome-scale metabolic model for Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), a well-studied obligate methanotroph, which has been used as a production strain of single cell protein (SCP). The model was manually curated, and spans a total of 879 metabolites connected via 913 reactions. The inclusion of 730 genes and comprehensive annotations, make this model not only a useful tool for modeling metabolic physiology, but also a centralized knowledge base for M. capsulatus (Bath). With it, we determined that oxidation of methane by the particulate methane monooxygenase could be driven both through direct coupling or uphill electron transfer, both operating at reduced efficiency, as either scenario matches well with experimental data and observations from literature. Conclusion: The metabolic model will serve the ongoing fundamental research of C1 metabolism, and pave the way for rational strain design strategies toward improved SCP production processes in M. capsulatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Lieven
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Leander A H Petersen
- Unibio A/S, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sten Bay Jørgensen
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Krist V Gernaey
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Markus J Herrgard
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nikolaus Sonnenschein
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Tanaka K, Yokoe S, Igarashi K, Takashino M, Ishikawa M, Hori K, Nakanishi S, Kato S. Extracellular Electron Transfer via Outer Membrane Cytochromes in a Methanotrophic Bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath). Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2905. [PMID: 30555443 PMCID: PMC6281684 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Electron exchange reactions between microbial cells and solid materials, referred to as extracellular electron transfer (EET), have attracted attention in the fields of microbial physiology, microbial ecology, and biotechnology. Studies of model species of iron-reducing, or equivalently, current-generating bacteria such as Geobacter spp. and Shewanella spp. have revealed that redox-active proteins, especially outer membrane c-type cytochromes (OMCs), play a pivotal role in the EET process. Recent (meta)genomic analyses have revealed that diverse microorganisms that have not been demonstrated to have EET ability also harbor OMC-like proteins, indicating that EET via OMCs could be more widely preserved in microorganisms than originally thought. A methanotrophic bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) was reported to harbor multiple OMC genes whose expression is elevated by Cu starvation. However, the physiological role of these genes is unknown. Therefore, in this study, we explored whether M. capsulatus (Bath) displays EET abilities via OMCs. In electrochemical analysis, M. capsulatus (Bath) generated anodic current only when electron donors such as formate were available, and could reduce insoluble iron oxides in the presence of electron donor compounds. Furthermore, the current-generating and iron-reducing activities of M. capsulatus (Bath) cells that were cultured in a Cu-deficient medium, which promotes high levels of OMC expression, were higher than those cultured in a Cu-supplemented medium. Anodic current production by the Cu-deficient cells was significantly suppressed by disruption of MCA0421, a highly expressed OMC gene, and by treatment with carbon monoxide (CO) gas (an inhibitor of c-type cytochromes). Our results provide evidence of EET in M. capsulatus (Bath) and demonstrate the pivotal role of OMCs in this process. This study raises the possibility that EET to solid compounds is a novel survival strategy of methanotrophic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenya Tanaka
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Sho Yokoe
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kensuke Igarashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo, Japan
| | - Motoko Takashino
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masahito Ishikawa
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Hori
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shuji Nakanishi
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan.,Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Souichiro Kato
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo, Japan.,Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
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Efficient Counterselection for Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) by Using a Mutated pheS Gene. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.01875-18. [PMID: 30266726 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01875-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) is a representative gammaproteobacterial methanotroph that has been studied extensively in diverse research fields. The sacB gene, which encodes levansucrase, causing cell death in the presence of sucrose, is widely used as a counterselectable marker for disruption of a target gene in Gram-negative bacteria. However, sacB is not applicable to all Gram-negative bacteria, and its efficiency for the counterselection of M. capsulatus (Bath) is low. Here, we report the construction of an alternative counterselectable marker, pheS*, by introduction of two point mutations (A306G and T252A) into the pheS gene from M. capsulatus (Bath), which encodes the α-subunit of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase. The transformant harboring pheS* on an expression plasmid showed sensitivity to 10 mM p-chloro-phenylalanine, whereas the transformant harboring an empty plasmid showed no sensitivity, indicating the availability of pheS* as a counterselectable marker in M. capsulatus (Bath). To validate the utility of the pheS* marker in counterselection, we attempted to obtain an unmarked mutant of xoxF, a gene encoding the major subunit of Xox methanol dehydrogenase, which we failed to obtain by counterselection using the sacB marker. PCR, immunodetection using an anti-XoxF antiserum, and a cell growth assay in the absence of calcium demonstrated successful disruption of the xoxF gene in M. capsulatus (Bath). The difference in counterselection efficiencies of the markers indicated that pheS* is more suitable than sacB for counterselection in M. capsulatus (Bath). This study provides a new genetic tool enabling efficient counterselection in M. capsulatus (Bath).IMPORTANCE Methanotrophs have long been considered promising strains for biologically reducing methane from the environment and converting it into valuable products, because they can oxidize methane at ambient temperatures and pressures. Although several methodologies and tools for the genetic manipulation of methanotrophs have been developed, their mutagenic efficiency remains lower than that of tractable strains such as Escherichia coli Therefore, further improvements are still desired. The significance of our study is that we increased the efficiency of counterselection in M. capsulatus (Bath) by employing pheS*, which was newly constructed as a counterselectable marker. This will allow for the efficient production of gene-disrupted and gene-integrated mutants of M. capsulatus (Bath). We anticipate that this counterselection system will be utilized widely by the methanotroph research community, leading to improved productivity of methane-based bioproduction and new insights into methanotrophy.
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Yu WJ, Lee JW, Nguyen NL, Rhee SK, Park SJ. The characteristics and comparative analysis of methanotrophs reveal genomic insights into Methylomicrobium sp. enriched from marine sediments. Syst Appl Microbiol 2018; 41:415-426. [DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Rasouli Z, Valverde-Pérez B, D’Este M, De Francisci D, Angelidaki I. Nutrient recovery from industrial wastewater as single cell protein by a co-culture of green microalgae and methanotrophs. Biochem Eng J 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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48
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Mateos-Rivera A, Islam T, Marshall IPG, Schreiber L, Øvreås L. High-quality draft genome of the methanotroph Methylovulum psychrotolerans Str. HV10-M2 isolated from plant material at a high-altitude environment. Stand Genomic Sci 2018; 13:10. [PMID: 29686747 PMCID: PMC5898042 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-018-0314-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we present the genome of Methylovulum psychrotolerans strain HV10-M2, a methanotroph isolated from Hardangervidda national park (Norway). This strain represents the second of the two validly published species genus with a sequenced genome. The other is M. miyakonense HT12, which is the type strain of the species and the type species of the genus Methylovulum. We present the genome of M. psychrotolerants str. HV10-M2 and discuss the differences between M. psychrotolerans and M. miyakonense. The genome size of M. psychrotolerans str. HV10-M2 is 4,923,400 bp and contains 4415 protein-coding genes, 50 RNA genes and an average GC content of 50.88%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Mateos-Rivera
- 1Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,2Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Tajul Islam
- 1Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ian P G Marshall
- 3Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars Schreiber
- 3Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,5Present address: Energy, Mining and Environment, National Research Council, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Lise Øvreås
- 1Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,4UNIS, the University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway
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Abstract
Aerobic methanotrophs have long been known to play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, being capable of converting methane to biomass and carbon dioxide. Interestingly, these microbes exhibit great sensitivity to copper and rare-earth elements, with the expression of key genes involved in the central pathway of methane oxidation controlled by the availability of these metals. That is, these microbes have a "copper switch" that controls the expression of alternative methane monooxygenases and a "rare-earth element switch" that controls the expression of alternative methanol dehydrogenases. Further, it has been recently shown that some methanotrophs can detoxify inorganic mercury and demethylate methylmercury; this finding is remarkable, as the canonical organomercurial lyase does not exist in these methanotrophs, indicating that a novel mechanism is involved in methylmercury demethylation. Here, we review recent findings on methanotrophic interactions with metals, with a particular focus on these metal switches and the mechanisms used by methanotrophs to bind and sequester metals.
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Schnyder E, Bodelier PLE, Hartmann M, Henneberger R, Niklaus PA. Positive diversity-functioning relationships in model communities of methanotrophic bacteria. Ecology 2018; 99:714-723. [PMID: 29323701 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity enhances ecosystem functions such as biomass production and nutrient cycling. Although the majority of the terrestrial biodiversity is hidden in soils, very little is known about the importance of the diversity of microbial communities for soil functioning. Here, we tested effects of biodiversity on the functioning of methanotrophs, a specialized group of soil bacteria that plays a key role in mediating greenhouse gas emissions from soils. Using pure strains of methanotrophic bacteria, we assembled artificial communities of different diversity levels, with which we inoculated sterile soil microcosms. To assess the functioning of these communities, we measured methane oxidation by gas chromatography throughout the experiment and determined changes in community composition and community size at several time points by quantitative PCR and sequencing. We demonstrate that microbial diversity had a positive overyielding effect on methane oxidation, in particular at the beginning of the experiment. This higher assimilation of CH4 at high diversity translated into increased growth and significantly larger communities towards the end of the study. The overyielding of mixtures with respect to CH4 consumption and community size were positively correlated. The temporal CH4 consumption profiles of strain monocultures differed, raising the possibility that temporal complementarity of component strains drove the observed community-level strain richness effects; however, the community niche metric we derived from the temporal activity profiles did not explain the observed strain richness effect. The strain richness effect also was unrelated to both the phylogenetic and functional trait diversity of mixed communities. Overall, our results suggest that positive biodiversity-ecosystem-function relationships show similar patterns across different scales and may be widespread in nature. Additionally, biodiversity is probably also important in natural methanotrophic communities for the ecosystem function methane oxidation. Therefore, maintaining soil conditions that support a high diversity of methanotrophs may help to reduce the emission of the greenhouse gas methane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Schnyder
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paul L E Bodelier
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Hartmann
- Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ruth Henneberger
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pascal A Niklaus
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,University of Zurich Research Priority Program Global Change and Biodiversity, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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