title: Archaea in symbioses.
abstract: During the last few years, the analysis of microbial diversity in various habitats greatly increased our knowledge on the kingdom Archaea. At the same time, we became aware of the multiple ways in which Archaea may interact with each other and with organisms of other kingdoms. The large group of euryarchaeal methanogens and their methane oxidizing relatives, in particular, take part in essential steps of the global methane cycle. Both of these processes, which are in reverse to each other, are partially conducted in a symbiotic interaction with different partners, either ciliates and xylophagous animals or sulfate reducing bacteria. Other symbiotic interactions are mostly of unknown ecological significance but depend on highly specific mechanisms. This paper will give an overview on interactions between Archaea and other organisms and will point out the ecological relevance of these symbiotic processes, as long as these have been already recognized.
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Wrede
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Dreier
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Kokoschka
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Hoppert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000502:physiology*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D017753:Ecosystem; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D054892:Metagenome; D008697:Methane / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008697:Methane