Evaluation of high hydrostatic pressure on the isotopic composition of methane generated by methanogen isolated from deep-sea sediment

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25420884
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Earth system and resources engineering
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: TASUMI Eiji 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, 技術副主任 (50553228)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IMACH Hiroyuki 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 (20361933) ; KONNO Yuta 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, 技術研究員 (80631762)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TAKAI Ken 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, 分野長 (80359166)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 高圧培養 / メタン / 炭素同位体比 / 水素同位体比

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratio of methane has been used as one of the most effective indicators for esimating the origin of methane existing in the deep-sea environment. Although microbial methane production has been evaluated as an important sourth origin, little is known about the isotopic compositions of methane actually generated by methanogenic microbes under high hydrostatic pressure conditions.
We investigated the effects of hydrostatic pressures on growth rate, methanogenesis activity, and isotopic fractionation of methane by using a methylotrophic methanogenic archaea, Methanosarcina sp. NT-MS1, isolated from a deep-sea surface sediment collected from Nankai Trough.
In this study, we demonstrated that hydrostatic pressure affects not only growth rate and methanogenesis activity of methanogen but also carbon and hydrogen isotopic frationation of methane generated.

Free Research Field

微生物学