title: [Research progresses of methanotrophs and methane monooxygenases].
abstract: Methanotrophs are a group of bacteria capable of utilizing methane as the sole carbon and energy source for their anabolism and catabolism. Since methanotrophs contain the unique enzymes of methane monooxygenases (MMOs), which can catalyze the oxidation of methane and short-chain alkanes and alkenes, they have potential applications in carbon recycle of nature and industrial biotechnology. Therefore, methanotrophs have been paid much more attention by the researchers in recent 20 years. In this paper, the latest progresses in studies of methanotrophs and MMOs were reviewed, including taxonomy, function and distribution of methanotrophs, and structure, function and genetic engineering of MMOs. The future research directions of methanotrophs and MMOs as well as their applications were also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xinhui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xing
mesh_terms: D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D008772:Methylococcaceae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010105:Oxygenases; C021555:methane monooxygenase; D008697:Methane