title: Genome of Methanoregula boonei 6A8 reveals adaptations to oligotrophic peatland environments.
abstract: Analysis of the genome sequence of Methanoregula boonei strain 6A8, an acidophilic methanogen isolated from an ombrotrophic (rain-fed) peat bog, has revealed unique features that likely allow it to survive in acidic, nutrient-poor conditions. First, M. boonei is predicted to generate ATP using protons that are abundant in peat, rather than sodium ions that are scarce, and the sequence of a membrane-bound methyltransferase, believed to pump Na+ in all methanogens, shows differences in key amino acid residues. Further, perhaps reflecting the hypokalemic status of many peat bogs, M. boonei demonstrates redundancy in the predicted potassium uptake genes trk, kdp and kup, some of which may have been horizontally transferred to methanogens from bacteria, possibly Geobacter spp. Overall, the putative functions of the potassium uptake, ATPase and methyltransferase genes may, at least in part, explain the cosmopolitan success of group E1/E2 and related methanogenic archaea in acidic peat bogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bräuer
authors.affiliation: Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA.
authors.forename: Hinsby
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cadillo-Quiroz
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kyrpides
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Woyke
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Detter
authors.affiliation: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Podell
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Yavitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zinder
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D017018:Methanomicrobiales / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D012987:Soil; D008780:Methyltransferases; D008697:Methane