title: Determination of methanogenic Archaea abundance in a mesophilic biogas plant based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.
abstract: Energy production of renewable raw material is of increasing importance for sustainable energy production. As an indispensable prerequirement for further upgrading of technical equipment and operation modes of biogas plants, a deeper knowledge of the microbial community responsible for methane formation is crucial. To overcome these limitations a mesophilic biogas plant converting pig manure, maize silage, and grains of crop was sampled and subsequently analysed by construction of a methanogenic Archaea specific 16S rRNA gene clone library combined with PCR-RFLP analysis and group-specific quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Seventy percent of all analysed clones belonged to the order Methanomicrobiales, whereas 13% belonged to Methanosarcinales, 6% belonged to the Methanobacteriales group, and 11% of all detected clones were assigned to the CA11 and Arch1 cluster. Comparable percentages were obtained with qPCR: 84% of all detected 16S rRNA gene copy numbers were affiliated with the Methanomicrobiales, while only 14% belonged to the Methanosarcinales and 2% to the Methanobacteriales order. In conclusion, both approaches detected similar archaeal groups and revealed nearly the same abundance, pointing to a predominance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the biogas plant.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik Potsdam-Bornim e.V., Abteilung Bioverfahrenstechnik, Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nettmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mundt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klocke
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D017018:Methanomicrobiales / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S