Methanosarcina horonobensis sp. nov., a methanogenic archaeon isolated from a deep subsurface Miocene formation.
A methanogenic organism, designated strain HB-1(T), from the domain Archaea was isolated from groundwater sampled from a subsurface Miocene formation located in Horonobe, Hokkaido, Japan. The strain grew on methanol, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, dimethylsulfide and acetate but not on monomethylamine, H(2)/CO(2), formate, 2-propanol, 2-butanol or cyclopentanol. Cells were Gram-reaction-negative, non-motile, irregular cocci that were 1.4-2.9 µm in diameter and occurred singly or in pairs. The strain grew at 20-42 °C (optimum 37 °C), at pH 6.0-7.75 (optimum pH 7.0-7.25) and in 0-0.35 M NaCl (optimum 0.1 M). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 41.4 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the strain was a member of the genus Methanosarcina but that it clearly differed from all recognized species of this genus (93.1-97.9 % sequence similarity). The phenotypic and phylogenetic features of strain HB-1(T) indicate that it represents a novel species of the genus Methanosarcina, for which the name Methanosarcina horonobensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HB-1(T) ( = DSM 21571(T)  = JCM 15518(T)  = NBRC 102577(T)).
Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology, Horonobe-cho, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido 098-3221, Japan.
Satoru
S
Shimizu
Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology, Horonobe-cho, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido 098-3221, Japan.
Rahul
R
Upadhye
Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology, Horonobe-cho, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido 098-3221, Japan.
Yoji
Y
Ishijima
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan.
Takeshi
T
Naganuma
D001482:Base Composition; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D060587:Groundwater / Q000382:microbiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007564:Japan; D017020:Methanosarcina / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D019642:RNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013696:Temperature
D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D019642:RNA, Archaeal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002244:Carbon