Editor's Summary
13 April 2006
Ridding the world of methane
Although much speculated on, no microorganisms had been shown capable of anaerobic methane oxidation using nitrate as the sole electron acceptor. Now this reaction has been demonstrated in the laboratory in a microbial community with two members, one a slow-growing bacterium of a type that has not cultured before, and one an archaeal organism. Nucleic acid markers characteristic of both are present in freshwater samples worldwide, suggesting that this reaction is important in the biological methane and nitrogen cycles. It also has the potential to be used to counteract the increases in methane production associated with intensive agriculture.
News and Views: Biogeochemistry: Methane and microbes
Microorganisms can carry out a wonderful range of chemical transformations. The anaerobic oxidation of methane seemed not to be among them. But it is — both with sulphate, and now it turns out, with nitrate.
Rudolf K. Thauer and Seigo Shima
doi:10.1038/440878a
Letter: A microbial consortium couples anaerobic methane oxidation to denitrification
Ashna A. Raghoebarsing, Arjan Pol, Katinka T. van de Pas-Schoonen, Alfons J. P. Smolders, Katharina F. Ettwig, W. Irene C. Rijpstra, Stefan Schouten, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Huub J. M. Op den Camp, Mike S. M. Jetten and Marc Strous
doi:10.1038/nature04617
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