title: Activity and diversity of haloalkaliphilic methanogens in Central Asian soda lakes.
abstract: Methanogens are of biotechnological interest because of their importance in biogas production. Here we investigate the suitability of sediments from Central Asian soda lakes as inoculum for high pH methane-producing bioreactors. Methane production in these sediments was modest (up to 2.5 μmol mL sediment), with methanol and hydrogen as the preferred substrates. The responsible methanogenic community was characterized based on mcrA gene sequences. McrA gene sequences so far specific to these habitats indicated the presence of two clusters within the orders Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales, one apparently including representatives of the genus Methanocalculus and another distantly related to the genus Methanobacterium.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genome Research and Systems Biology, Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, D-33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Vímac
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nolla-Ardèvol
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strous
authors.forename: Dimitry Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Sorokin
authors.forename: Alexander Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Merkel
authors.forename: Halina E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Tegetmeyer
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D017012:Methanobacteriales / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D017018:Methanomicrobiales / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D006859:Hydrogen; D008697:Methane; D000432:Methanol