title: Cultivation-independent techniques for studying methanotroph ecology.
abstract: Methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) have attracted considerable attention over the past 30 years. They have the unique ability to use methane as sole carbon and energy source, they are found in a wide variety of environments and play a crucial role in the global methane cycle. Methanotrophs also show considerable potential for bioremediation processes such as degradation of ground water pollutants, and for production of bulk chemicals from cheap substrates. We review here the cultivation-independent molecular biological methods that are available for the detection and characterization of methanotrophs in the natural environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. cmurrell@bio.warwick.ac.uk
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Murrell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Radajewski
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D004463:Ecology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D008772:Methylococcaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D010105:Oxygenases; C021555:methane monooxygenase; D008697:Methane