Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Life on the thermodynamic edge: Respiratory growth of an acetotrophic methanogen

Journal Article · · Science Advances
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); DOE/OSTI
  2. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Although two-thirds of the nearly 1 billion metric tons of methane produced annually in Earth’s biosphere derives from acetate, the in situ process has escaped rigorous understanding. The unresolved question concerns the mechanism by which the exceptionally marginal amount of available energy supports acetotrophic growth of methanogenic archaea in the environment. Here, we show that Methanosarcina acetivorans conserves energy by Fe(III)-dependent respiratory metabolism of acetate, augmenting production of the greenhouse gas methane. An extensively revised, ecologically relevant, biochemical pathway for acetotrophic growth is presented, in which the conservation of respiratory energy is maximized by electron bifurcation, a previously unknown mechanism of biological energy coupling. The results transform the ecological and biochemical understanding of methanogenesis and the role of iron in the mineralization of organic matter in anaerobic environments.
Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-95ER20198
OSTI ID:
1610282
Journal Information:
Science Advances, Journal Name: Science Advances Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 5; ISSN 2375-2548
Publisher:
AAASCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (47)

Flavin-Based Electron Bifurcation, A New Mechanism of Biological Energy Coupling journal February 2018
Quantitative Proteomic and Microarray Analysis of the Archaeon M ethanosarcina acetivorans Grown with Acetate versus Methanol journal February 2007
A biochemical framework for anaerobic oxidation of methane driven by Fe(III)-dependent respiration journal April 2018
Reduction of Fe(III) oxide by methanogens in the presence and absence of extracellular quinones journal February 2002
Reduction of Fe(III) oxides by phylogenetically and physiologically diverse thermophilic methanogens journal June 2014
Assessment of the oxidant tolerance of Methanosarcina acetivorans journal March 2013
Electron transport during aceticlastic methanogenesis by Methanosarcina acetivorans involves a sodium-translocating Rnf complex journal November 2012
Methanogens rapidly transition from methane production to iron reduction journal January 2016
Coupling of ATP synthesis and methane formation from methanol and molecular hydrogen in Methanosarcina barkeri journal May 1984
Hydrogen ?leakage? during methanogenesis from methanol and methylamine: implications for anaerobic carbon degradation pathways in aquatic sediments journal April 2007
Turnover of glucose and acetate coupled to reduction of nitrate, ferric iron and sulfate and to methanogenesis in anoxic rice field soil journal January 2000
Improved identification of methanogenic bacteria by fluorescence microscopy journal November 1978
Methanosarcina acetivorans sp. nov., an Acetotrophic Methane-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Marine Sediments journal January 1984
Sulfate-Dependent Interspecies H2 Transfer between Methanosarcina barkeri and Desulfovibrio vulgaris during Coculture Metabolism of Acetate or Methanol journal January 1985
Organic Matter Mineralization with Reduction of Ferric Iron in Anaerobic Sediments journal January 1986
Disaggregation of Methanosarcina spp. and Growth as Single Cells at Elevated Osmolarity journal January 1993
Dissimilatory Fe(III) Reduction by the Marine Microorganism Desulfuromonas acetoxidans journal January 1993
Effects of Amendment with Ferrihydrite and Gypsum on the Structure and Activity of Methanogenic Populations in Rice Field Soil journal May 2002
MrpA Functions in Energy Conversion during Acetate-Dependent Growth of Methanosarcina acetivorans journal July 2013
Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. journal January 1979
Effect of ferrihydrite biomineralization on methanogenesis in an anaerobic incubation from paddy soil: IRON MINERALIZATION AND METHANOGENESIS journal May 2015
Archaeal Community Structure and Pathway of Methane Formation on Rice Roots journal January 2004
Geochemical drivers of organic matter decomposition in arctic tundra soils journal December 2015
Pathways of organic carbon oxidation in three continental margin sediments journal July 1993
Bioenergetics and anaerobic respiratory chains of aceticlastic methanogens journal July 2014
The Membrane-Bound Electron Transport System of Methanosarcina Species journal February 2004
Anaerobic production of magnetite by a dissimilatory iron-reducing microorganism journal November 1987
ZOLA-3D allows flexible 3D localization microscopy over an adjustable axial range journal June 2018
Methanogenic burst in the end-Permian carbon cycle journal March 2014
Methane Biogeochemistry and Methanogen Communities in Two Northern Peatland Ecosystems, New York State journal November 2003
The global methane cycle: recent advances in understanding the microbial processes involved: Global methane cycle journal June 2009
Improved identification of methanogenic bacteria by fluorescence microscopy journal November 1978
Methanosarcina acetivorans sp. nov., an Acetotrophic Methane-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Marine Sediments journal January 1984
Sulfate-Dependent Interspecies H2 Transfer between Methanosarcina barkeri and Desulfovibrio vulgaris during Coculture Metabolism of Acetate or Methanol journal January 1985
Organic Matter Mineralization with Reduction of Ferric Iron in Anaerobic Sediments journal January 1986
Novel Mode of Microbial Energy Metabolism: Organic Carbon Oxidation Coupled to Dissimilatory Reduction of Iron or Manganese journal January 1988
Disaggregation of Methanosarcina spp. and Growth as Single Cells at Elevated Osmolarity journal January 1993
Dissimilatory Fe(III) Reduction by the Marine Microorganism Desulfuromonas acetoxidans journal January 1993
Effects of Amendment with Ferrihydrite and Gypsum on the Structure and Activity of Methanogenic Populations in Rice Field Soil journal May 2002
A Serum Bottle Modification of the Hungate Technique for Cultivating Obligate Anaerobes journal January 1974
MrpA Functions in Energy Conversion during Acetate-Dependent Growth of Methanosarcina acetivorans journal July 2013
Novel Mode of Microbial Energy Metabolism: Organic Carbon Oxidation Coupled to Dissimilatory Reduction of Iron or Manganese journal January 1988
A Serum Bottle Modification of the Hungate Technique for Cultivating Obligate Anaerobes journal January 1974
MrpA Functions in Energy Conversion during Acetate-Dependent Growth of Methanosarcina acetivorans journal February 2014
A Ferredoxin- and F 420 H 2 -Dependent, Electron-Bifurcating, Heterodisulfide Reductase with Homologs in the Domains Bacteria and Archaea journal February 2017
Electron transport in acetate-grown Methanosarcina acetivorans journal January 2011
Organic carbon oxidation and suppression of methane production by microbial Fe(III) oxide reduction in vegetated and unvegetated freshwater wetland sediments journal December 1996

Cited By (3)

Structure and function of an unusual flavodoxin from the domain Archaea journal December 2019
Redox cycling of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in magnetite accelerates aceticlastic methanogenesis by Methanosarcina mazei journal October 2019
High-Level Abundances of Methanobacteriales and Syntrophobacterales May Help To Prevent Corrosion of Metal Sheet Piles journal August 2019

Similar Records

Respiration-driven methanotrophic growth of diverse marine methanogens
Journal Article · Tue Sep 19 20:00:00 EDT 2023 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · OSTI ID:2001164

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Ecology
Science & Technology - Other Topics