title: Characterization of methanogenic and methanotrophic assemblages in landfill samples.
abstract: A greater understanding of the tightly linked trophic groups of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria residing in municipal solid waste landfills will increase our ability to control methane emissions and pollutant fate in these environments. To this end, we characterized the composition of methanogenic and methanotrophic bacteria in samples taken from two regions of a municipal solid waste landfill that varied in age. A method combining polymerase chain reaction amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and phylogenetic analysis was used for this purpose. 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed a rich assemblage of methanogens in both samples, including acetoclasts, H2/CO2-users and formate-users in the newer samples and H2/CO2-users and formate-users in the older samples, with closely related genera including Methanoculleus, Methanofollis, Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina. Fewer phylotypes of type 1 methanotrophs were observed relative to type 2 methanotrophs. Most type 1 sequences clustered within a clade related to Methylobacter, whereas type 2 sequences were broadly distributed among clades associated with Methylocystis and Methylosinus species. This genetic characterization tool promises rapid screening of landfill samples for genotypes and, therefore, degradation potentials.
authors.affiliation: Soil and Water Science Department, PO Box 110290, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0290, USA.
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uz
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rasche
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ogram
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lindner
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005431:Florida; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal