title: Starvation and recovery in the deep-sea methanotroph Methyloprofundus sedimenti.
abstract: In the deep ocean, the conversion of methane into derived carbon and energy drives the establishment of diverse faunal communities. Yet specific biological mechanisms underlying the introduction of methane-derived carbon into the food web remain poorly described, due to a lack of cultured representative deep-sea methanotrophic prokaryotes. Here, the response of the deep-sea aerobic methanotroph Methyloprofundus sedimenti to methane starvation and recovery was characterized. By combining lipid analysis, RNA analysis, and electron cryotomography, it was shown that M. sedimenti undergoes discrete cellular shifts in response to methane starvation, including changes in headgroup-specific fatty acid saturation levels, and reductions in cytoplasmic storage granules. Methane starvation is associated with a significant increase in the abundance of gene transcripts pertinent to methane oxidation. Methane reintroduction to starved cells stimulates a rapid, transient extracellular accumulation of methanol, revealing a way in which methane-derived carbon may be routed to community members. This study provides new understanding of methanotrophic responses to methane starvation and recovery, and lays the initial groundwork to develop Methyloprofundus as a model chemosynthesizing bacterium from the deep sea.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Tavormina
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Science and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
authors.forename: Matthias Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kellermann
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstraße 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany.
authors.forename: Chakkiath Paul
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Antony
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, P. O. Box 6128 Station Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.|Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Elitza I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Tocheva
authors.affiliation: Environmental Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Dalleska
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Science and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Valentine
authors.affiliation: MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Leobener Str, Bremen, 28359, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai-Uwe
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Hinrichs
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Grant J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstraße 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dubilier
authors.affiliation: Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Orphan
mesh_terms: D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D008772:Methylococcaceae / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008697:Methane