Characterization and phylogeny of a novel methanotroph, Methyloglobulus morosus gen. nov., spec. nov

Abstract

A novel methanotrophic gammaproteobacterium, strain KoM1, was isolated from the profundal sediment of Lake Constance after initial enrichment in opposing gradients of methane and oxygen. Strain KoM1 grows on methane or methanol as its sole source of carbon and energy. It is a Gram-negative methanotroph, often expressing red pigmentation. Cells are short rods and occur sometimes in pairs or short chains. Strain KoM1 grows preferably at reduced oxygen concentrations (pO2 = 0.05–0.1 bar). It can fix nitrogen, and grows at neutral pH and at temperatures between 4 and 30 °C. Phylogenetically, the closest relatives are Methylovulum miyakonense and Methylosoma difficile showing 91% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity. The only respiratory quinone is ubiquinone Q8; the main polar lipids are phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl glycerol. The major cellular fatty acids are summed feature 3 (presumably C16:1ω7c) and C16:1ω5c, and the G + C content of the DNA is 47.7 mol%. Strain KoM1 is described as the type strain of a novel species within a new genus, Methyloglobulus morosus gen. nov., sp. nov.