title: Isolation and characterization of two new methanesulfonic acid-degrading bacterial isolates from a Portuguese soil sample.
abstract: Two novel bacterial strains that can utilize methanesulfonic acid as a source of carbon and energy were isolated from a soil sample collected in northern Portugal. Morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular biological characterization of the two isolates indicate that strain P1 is a pink-pigmented facultative methylotroph belonging to the genus Methylobacterium, while strain P2 is a restricted methylotroph belonging to the genus Hyphomicrobium. Both strains are strictly aerobic, degrade methanesulfonate, and release small quantities of sulfite into the medium. Growth on methanesulfonate induces a specific polypeptide profile in each strain. This, together with the positive hybridization to a DNA probe that carries the msm genes of Methylosulfonomonas methylovora strain M2, strongly endorses the contention that a methanesulfonic acid monooxygenase related to that found in the previously known methanesulfonate-utilizing bacteria is present in strains P1 and P2. The isolation of bacteria containing conserved msm genes from diverse environments and geographical locations supports the hypothesis that a common enzyme may be globally responsible for the oxidation of methanesulfonate by natural methylotrophic communities.
authors.affiliation: IBMC, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. pmarco@ibmc.up.pt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Murrell
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bordalo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moradas-Ferreira
mesh_terms: D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003470:Culture Media; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D020582:Hyphomicrobium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D008698:Mesylates / Q000378:metabolism*; D020580:Methylobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011174:Portugal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D008698:Mesylates; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C045880:methanesulfonic acid