title: Diversity of soluble methane monooxygenase-containing methanotrophs isolated from polluted environments.
abstract: Methanotrophs were enriched and isolated from polluted environments in Canada and Germany. Enrichments in low copper media were designed to specifically encourage growth of soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) containing organisms. The 10 isolates were characterized physiologically and genetically with one type I and nine type II methanotrophs being identified. Three key genes: 16S rRNA; pmoA and mmoX, encoding for the particulate and soluble methane monooxygenases respectively, were cloned from the isolates and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences identified strains, which were closely related to Methylococcus capsulatus, Methylocystis sp., Methylosinus sporium and Methylosinus trichosporium. Diversity of sMMO-containing methanotrophs detected in this and previous studies was rather narrow, both genetically and physiologically, suggesting possible constraints on genetic diversity of sMMO due to essential conservation of enzyme function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. i.mcdonald@waikato.ac.nz
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Carlos B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Miguez
authors.forename: Gerlinde
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rogge
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bourque
authors.forename: Karin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wendlandt
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Groleau
authors.forename: J Colin
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Murrell
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D014644:Genetic Variation; D020618:Methylococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D042083:Methylocystaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D003300:Copper; D010105:Oxygenases; C021555:methane monooxygenase