title: The particulate methane monooxygenase gene pmoA and its use as a functional gene probe for methanotrophs.
abstract: The particulate methane monooxygenase gene pmoA, encoding the 27 kDa polypeptide of the membrane-bound particulate methane monooxygenase, was amplified by PCR from DNA isolated from a blanket peat bog and from enrichment cultures established, from the same environment, using methane as sole carbon and energy source. The resulting 525 bp PCR products were cloned and a representative number of clones were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the derived amino acid sequences of the pmoA clones retrieved directly from environmental DNA samples revealed that they form a distinct cluster within representative PmoA sequences from type II methanotrophs and may originate from a novel group of acidophilic methanotrophs. The study also demonstrated the utility of the pmoA gene as a phylogenetic marker for identifying methanotroph-specific DNA sequences in the environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Murrell
mesh_terms: D015342:DNA Probes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000235:genetics; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D008772:Methylococcaceae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008667:Metalloproteins; D010105:Oxygenases; C021555:methane monooxygenase; D008697:Methane