Methanofollis is a genus of in the family Methanomicrobiaceae.
Description and significance
Methanofollis ("a methane-producing bag") is a non-motile,
Gram-negative, obligately anaerobic, mesophilic archaeon that produces methane. It grows between the temperatures 20–45 °C (optimum 34–40 °C), and at the pH of around 7.
Genome structure
The genome of the archaeon has not yet sequenced. The G + C content of the DNA is determined to be 60.0%.
Cell structure and metabolism
The cells of
Methanofollis are highly irregular cocci, with diameter of 1.25–2.0 μm. The major polar lipids are phospholipids, glycolipids, and phosphoglycolipids. It utilizes H
2/CO
2, formate, 2-propanol/CO
2, and 2-butanol/CO
2 for growth and methanogenesis. No growth has been observed on
acetate,
trimethylamine,
methanol,
ethanol, 2-propanol,
isobutanol, or 2-butanol as catabolic substrates.
Ecology
Most species of the archaeon are isolated from anaerobic high-rate wastewater bioreactors or solfataric fields. For example,
M. tationis was isolated from a solfataric field on Mount Tatio in the Atacama desert in northern Chile.
Phylogeny
The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN)
and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
See also
Further reading
External links
