title: Methyloparacoccus murrellii gen. nov., sp. nov., a methanotroph isolated from pond water.
abstract: Two novel methanotrophic strains, R-49797(T) and OS501, were isolated from pond water in South Africa and Japan, respectively. Strains R-49797(T) and OS501 shared 99.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile cocci with a diplococcoid tendency and contained type I methanotroph intracytoplasmic membranes. The pmoA gene encoding particulate methane monooxygenase was present. Soluble methane monoooxygenase (sMMO) activity, the mmoX gene encoding sMMO and the nifH gene encoding nitrogenase were not detected. Methane and methanol were utilized as sole carbon source. The strains grew optimally at 25-33 °C (range 20-37 °C) and at pH 6.3-6.8 (range 5.8-9.0). The strains did not support growth in media supplemented with 1% (w/v) NaCl. For both strains, the two major fatty acids were C(16 : 1)ω7c and C(16 : 0) and the DNA G+C content was 65.6 mol%. The isolates belong to the family Methylococcaceae of the class Gammaproteobacteria and cluster most closely among the genera Methylocaldum, Methylococcus and Methylogaea, with a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 94.2% between strain R-49797(T) and its closest related type strain (Methylocaldum gracile VKM 14L(T)). Based on the low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with its nearest phylogenetic neighbouring genera, the formation of a separate lineage based on 16S rRNA and pmoA gene phylogenetic analysis, and the unique combination of phenotypic characteristics of the two isolated strains compared with the genera Methylocaldum, Methylococcus and Methylogaea, we propose to classify these strains as representing a novel species of a new genus, Methyloparacoccus murrellii gen. nov., sp. nov., within the family Methylococcaceae. The type strain of Methyloparacoccus murrellii is R-49797(T) ( = LMG 27482(T) = JCM 19379(T)).
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoefman
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Ha
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yurimoto
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boon
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandamme
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heylen
authors.affiliation: BCCM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Gent, Belgium.|Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Vos
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007564:Japan; D008772:Methylococcaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009591:Nitrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D061005:Ponds / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D010105:Oxygenases; C021555:methane monooxygenase; D009591:Nitrogenase