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The Family Methylococcaceae

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posted on 2023-05-22, 13:53 authored by John BowmanJohn Bowman
The family Methylococcaceae includes the type I methanotrophs, bacterial taxa belonging to class Gammaproteobacteria able to use methane and methanol as sole carbon and energy sources but are unable to use substrates containing carbon-carbon bonds. Phylogenetically the family is polyphyletic and includes three distinct clades. Nevertheless, all three clades have characteristics typical of type I methanotrophs including intracellular membranes arranged in lamellar stacks, possession of the particulate version but not usually the soluble version of methane monooxygenase, and utilization of the ribulose monophoshate pathway to assimilate C1 carbon units. Members of the Methylococcaceae are found in any environment where methane and oxygen coexist including cold to thermal environments in both terrestrial and marine locations. Type I methanotrophs are efficient oxidizers of methane and have been applied as biofilters in industrial and remediation applications. Ecologically type I methanotrophs intercept much of the methane generated either biotically or abiotically and thus have a critical role in Earth’s carbon cycles and natural homeostatic processes.

History

Publication title

The Prokaryotes: Gammaproteobacteria

Edition

4th

Editors

E Rosenberg, EF DeLong, S Lory, E Stackenbrandt, F Thompson

Pagination

411-440

ISBN

978-3-642-38921-4

Department/School

Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA)

Publisher

Springer

Place of publication

Berlin, Germany

Extent

37

Rights statement

Copyright 2014 Springer-Verlag

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Other environmental management not elsewhere classified

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