title: Termites facilitate methane oxidation and shape the methanotrophic community.
abstract: Termite-derived methane contributes 3 to 4% to the total methane budget globally. Termites are not known to harbor methane-oxidizing microorganisms (methanotrophs). However, a considerable fraction of the methane produced can be consumed by methanotrophs that inhabit the mound material, yet the methanotroph ecology in these environments is virtually unknown. The potential for methane oxidation was determined using slurry incubations under conditions with high (12%) and in situ (∼0.004%) methane concentrations through a vertical profile of a termite (Macrotermes falciger) mound and a reference soil. Interestingly, the mound material showed higher methanotrophic activity. The methanotroph community structure was determined by means of a pmoA-based diagnostic microarray. Although the methanotrophs in the mound were derived from populations in the reference soil, it appears that termite activity selected for a distinct community. Applying an indicator species analysis revealed that putative atmospheric methane oxidizers (high-indicator-value probes specific for the JR3 cluster) were indicative of the active nest area, whereas methanotrophs belonging to both type I and type II were indicative of the reference soil. We conclude that termites modify their environment, resulting in higher methane oxidation and selecting and/or enriching for a distinct methanotroph population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erens
authors.forename: Basile Bazirake
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Mujinya
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boeckx
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baert
authors.forename: Bellinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frenzel
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boon
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Ranst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D044822:Biodiversity; D020049:Isoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D008697:Methane
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