Aerobic production of methane by marine microorganisms: Can methanotrophs be methane producers?

• Project/Area Number: 25340023
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental dynamic analysis
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Hirayama Hisako 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 深海・地殻内生物圏研究分野, 主任研究員 (90359167)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥5,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,200,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000)
• Keywords: ホスホネート / メタン / メタノトロフ / メタン酸化菌 / メタン酸化 / ホスホン酸 / メタン酸化細菌 / 海洋微生物 / メチルホスホン酸 / エチルホスホン酸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Phosphonates are organic phosphorus compounds containing C-P bond, and may be important phosphorus sources for marine microorganisms. It is also suggested that methylphosphonate, the simplest form of phosphonate, is a key compound in aerobic production of methane in the sea. In this study, the ability to utilize alkylphosphonates as phosphorus sources was demonstrated in some marine bacterial strains including methanotrophs by cultivation experiments. The genes related to phosphonate metabolism were found in genome sequences of two methanotrophic strains. Those genes are candidates for those encoding novel alkylphosphonate lyases.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Draft genome sequences of gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs isolated from marine ecosystems. (2016)
  • Author(s): Flynn, J.D., Hirayama, H., Sakai, Y., Dunfield, P.F., Klotz, M.G., Knief, C., Op den Camp, H.J.M., Jetten, M.S.M., Khmelenina, V.N., Trotsenko, Y.A., Murrell, J.C., Semrau, J.D., Svenning, M.M., Stein, L.Y., Kyrpides, N., Shapiro, N., Woyke, T., Bringel, F., Vuilleumier, S., DiSpirito, A.A., and Kalyuzhnaya, M.G.
  • Journal Title: Genome Announcements Volume: 4 Issue: 1
  • DOI: 10.1128/genomea.01629-15
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 重要な生態学的機能をもつ海洋のメタン酸化菌 (2016)
  • Author(s): 平山 仙子
  • Journal Title: KAGAKU TO SEIBUTSU Volume: 54 Issue: 5 Pages: 310-311
  • DOI: 10.1271/kagakutoseibutsu.54.310
  • NAID: 130006772553
  • ISSN: 0453-073X, 1883-6852
• [Journal Article] Draft genome sequence of the moderately halophilic methanotroph Methylohalobius crimeensis strain 10Ki. (2015)
  • Author(s): Sharp, C.E., Smirnova, A.V., Kalyuzhnaya, M.G., Bringel, F., Hirayama, H., Jetten, M.S., Khmelenina, V.N., Klotz, M.G., Knief, C., Kyrpides, N., Op den Camp, H.J.M., Reshetnikov, A.S., Sakai, Y., Shapiro, N., Trotsenko, Y.A., Vuilleumier, S., Woyke, T., and Dunfield, P.F.
  • Journal Title: Genome Announcements Volume: 3 Issue: 3
  • DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00644-15
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 海洋の好気性メタン酸化菌の分布、多様性、窒素代謝 (2014)
  • Author(s): 平山 仙子
  • Journal Title: 生物の科学 遺伝 Volume: 6 Pages: 492-497
• [Presentation] Novel amino-bacteriohopanepolyol lipid biomarkers for aerobic methane oxidation (2015)
  • Author(s): Osborne, K.A., Rush D., Birgel, D., Hirayama, H., Poulton, S., Boetius, A., and Talbot, H.M.
  • Organizer: 27th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry
  • Place of Presentation: Clarion Congress Hotel Prague, Prague (Czech Republic)
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-14